Are Your Emotions Making You Sick?

Sue walked into my office without an appointment.  Her face looked frazzled.  She apologized for not calling beforehand, but said she was desperate.  She said she felt extremely ill and that regular doctors were ignoring her cries for help.  She was just sure that if I gave her some vitamins and a good diet to follow that it would make her sickness all right.  But, I knew better.

I didn’t have time to have an actual consult with her, but I had a suspicion that there was something else going on – something much deeper than just her physical symptoms.  I started asking questions and quickly found out that I wasn’t the one she needed to be talking to.

Many times, my clients are surprised when I start asking questions about their childhood, their marriage and the stress in their life.  Most think that since they came in with physical symptoms, that I should be asking questions that only deal only with their physical body.

I explain to them,

“Health isn’t just what we eat and drink or how our body feels. It is what we think about and if we have a spiritual connection with God.

Our health is WHOLE HEALTH: Mind, Body and Spirit.  If one is not balanced, the others are affected. Click to tweet.”

Sue had major emotional issues that were leading to her inability to sleep and also had feelings of depression.  She admitted to me that there had been trauma in her childhood, that she had had an abortion 20 years ago and that she had thoughts of hurting herself.

The look in her eyes spoke so much to me.

I said to her, “Sue, I can put you on an excellent diet plan and some supplements to help you sleep.  But, I honestly don’t think they will do much.  You see, you need emotional and spiritual healing.  Unfortunately, I am not equipped to give you what you need in this area, but I can refer you to someone who can help you walk through this.  Then, when you feel peace in your mind and spirit, we will work on that diet plan.”

I handed her the number of my friend who is a professional counselor who deals with both the mind and spirit.  Then I assured her she would get better and that I would be praying for her.

There have been many other times when I had to make that judgment call and refer my client to a counselor.  Because I understand the power of the mind and what it can do to our bodies, I feel like I would be cheating them if I didn’t refer them for more emotional and spiritual help.

If one is filled with anger or fear, no supplement or food plan is going to fix that!  It might take the edge off, but the root issue is still there.

Natural medicine is about getting to the root of the problem, and that root is not always physical.

A More Excellent Way

My mother in law gave me a book several years ago called, “A More Excellent Way.”  It is a book written about the emotional roots of diseases and has bible scriptures that tie into each one.  When I started flipping through the book, it illuminated the emotion-diesease connection I had feared addressing because people might think I was crazy.  I don’t agree with everything the author says, but I have begun to see much of the same in my clients.

I started using what I had learned in the book for my consults.  I remember the first time I worked up the guts to go after an emotional root to an ailment.

I had a mom call me because her son had eczema that was not clearing up.  She had spent months using all kinds of natural supplements and a clean diet.  I asked her, “Does he struggle with fear?  And did you happen to deal with fear while you were pregnant or when he was a baby?”  She replied, “Why yes!  I almost miscarried him in the womb and I feared the whole pregnancy that he wouldn’t make it! And he is a very fearful kid!”

I found the root!  The book was right when it connected skin issues like eczema with fear!  Does that mean fear is the sole cause of eczema?  No, it can have physical causes as well like food allergies or parasites.

But, when someone struggles with an issue that doesn’t clear up with the correct supplements and the right diet, an emotion very well may be the culprit.  I have seen it over and over again, now with eczema and with several other ailments.

There are plenty of other books out there that talk about the emotional roots of disease. Eastern medicine has known about your emotional quotient and health relationship for centuries!  Slowly but surely we are catching up here in the West.  Doctors now understand how stress can affect us physically.  The medical world is now admitting that 70-80% of diseases are rooted in stress!  That would mean they originated in the mind, right?

Thirty years ago, the majority of doctors didn’t understand the great impact of stress on the body. This acknowledgement is a great step in the right direction. However, it is disappointing to me when doctors prescribe a pill for emotional distress when the patient may need professional help.  I have had clients who have been on drugs, such as Prozac, for 20 years!!  These drugs are for short-term use.  Long-term use can cause chemical imbalances in the brain! These pharmaceutical drugs typically cover up the problem and don’t address the root of the emotional imbalance.

Are Emotions Making You Sick?

Now, I want you to think for a minute.

• Think about the physical issues that you may deal with, whether it is heart disease, diabetes, or even fibromyalgia.
• Have you tried everything natural you can think of with no avail?
• Do you eat right but your blood pressure still stays elevated?

Now, look deep inside yourself.

• Do you struggle with anger?
• Or, do you harbor feelings of worry, fear or anxiety?

You may say, “Well I have a right to feel that way! You don’t know what has happened in my life!”  You’re probably right.  You do have every right to feel the way you feel.

But would you consider letting go of those emotions if you knew you would feel better and your sickness might disappear?

Listed below are some of the more common emotion-sickness connections.  Read through these and see if any of them resonate with you.  If they do, it may be time to seek some emotional and spiritual help to bring you freedom from what is truly making you sick.

Emotion: Fear/Anxiety

Sickness:

• Skin issues: Eczema, Psoriasis, Acne, Rosacea
• Panic Attacks
• High Blood Pressure
• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Heart Rhythm disorders
• Asthma
• IBS
• Ulcers
• Diabetes
• Insomnia
• Impotence

The list goes on as fear and anxiety can cause a multitude of sicknesses in the body.

