Linking thinking and health

Much of what the body resorts to (headaches, numbness, nausea, hyperventilation, trembling) are tactile communications of jeopardy that have lingered on well past the event. By helping to understand what is stimulating these physical reactions (it could be a colour or smell, any sensory input that has been charged with alarm) we can help bring meaning to fears and symptoms that have elevated beyond comprehension and manifest as illness.

However, most of us, therapists included, have grave reservations about addressing the physical front of emotional distress. Have you ever found yourself:

Shooing unpleasant thoughts with your hands, Shaking your head silently, Quickly changing the topic or Distracting yourself by eating? Where do those unsavory feelings go? The repressed emotions stay in our mussels to later manifest as physical illnesses. They remain buried until examined and released.

We can begin to release the buried memories and emotions in small chunks:

First become aware of our emotions, listen to the thoughts and day-dreams. Record what you love and what you hate. Which memories won’t go away? Analyse, re-feel the hurt and forgive for your health’s sake. Keep a diary by your bed. Record the emotion for your health’s sake, be specific. Do you compulsively overeat to stuff down emotions, when was this behavior triggered? Identify the emotion and the cause.

When what you say is not is sync with what you feel “it's not important” explore the reasons. Identify your emotion. Re-experience the pain, cry about the experience. It helps to share your list of painful emotions, do you know someone who will listen?

Take the risk.

Article by Mary Mcilroy Counselling Services.