We often hear people talk of the mental/physical connection. Some call it the body/mind connection, others the mind/body connection; some refer to psychosomatic illness and many other terms are used. But, whatever we call it, it’s the same thing.
The mind and body are made up of the same materials and are governed and controlled, to a large extent, by chemical make up.
So, it should not be surprising that we are confused about ailments and their origins. An apparent physical ailment may be brought on by our mental incapacity to deal with any given situation such as stress at work or at home, grieving for a lost love, either through death or estrangement. Or any other situation that causes us to have sleepless nights or lose concentration. The mind drifts off, sometimes to the point of frustration where we wish we could turn off our thoughts altogether. On the other hand, we could contract an illness and because we feel low in spirit we become confused as to whether this is brought on by mental stress or is it simply a “bug” we have to fight off.
Such confusion, and the added stress that comes with it, can often lead to an exacerbation of the original problem.
Let’s face it! It doesn’t matter what initiated the health problem, the mind is simply another organ of the total system and to heal it or the manifested physical problem is the aim we should have. Our overall feeling of health and vitality is what is of concern here, we should not consider at all, if we are suffering emotional or physical problems.
We don’t get candida over-proliferation or a virus or perhaps cancer because we are sad … or do we? We don’t suffer mental stress or other such problems because we have candida or a virus … or do we?
People with drinking, smoking or eating disorders usually increase their habits when under emotional stress and this can lead to further chemical imbalance. It matters not whether this stress is brought about by emotional or physical concerns; the result is the same. We worsen our condition and therefore we develop the need for even more crutches.
So surely we need to have a multi-attack plan to recover from what ails us. Restoring chemical balance through digestive or other intake is only part of the story. We must also consider the negative thought processes that can lead to the symptoms we suffer and use perhaps, meditation or emotional healing techniques, to restore our good health.
Written by Colin Ifield
Source: Sydney Wellbeing Centre