Emotion: Anger/Bitterness/Unforgiveness

Sickness:

• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Cancer
• High Blood Pressure

Emotion: Self-Hatred/Guilt

• Pinterest

Sickness:

• Autoimmune Disorders (fibromyalgia, lupus, hashimotos, etc.)
• Chemical Sensitivities
• Alzheimers

Some of you may get offended when reading this.  Maybe your mom died of cancer and you’re thinking, “My mother was not angry or bitter!” But, I want to clarity two things.

First of all, these diseases can have a physical cause.  Cancer, for instance, can be caused by toxins or many other things.

Secondly, often times people stuff their feelings and we may have no idea what they’re dealing with.  Someone could have been abused as a child and they have deep-seated anger towards that abuser.  That anger may not show on the outside.  But on the inside, it wreaks havoc on their mind, spirit, and physical body.

The Chinese Organ Emotion Connection

Like I mentioned earlier, the East has acknowledged our emotions direct connection to diseases for centuries.  Chinese Medicine connects four different emotions to our organ functions.  They believe that those emotions can directly affect those organs and vice versa.

For example, someone who struggles anger could end up with a compromised liver.  Conversely, someone who has damaged their liver via alcohol or other physical source may then struggle with anger.  Listed below are Chinese Medicine’s emotion organ connections.

Fear/Kidneys

We have all heard about people “peeing their pants” when they’re scared.  Childhood bedwetting can also be a result of fear and anxiety.  But, chronic fear can lead to kidney weakness.

Stress or Shock/Heart

A bout of shock can cause something as severe as a heart attack.  But chronic stress is incredibly hard on the heart, as well.  Heart doctors are always telling their patients to  lower their stress levels, because they know it’s detrimental effects.

Sadness or Grief/Lungs

Those who suffer from long bouts of sadness or grief may suffer from shortness, shallow breath and even asthma.

Worry/Stomach

Many of us get an upset stomach when we worry.  But chronic worry can lead to digestive issues and even acid reflux.

Our Minds Effect On Immunity

Typically, when I talk about boosting your immune system, I list several great supplements to take that have proven to boost immunity. But, there is something even more powerful you can do than pop a pill. Science has now proven that our thoughts affect our rate of healing and our resistance to disease!

From the flu to cancer, having positive thoughts about yourself and others causes a faster rate of healing and repair.  Someone who is full of anger or worry does not heal, as well.  This is because stress causes a spike in our stress hormone, cortisol, which in turn lowers our immune system.

Emotions also affect our immune system through neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and nor-epinephrine. These neurotransmitters act on white blood cells in the body.

Our emotions effect on our immune system is so powerful, that there is a new science dedicated alone to its study.  That field of science is called psychoneuroimmunology.  It concentrates on the study of the connection of the mind, the brain and the immune system.

Finding Freedom

Getting free from emotions can be extremely difficult.  It can be much more difficult than losing weight or exercising.  It takes much more willpower and also the help of others to walk with you through the process.  I am not a professional counselor, but I can tell you what I have found to work well for me in walking out my freedom.

I struggled for years with candida and digestive upsets that began in my teenage years through my mid 20s.  I tried every natural approach possible with no real results.

I remember crying out in a prayer that God would heal me.  I heard a quiet voice say to me, “Forgive your Mom and you will be healed.”

I was taken back.  I thought I had forgiven her for the mistakes she made in raising me!  She had been very controlling in my teenage years. My need to get out from under that control led to my rebellion and bouts of anorexia and bulimia.  I thought I had moved on and was past that.

But after some self-examination, I realized that I really hadn’t forgiven her.  Instead, I had locked myself in the bondage of anger and unforgiveness. Once I had truly let go and forgave her, my digestive issues resolved.  It is a testimony I use often to tell others the power of emotions over our body.

Here are some steps I used to gain freedom and peace of mind in my life.

1. Dig really deep in examining your deep-seated emotions.  If you struggle with insecurities, depression and anxiety, then you are most likely not “over it.”
2. If you are still unsure, then ask those closest to you.  Sometimes we live in a state of denial, but others can clearly see our struggles and weaknesses.
3. Journaling is an excellent tool in walking out our freedom.  Once you read through it you will be amazed at how far you have really come.
4. Prayer is your strongest tool!  Let God show you the keys to your freedom.  He can unlock those places in your heart that need healing and give you the strength you need to get through and claim your freedom and healing.
5. Getting Sozo did wonders for my emotional issues.  Sozo means to save, heal and deliver. It is a powerful counseling tool that uses the power of prayer and the resolving of bad memories and trauma.  Many churches are now offering it.  You can call around and see if a church in your area knows of someone offering it.
6. Seek professional help.  Most times it is too difficult to walk this road alone.  Having someone to talk to who can give you sound advice and step-by-step tools to walking out your journey is very helpful.

Hope

My desire is that after reading this, you are filled with hope.  Hope that you can be well again, hope that there is a bright future ahead and hope that you can win the battle over your mind and emotions.

It is not easy, but mastering peace of mind is one of the most powerful tools someone can have.  It is key to a long, healthy life.

• What are the games that play in your mind about your health?  

• Do you believe that you can have good health again? 

• What do you need to do to make a step toward emotional healing?