For as long as there has been civilization, humans have needed healers – for injury, for sickness, and for emotional distress. Even ancient health and wellness experts noted the psychological effects of emotional distress and its effect on the body when treating their patients, prescribing calming teas and the company of loved ones as commonly as pharmaceutical medicines.
Modern physicians are also well aware of how negative emotions can decrease physical wellness. In 1936, Dr. Hans Selye published an article in the journal Nature that described how stress induces hormonal changes in the body that over time can lead to many chronic diseases, including ulcers, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, kidney disease, and allergic reactions.
The mechanisms interconnecting mental states and emotions with the physical body are a fascinating system of interwoven cellular communication. When a person is acutely distressed, the stressor sets off a cascade of physical effects in the body known as the “fight or flight” response. These changes include increased muscle tension and heart rate/respiration, decreased blood flow to extremities, suppressed immune response, intense digestion and acid production, and stalled healing and maintenance of the cells. These physiological changes are adaptive if the stressor is acute—being chased by a bear, for instance. These changes give us the strength and speed to escape danger. Unfortunately, when the body maintains a level of being on “high alert” for extended periods (think chronic stress) these chronic adaptations foster physical illness in the body.
Clearly, mental wellness is a huge component of a healthy physical self. So we must ask ourselves – why is there such aversion to getting help when we know that there is a physical and emotional health connection?
Research shows the hesitancy to seek emotional health comes down to stigma. Many chronic pain clients whom we see as a referral from their primary care or pain management physician’s first thought is “I’m not crazy!”
Of course, the person isn’t crazy – all people suffer emotional turmoil at some points in their lives. But to endure these problematic times without the help of a trained professional only serves to bring more damage to the physical self as mental health declines.
The most important thing to take away from this research is this; if your mind is working optimally, so will your body, and if your body is working optimally so will your mind. Working to sustain good mental health is no different than maintaining good physical health; Just as someone may need medication for chronic health conditions (diabetes and insulin, for instance), the same might be needed for an adjustment to neurotransmitters to achieve a more balanced mental wellness; Just as someone may benefit from physical therapy for physical health condition, the benefit from mental health counseling can be extremely beneficial to overall health. The balance of mental and physical health works both ways; If someone is physically ill, the illness itself can cause psychological distress that can be diagnosed as depression or anxiety. Even if the distress is caused by the illness, as can occur after an acute injury, addressing and reducing the emotional distress involved can improve healing.
In conclusion, if you want to optimize your physical wellbeing, including finding relief from pain, you need to address the psychological as well as the physical component, as both elements are vital to general wellness. Decades of research exploring this mind/body connection have continued to confirm the value improving physical health and reducing the need for other medical interventions, including pharmaceuticals, when both elements are addressed.
To learn more, proven mind/body interventions include various types of psychotherapy (cognitive behavioral therapy, energy psychology and EMDR), meditation, relaxation training, hypnosis, biofeedback and neurofeedback. Schedule a free consultation!
