Your body and your mind are more interlinked than you might realize. And that is why some of your somatic symptoms might be caused by your emotional state.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on April 28, 2022. It has since been updated.
Over the years, many studies have established a link between mental health and physical conditions. According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress can lead to a "long-term drain on the body," which makes an individual more susceptible to serious health concerns.
According to the DSM 5, depression can trigger unexpected weight loss or gain, insomnia or disturbed sleep, low energy or fatigue as physical symptoms. But many studies have established even deeper links between stress and emotional dissonance with specific physical conditions.
One of the experts who specialized in the mind–body continuum is Louise Hay, a thought-leader, healer, and bestselling author. From being a model to surviving cancer, her insights come from working on the principles herself and working with thousands of clients. The two recent books she co-authored with Dr Mona Lisa Schultz PhD (a neuropsychiatrist, scientist, and medical intuitive) are All Is Well and Heal Your Mind, which explains the link between emotional states and physical conditions from a neuropsychiatric and medical perspective.
But it is her initial work back in the eighties that led her to become a forerunner in the field of holistic healing. Hay explained nearly four decades ago, "how our beliefs and ideas about ourselves are often the cause of our emotional problems and physical maladies and how, by using certain tools, we can change our thinking and our lives for the better." The first publication, which was nothing more than a booklet initially, Heal Your Body, went on to garner attention from medical practitioners, clients, and healers from different backgrounds.
Here is a list of symptoms and common pains that are linked to possible emotional/mental patterns, according to Louise Hay.
1. Abdominal cramps — If you find yourself suffering from severe abdominal cramps, you may be afraid of something new or a current process that is underway.
2. Aches — Physical pain is often linked to feelings of guilt and/or self-criticism. If you experience sudden aches, you could be longing for someone to love and hold you.
3. Acne — Hay links this to feelings of dislike or nonacceptance towards oneself.
4. Back pain — If you have upper back pain, you might be feeling like you don't have any support from people around you or you need support but refuse to take it. If you have lower back pain, you might be worried about your finances.
5. Blood pressure — If you suffer from high blood pressure, then it could be that there are some longstanding problems in the past that remained unsolved and need closure. If you have low blood pressure, you might have experienced a lot of lonely moments as a child and felt a lack of love and affection as a child.
6. Cholesterol: This is linked to a fear of happiness or clogging the channels of joy.
7. Colds — If you have a cold, it could be that you're exhausted mentally from too many things happening at once.
8. Dizziness — If you suffer from dizziness, you may be extremely confused about the things happening in your life.
9. Gray hair — If you have early grays or find it cropping up in a short span of time, it could be that you were conditioned to believe in stress and being under pressure as a way of life.
10. Headaches: Frequent headaches are a sign of invalidating the self. There could be strong self-criticism or fear as well.
11. Heart problems — If you face heart problems, you might be dealing with buried anger or blocked yourself from feeling happiness freely.
12. Indigestion — This is linked to gut-level fear, dread, and anxiety; perhaps, related to a current and near-future turn of events.
13. Insomnia — Lack of sleep can be triggered by fear or guilt. It can also possibly be due to not trusting the process of life.
14. Migraine — If you suffer migraines, then you might be afraid to let anyone close to you, physically or emotionally. There might be resistance to the flow of life or sexual fears.
15. Sinus Problems — This could be triggered by irritation to one person, someone close.
16. Sore throat — If you have a sore throat, it could be because you're unable to express yourself freely or there might be anger "stuck" inside you.
17. Ulcers — If you have ulcers, you might be feeling like you're not good enough and feeling anxious about it.
18. Urinary problems — If you have urinary issues, then it could be that you are extremely angry with someone close to you of the opposite sex. Or there might be a need to blame others.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1456909/
https://www.psycom.net/depression-definition-dsm-5-diagnostic-criteria/
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress
https://www.louisehay.com/about/
https://www.amazon.com/All-Well-Louise-Hay-ebook/dp/B009L5BY32
https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Heal_Your_Mind.html?id=k7o4DQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by Holly Wilmeth
Disclaimer : This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
