Emotions Have Physical Consequences
The link between stress and disease is undeniable. A simple Google search on the impacts of stress on health and disease returns hundreds, if not thousands, of articles. Medical researchers have dug into this topic for years and have noted that for just about every major disease and chronic condition, stress plays a key role. From cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases & cancers, stress and negative emotions literally breakdown the body and inhibit healing. The simple truth is that there are physical consequences to our emotions. This fact is not well understood at all by the majority of people and is creating a health crisis. Just ask yourself: Is it really a coincidence that the increased severity and frequency of disease seems to be occurring at the same time that depression and anxiety (for all age groups) is soaring at record levels? This isn’t such a surprise when you understand the mind-body connection and what actually happens during stress. For example, stress and negative emotions literally suppress the immune system and digestion. Try eating and digesting a meal after hearing some terrible news.
When you are in stress, also known as Fight or Flight, the body turns off key body systems in order to prioritize resources for survival. These include the immune system, digestion, and reproduction. Here is the logic in your body: digesting food, repairing an injury or healing a bacterial infection is not important when you are in a real crisis. This is actually a brilliant design to ensure that the brain and muscles in the legs get all of the attention so that you can protect yourself or flee. However, the key here is the length of the crisis: did you know that we are designed to be in a crisis for only a short period of time? Unfortunately, in our modern world, we live in stress and negative emotions 24/7, 365.
Consider the amount of damage that is done to the body when we live in constant stress for years:
- Poor digestion leads to nutrient deficiencies, digestive issues (heart burn, GERD, ulcers, IBS, constipation/diarrhea). Left untreated, these conditions can worsen and lead to cancers and other autoimmune illnesses such as ulcerative colitis, Chron’s disease and others.
- Immune system suppression initially prevents healing from infections and injury. (This is when you are getting constant colds, flu viruses, etc.) However, as the body breaks down from disrepair and infection over time, the immune system bypasses the suppression signals and over-compensates the repairs, leading to body inflammation and chronic illness. It is possible that this is one of the causes of autoimmune disease, as these tend to follow a flare-up and remission cycle that corresponds to stress.
- Infertility challenges arise when the body is forced to prioritize survival over reproduction. The amount of body resources required to support the creation and nuturing of a fetus is not feasible when in a crisis. The stress hormones, namely cortisol and adrenaline, interfere with other brain systems that control ovulation. Many women experience severe cycle irregularities or even ovulation suspension when in chronic stress. Men can experience lower sperm counts during periods of stress.
However, there is a way out of these conditions: Retraining your mind to calm your body by calming your thoughts and emotions. The simple truth is that we were designed to be healthy when we are feeling positive emotions such as gratitude, joy and love. While that may sound like some hippy talk from the 1960’s, it is backed in science. Positive emotions, especially gratitude, reset your body’s biochemistry back to health and healing. It also enables gene expression of proteins that help, not hurt, the body. Positive emotions produce cell signaling within the body that stimulates the body to heal and grow. Change your thoughts and change your health.