Have you ever been sick with the flu and found yourself feeling mopey and sad, maybe even sobbing?
Sure β weβve all been physically sick enough to suffer emotionally, as well.
But weβre not always as quick to understand that the phenomenon works both ways. Sometimes we can feel so bad emotionally that it causes physical pain, too.
The mind-body connection is real. βΌοΈ
It is powerful. And it can knock you down β literally β if youβre not in tune with what youβre feeling.
The experience historically has been called βpsychogenic pain,β and it occurs when emotional, psychological or behavioral problems lead to physical symptoms.
Consider how it can be easy to go from βfeeling sadβ to βbeing depressed,β which is an actual physical malady that can make you have tiredness, soreness, and headaches.
Or how suppressing anger leads to tension and high blood pressure.
Itβs a similar concept with feeling anxious or ashamed. If youβre up worrying all night, your body and brain suffer from the lack of sleep.
The term βpsychogenicβ is somewhat outdated because it means βproduced in the mindβ and experts realize that there can be a negative association with that β like, βJust get over it if itβs all in your head.β (NOT helpful!)
But this pain is real, no matter what anyone says.
This is demonstrated physiologically via your sympathetic nervous system and the fact that they run on the front of your spine.π±
So if you are stressed out, fearful, angry etc it is going to light up that sympathetic chain, and you will have physiological issues at your weakest link. Maybe its :
ππ½ A headache
ππ½ Or heart palpitations
ππ½ Or digestive issues
ππ½ A problem with elimination
ππ½ Or an issue with Libido
Any (or more) of those areas will have physiological issues because of your emotional stress.
Understand your mind and body, and donβt be afraid to seek help if you need it.
Please be kind to yourself and practice self-care about the mind-body connection. Exercise. Meditate. Talk with a therapist about your feelings for help processing your emotions. See a qualified physical type therapist that can view your issues holistically.
Pain is pain. Donβt let it hold you down.
Itβs not just working out, itβs building a foundation for a better life.
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