How A Repressed Negative Emotion Can Cause Illness
I thought I would give an example from my own life of how a repressed negative emotion causes illness, or dis-ease.
The other day I was angry with a friend. The more I thought about my anger, the angrier I got. I felt resentful and bitter. I thought all day about how angry I was, how this person was treating me badly;
my anger grew and grew. I went through my day upset and angry, and needless to say, I had a bad day.
This is how we become depressed and sick. And I do believe that depression really is a physical dis-ease. Imagine hanging onto that anger for a day or a week or a month. I would become very depressed. The sheer energy of anger would cause my cells to contract, my DNA to change, brain chemicals would alter. Because emotions are not just feelings. They are biochemical and hormonal in nature. They are there for a reason, to help us expand and grow, and to maintain our connection with ourselves and with consciousness.
A much healthier response to my anger would have been to contact my friend the very moment, that I felt anger beginning to rise in my body. That is a signal that I need to act, that I need to check in with my friend, and find a way to express my anger and disappointment. Had I listened to my body, to the message the anger was sending me, I would have acted not on the anger, but on the message. It's an important one. And that action would be one that would be health producing and growth producing for both of us...consciousness would expand...chemical and hormonal reactions would wind down, good feelings would naturally fall into place. Depression, or other physical disease would be averted.
The other day I was angry with a friend. The more I thought about my anger, the angrier I got. I felt resentful and bitter. I thought all day about how angry I was, how this person was treating me badly;
my anger grew and grew. I went through my day upset and angry, and needless to say, I had a bad day.
This is how we become depressed and sick. And I do believe that depression really is a physical dis-ease. Imagine hanging onto that anger for a day or a week or a month. I would become very depressed. The sheer energy of anger would cause my cells to contract, my DNA to change, brain chemicals would alter. Because emotions are not just feelings. They are biochemical and hormonal in nature. They are there for a reason, to help us expand and grow, and to maintain our connection with ourselves and with consciousness.
A much healthier response to my anger would have been to contact my friend the very moment, that I felt anger beginning to rise in my body. That is a signal that I need to act, that I need to check in with my friend, and find a way to express my anger and disappointment. Had I listened to my body, to the message the anger was sending me, I would have acted not on the anger, but on the message. It's an important one. And that action would be one that would be health producing and growth producing for both of us...consciousness would expand...chemical and hormonal reactions would wind down, good feelings would naturally fall into place. Depression, or other physical disease would be averted.
So then what happened?! Did you address it and feel better?
ReplyDeleteSo then what happened?! Did you address it and feel better?
ReplyDeleteHa! Good question! Yes, after a bad day, and a day of feeling very angry, I contacted my friend...we worked it out fairly quickly, and my good mood was restored, our friendship developed just a tiny bit...see? Growth for both of us! But what was holding me back? Pride! I didn't want to show that I cared or that my feelings had been hurt...and it did take a little bit of courage to say something...but had I said something as soon as I became angry, I would not have had such a bad day and had such negativity...it really was something I HAD to do, and before my recovery I don't think I would have said anything...I would have just buried the incident and let the feelings stew around ...
ReplyDelete