I have a lot of clients with chronic pain...
Some of them can put it down to something physical that happened, such as a injury occurred from an accident or doing an activity’ or from having inflammation or a nerve disorder. Others have no direct correlation as such. However, there is often a link between an emotional or traumatic time and when the pain began.
It makes sense to me that if physical pain brings on emotional pain (as discussed in previous blog; emotions such as anger, frustration, sadness etc) then why can’t emotional pain bring on physical pain?
I personally know the two are connected, but so many people don’t believe that emotional pain could cause a physical response like pain.
It is widely excepted that emotional stress can lead to headaches, stomach aches and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). However, it is less known that emotional stress can cause physical complaints and even chronic pain.
I'm sure you will accept though ...
that when you are upset or angry your heart rate will increase, breathing is more rapid. If you don’t address these emotions and suppress them, then this physical symptom, increased heart rate, can lead to other problems associated with having a fast heart rate such as not enough blood circulating around the body, if untreated, a fast heart rate can lead to stroke, heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest or even death.
When you are under stress you breath rapidly and shallow. Therefore you don’t clear out your lungs as well, which increases risk of infection and other lung problems.
The more anxious and stressed we are, the more tense and constricted our muscles are, and over time the muscles become fatigue, inefficient, in a permanent state of tension, and eventually very painful. If left untreated, the pain become chronic – chronic pain being defined as physical pain that lets longer that the natural healing process should allow.
Other issues associated with stress are that the blood pressure increases, immune system is weakened, and digestion suffers as the body prepares for fight or flight. Also, insomnia can be a result of stress, as if there too much adrenalin pumping around your body you won’t be able sleep properly and your body can’t repair, plus your emotions run high when you are tired.
Our emotions and the physical response from our emotions ...
can be observed and witnessed and therefore processed so that they don’t continue to be a problem and cause long term physical issues.
I’m hoping now that you can see a link between our emotions and our physical health, and why addressing our thoughts and feelings are so important.
You can begin my watching your thoughts and your reactions to them by following mindfulness techniques or by meditating.
My favourite technique for processing emotions is tapping or EFT (emotional freedom technique), as it is known officially. I use it as part of my daily practice. Just like we clean our teeth and our bodies daily (the physical part of ourselves), I think its important to clean our emotional bodies too! You can learn EFT from a practitioner or have a go on you tube – there are loads of videos that take you through how to do it. Happy tapping!!
