Psychoneuroimmunology Health and Emotions

It just worried me sick. It ate through me like a cancer. It cut me like a knife. It’s killing me. These are expressions we use that hint at the mind/body connection. Have you ever wondered if there really is any basis for these sayings? Can our thoughts and feelings actually influence our health? Can the death of a spouse, unemployment or other environmental situations cause problems for your immune system?

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is telling us yes, our emotions can effect our immune system causing illness. PNI by definition is a multidisciplinary field, involving psychologists, neuroscientists and immunologists. This field looks at the scientific data on the interaction of the nervous and immune systems as well as the impact of behavior and psychological functioning. In short, PNI is based on we are what we think.

Human beings are the only creatures on earth that can change their biology by what they think or feel. According to research, exposure to stressful life experiences has been associated with changes in the immune system. Viral and bacterial infections, auto-immune diseases, cancer, heart disease, and HIV-related illness have all been linked to immune system changes associated with stressful events and psychological responses.

Experts have noticed that illness has many positive rewards. Ever notice when someone becomes sick they receive cards, flowers and gifts. Often people who are ill will gain praises from family and loved ones. In fact, sickness gives us permission to do things that we would not do otherwise. It makes it easier to say no to unwelcome people, burdens, and job demands in our lives. Being sick, or not feeling good allows us to take time to rest, stay in bed, meditate, reflect, and gives us permission to relax. It also gives us permission to be loved because we attain a great amount of emotional support.

For example, immunological changes have been observed in response to major life change events such as a marital separation, the death of a loved one, caring for a sick spouse, people who suffer from chronic stress, and being unemployed. In a series of studies done over the past ten years, the relationship between psychological stress and illness has been linked together. People with chronic stress are prone to acute infectious respiratory illness, heart and liver disease, chronic headaches, Irritable Bowel syndrome, back- aches, and joint problems. In fact, in a recent study done at UCLA, studies showed that 90% of illness had an emotional root.



In addition, according to new evidence, healthy self-esteem is one of the best preventative measures we can utilize for both psychical and mental health.
In fact, strong self-esteem can help boost the immune system and protect against heart disease, and aid in healing.

A growing body of evidence is showing that some people with low self-esteem suffer from chronic pain, headaches, respiratory infections, and digestive problems such ulcers, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, heart disease, cancer, and chronic fatigue.

Researchers in psychology and psychoneuroimmunology stress that
Self-efficacy is one of the major components to self-esteem. Self-efficacy is your perception of your own abilities. It is your belief in yourself and how you rate yourself. A study at UCLA showed that self-efficacy actually causes a chemical change in the brain that releases a chemical called catecholamine, which triggers a set of physiological reactions.

Suppressed or unsuppressed anger can also cause a wide spread effect on the body. To fully understand the process of anger, it is important to sense what happens to the body when one becomes angry. In a moment of anger, people may experience muscle tension, grinding of teeth and teeth clenching, ringing in the ears, flushing, higher blood pressure, chest pains, excessive sweating, chills, severe headaches or migraines.

With chronic anger people can experience peptic ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal cramping, hiccups, chronic indigestion, heart attacks, strokes, kidney problems, obesity, and frequent colds. Medical experts have found that the heart muscle is effected by anger and can actually reduce the hearts ability to pump properly.

The results of prolonged anger can actually cause harm to the body’s largest organ, the skin. Many people who hold their anger in often have skin diseases such as rashes, hives, warts, eczema, and acne. Researchers have studied anger and skin disorders and discovered that when the person resolved their deep buried anger, skin disorders dramatically improved.

One of the major effects anger has on the body is the release of chemicals and hormones, primarily the adrenaline and non-adrenaline. The adrenaline act on all organs that reach the sympathetic nervous system stimulating the heart, dilating the coronary vessels, constricting blood vessels in the intestines, and shutting off digestion.

There are many ways people can control their anger, relive stress, and gain self-esteem.

*Meditation. You hear it all the time, take a deep breath and count to ten. Meditation can allow you to take some time breathe, relax, and to reflect on the situation and take a critical look at what is happening with you. It can also slow down the metabolism of the body allowing it to heal.

*Practice forgiveness. Anger often times results in resentments. Resentments can be resolved through forgiveness. You do not necessarily have to forgive the person you are angry at face to face, you can forgive in any way that works for you.

* Creativity. Be creative in releasing your emotions. Screaming in a pillow, dancing, aerobics, pillow pounding, stretching exercises, tearing up old news papers, throwing rocks in a safe place, squeezing a ball of clay, kicking a ball or pillow, some sort of sport activity such as basket ball, racket ball, soccer or throwing a baseball.

* Avoid holding onto your feelings. Learn to express yourself. Talk to a friend, family member or counselor. Learn to talk and your health will benefit.

* Encourage others. By encouraging others you begin to believe in yourself as well as others.

* Begin to recognize positive traits in yourself as well as others.

* Do not set yourself up for failure. If you are setting goals, be realistic about your goals and allow yourself room to succeed. Do not set yourself up for failure.
Recognize your achievements! Achievements do not come in sizes. There are no small achievements, all achievements are BIG.
Most research thus far is showing that the immune system and the mind are
indeed connected. People really can be worried sick, or can psychologically be “eaten up” like a cancer. The medical field and psychology field can join together integrating both practices to ensure the best possible care.

By attempting to stay healthy, learning to give yourself permission to take time out for yourself, and building up your immune system, people have a head start in preventing illness and disease and can work towards stronger mental health.