06/01/2022
You may have noticed that your emotions can have physical repercussions. For example an argument with your significant other gives you a headache, or maybe your worrying over something causes a stomach ache. Now consider what lasting effects a childhood emotional trauma that was never dealt with can cause to the body.
Psychology and medicine have been exploring the intimate relationship between emotional pain and physical pain for decades. The phenomenon, which scientists call “somatization”, evidences the mind-body connection.
Dr. Afton Hassett is a researcher at the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan. He points out that human emotions have both a positive and negative impact on the body.
- This effect can either help or hurt the body. Some of the most unpleasant emotions for your body are sadness and anger. Having suffered abuse or abandonment as a child, losing a loved one, or going through a complicated breakup can have significant physical repercussions.
- The range of possible physical symptoms is broad, with back pain being the most common. As we mentioned above, anger is an especially powerful emotion. Dr. Hassett points out that the most irritable people or those who’ve been repressing their emotions for a long time tend to be hypersensitive to pain. They’re also more likely to have stomach problems, migraines, and joint pain.
Navigating emotions especially the subconscious ones can feel impossible, with NET our doctors can help you through it all.
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