Health Viewpoints
Our ancestors warned us that the feelings we have can have an effect on our character and soul. Nowadays, scientists tell us that emotions have biochemical consequences. Joy and contentment are linked to wellness, while emotions like fear and anger are linked to pain and disease.
“There is absolutely a link between fear and chronic low back pain,” Dr. Akhil Chhatre, director of spine rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Hospital told one of our health reporters, Henry Jom.
Dr. Chhatre’s observation is backed up by studies that find fear is linked to pain. Of course, our fear of pain itself means that pain can also lead to fear. For many, this connection between fear and pain can create a vicious cycle.
Researchers have been able to resolve this cycle through psychological treatments, focusing on the patient’s mental and emotional state rather than their body.
Anger also has its consequences, being linked to poor health in old age. At a physiological level, researchers say anger raises cortisol levels, which can lead to pain. Anger and depression are also linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and other ailments.
My colleague, Conan Milner writes that pain is often delivering a message—and that message can tell us that we’ve got something amiss in our character.
“The idea is that our dark, unexpressed feelings cause chronic tension, resulting in physical pain,” writes Mr. Milner, citing the work of renowned physician, Dr. John E. Sarno, a professor of rehabilitation medicine at New York University School of Medicine.
So if negative emotions can cause pain and disease, can positive emotions heal them?
Long-time Epoch Times contributor Sina McCullough, a master herbalist with a doctorate in nutrition, writes that forgiveness was a crucial step in her path to resolving autoimmune disease, and research suggests she isn’t alone.
“For example, the medical literature contains numerous examples of diseases, including cancer, that have spontaneously reversed after an act of forgiveness. Consequently, I began the process of forgiving everyone, including myself—which was the hardest,” writes Ms. McCullough.
Forgiveness is the natural counter to anger. Beyond forgiveness, there are several things we can do to keep anger in check. If that anger is with a specific person, it may be important to take a deeper look at yourself or re-consider your ongoing relationship with that person. If your anger arises over daily frustrations, you may need to look at any unhelpful notions you are dragging around. And if you just tend to blow up, you probably need to learn how to better manage your anger.
Fear is often the flipside of anger and can arise from a sense of powerlessness or a habit of imagining worst case scenarios. This type of negative thinking can arise from an effort at self protection, but there are far better ways to deal with a possible tribulation than imagining its worst version. For instance, anxiety can be used to energize us to take meaningful steps towards resolving or preparing for the worst case scenario.
Other ways to tackle negative emotions include approaches ranging from mindfulness and prayer to meditation and movement. Dietary changes can also have a profound effect.
And then there is the power of gratitude, which displaces negative emotions while focusing us on what is right and good in our lives. If you find yourself caught up in negative emotions, take a moment to remind yourself of what you have to be grateful for.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.