The Mind Body Connection

We are all acquainted with the heart pounding, teeth gnashing fight or flight reaction to life’s real or imaginary terrors. The adrenaline rush that readied our pre-historic ancestors for battle when they were physically threatened can also be called into play by any major or minor jet-age hassle – a confrontation with the mother-in-law at home or with the boss in the office, bereavement in the family, divorce, etc. The wear and tear these stress reactions have on the body can lead to ulcers and high blood pressure or bring on attacks of asthma or irritable bowel syndrome.

Research shows that these natural reactions can also depress the immune system (the disease fighting system of our body) making us susceptible to all sorts of infections. “Our grandmothers knew all along that our minds and our bodies were connected, even if the scientific community didn’t. We’ve simply provided irrefutable data showing that it’s true,” says David Felten, neurobiologist, University of Rochester. That is why stress related ailments typically occur after, not during, the worst of the stressful situations. Colds, bad back, skin problems, headaches, etc. are surprisingly also stress related! Mental attitude, emotional states, even personality traits can have striking impacts on physical health.

Doctors have always known that the mind has a powerful influence on the body. Just about every one of them has a favourite story of a sick patient who gets well against all medical odds. One of the strangest ones on the record is the case of Mr. X who was terminally ill with cancer. On hearing about a new drug, Krebiozen, Mr. X begged his doctor to try it on him. It was an expensive drug and very difficult to obtain, the doctor resisted at first but finally decided that a single-injection could do his dying patient no harm.  Mr. X responded dramatically. Within two days, he was up, dressed and strolling in the hospital corridors chatting with his fellow patients. What’s more, the tumours that had riddled his body miraculously shrunk. Ten days later he went home, to all appearances completely cured. A few months later, as reports of the ineffectiveness of Krebiozen started coming in the newspapers, Mr. X checked back into the hospital on the brink of death. This time his doctor offered him a new improved form of Krebiozen but actually administered a harmless solution. The cancer symptoms again vanished, and Mr. X went home. Eventually, the final medical verdict on the Krebiozen hit the headlines. It was declared completely worthless against cancer. Mr. X returned to the hospital and died there. “His faith was gone, his last hope vanished,” his doctor concluded in his report.

Drs. Kaneko and Takaishi of the Osaka University Medical School use hypnosis in connection with psychotherapy to treat a wide variety of skin problems, from acne, oral herpes (cold sores) to rashes and warts. This is possible because close links with the nervous system makes the skin highly sensitive to emotions. You must have noticed young brides-to-be getting acne just a day before wedding. I always used to break into a rash before any exam. Resistance to hypnosis and other methods of mind cure runs high, but nonetheless a subtle shift in attitudes has taken place among both the doctors and the patients, who are now willing at least to accommodate psychological factors in treating serious diseases.

Meditation and yoga have been used for a number of years to cure chronic problems. The idea behind these relaxation techniques is the control of the emotional reaction to stress. The stress-related ailments may be precipitated by sudden traumatic experiences or may be the result of a gradual build up of tension due to everyday problems and difficulties, determined largely by the person’s attitudes and personality make up.

So while taking care of our physical fitness, it would be worth our while to evaluate and modify (if need be) our attitudes. We must avoid becoming a perfectionist and avoid imposing on ourselves expectations to get greater amounts of work done in a given time. It is important to realize that greater spontaneity, productivity and effectiveness come with less anxiety and tension.