Wellbeing
How mental health problems can cause physical health issues
How we think , feel and consequently behave will so often have an impact on our physical health that can be the life or death of us . Wellbeing Life Coach David Hurst explains why this is .
Our mind , body and spirit are inextricably linked . Ask any doctor whether our emotional and physical conditions are connected – and it will be a resounding yes . Yet many people are still surprised and even shocked to know this . You only need to look at the mental health support groups on Facebook to see , where tens of thousands of people are sharing their many physical ailments and seemingly not making the connection .
This is because we live in an era , perhaps for the past century , where health conditions have been separated : it ’ s either physical or it ’ s mental and emotional . When I was a medical health writer for national newspapers for many years I tried writing about this link for years , but can count on one hand when I was commissioned to even mention it .
Thankfully , awareness is growing again about this clear connection . An increasing number of respected experts such as physician and addiction expert Dr Gabor Maté ; psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk ; and chiropractor Dr Joe Dispenza are currently saying it loudly and clearly : that our mind , body and soul are totally connected .
Mind , body and soul
Dr Maté ’ s bestselling book When The Body Says No states how emotional and mental stress is a key cause of physical illness . This includes digestive issues , autoimmune conditions , heart problems and even cancer . He speaks about how the brain and body systems that process emotions are intimately linked to our hormonal network and nervous system as well as to our immune system . Mind and body are inseparable .
In fact , mental health conditions such as anxiety , depression and stress can lead to many physical symptoms . These include rheumatoid arthritis , sight problems , hair loss , nausea , palpitations , high blood pressure , breathing issues , psoriasis , stomach pain and sleep problems . Overall , negative emotional states weaken our immune system making us more prone to illness – and meaning it can take much longer to recover when we do get ill .
“ If someone comes to a doctor with rheumatoid arthritis it ’ s not enough they get prescribed an anti-inflammatory ," says Dr Maté . “ They should also be engaged in a conversation about the life stresses that triggered the episode of inflammation , as invariably turns out to be the case .”
I would add that in a great many cases it would also be wholly beneficial to look at any adverse childhood experiences that may have occurred . These can be obvious to make a connection , but sometimes it ’ s necessary to shine some light into the dark corners of a person ’ s younger years to realise the ongoing negative impact on their lives , in both an emotional and physical sense .
Placebo and nocebo
Many centuries ago , Stoic philosopher Epictetus said : “ You become what you give your attention to .” More recently , selfhelp author and motivational speaker Dr Wayne Dyer put it : “ You ’ ll see it when you believe it .” So how we think undoubtedly affects how we think , feel and consequently behave . This alters us physically , for the better or the worse . We always need to remember that anything we focus on grows – whether that is negative or positive …
Just as there is the placebo effect that everybody knows about , there is its pic : Tone Camara opposite : the nocebo David Hurst effect . This makes total sense – because if we can make ourselves well by believing we ’ re taking something that is getting us well , we must also be able to make ourselves unwell with the power of our thinking and belief . Break down the word ‘ disease ’ to ‘ dis-at-ease ’ and it reveals a great deal around this .
What is the illness telling us ?
Dr Maté thinks the main reason for many illnesses is to enable people to develop the capability to say no to excessive stresses in their life . If we do not do this ourselves , in time it ’ s our body that ends up saying it for us : through various physical illnesses . “ My belief is that diseases like cancer , multiple sclerosis and so on , that cause so much suffering , all come along to teach something ,” he says . “ If the lesson is learned , with compassion for oneself , then the ‘ teacher ’ has done its job and can then take a hike .
“ That ’ s not a guarantee , but I ’ ve seen many examples of people who ’ ve taken on their illnesses in this way and either survived or far outlived what medical science would have predicted , or at least greatly improved their own quality of life while alive ."
So we need to consider if a physical illness has developed to allow us to realise we need to return to our true selves . Over the past 20 years I have seen many people get into recovery after serious illness or a health scare or the loss of someone they love from a disease , look back at childhood and how it formed them , look at how they are living now and then make absolutely positive transformations . I urge everyone to look at these things before a health scare or serious illness has to do it .
DAVID HURST
David Hurst is a Wellbeing Life Coach with four books published on emotional and mental health recovery , including 12 Steps To 1 Hero and The Anxiety Conversation . To find out more or contact David to discuss how he can help you or someone you care about , visit : david-hurst . com
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