For many years traditional medicine has believed that our genetics are the primary cause of our physical health. In the 1990s, however, scientific research found that our emotions play at least an equal or possibly even a greater role in determining whether we will be faced with illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia, obesity, alcoholism, fractures or chronic pain.
Your Emotions Affect Your Health
One of the best research studies available involving the effect of emotions on physical health is the ACE study, which was conducted by the Federal Centers for Disease Control, where researchers studied people who had an “adverse childhood experience” before the age of 18. (www.acestudy.org)
“Adverse childhood experiences” included recurrent physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; growing up in a dysfunctional family where someone was clinically depressed, alcoholic, mentally ill or suicidal; or in a situation where the parents were separated, divorced, or taken away from the child in some way.
Researchers found that “adverse childhood experiences” were far more common than what has been recognized or acknowledged in the past. What was even more shocking was the scientific evidence of the correlation between these experiences and adult physical health. It became obvious that the people who frequent doctors offices on a regular basis have often experienced these emotionally painful ‘adverse childhood experiences.”
The Effects of Dysfunctional Families
If you are one of the many people who grew up in a dysfunctional family and experienced some of these “adverse childhood experiences,” you probably grew up believing that these experiences were normal. You also learned your ways of coping with your negative experiences from the role modeling of your dysfunctional caregivers.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to resolve those early experiences through psychotherapy or through some type of healthy support group, you have probably unknowingly continued the dysfunctional patterns that you learned. Too often this results in feeling the negative effects of your emotional issues in your poor physical health.
Emotions and Your Health
Millions of people like you visit medical offices every day, hoping for relief from their current physical symptom. The problem is that when you don’t deal with the mental and emotional health issues that are at the root of the symptom, the symptom will simply emerge in another way over time.
Fortunately, it’s never too late to change the unhealthy patterns you’ve created! No matter what your age, your race, or your socio-economic situation, there is always a way to heal the past and begin healthy life patterns. You just have to be dedicated and willing to do the work it takes to turn your life around.
The necessary skills for Emotional Healing do not require higher education or life-long study. Although psychology is still a new science, we have learned a great deal over the past thirty years that can help you make dramatic changes in your emotional patterns. With a little time and practice, you can learn how to identify, express and release your emotions. Expressing your emotions in positive ways greatly improves your self-esteem and self-confidence as well as your physical health and well-being.
Physical and Mental Health
Just remember that no matter what has happened to you, it’s never too late to turn your life around! You can absolutely learn the skills for physical, mental and emotional health. By simply utilizing some simple, effective tools, you can dramatically change your perceptions, your experience, and your approach to life, which ultimately improves your physical health.
It only takes one small step forward each day. The first step is simply finding within your self the willingness to change. From willingness, you will definitely find a way to begin your exciting journey to physical, mental and emotional health.
If you’d like to learn more about Emotional Healing right now, please click on Store and check out my book Choosing Light-Heartedness. It’s a great start for improving your physical and mental health right now.
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