The Mind – Body Connection
Ever since Austrian-Canadian physician Hans Selye pioneered the modern notion of stress in the 1950’s, the condition has gained significant attention in terms of how it links our emotional state to our physical health. The impact of mind on the body. Many of us have likely noticed that we have a higher susceptibility to catching flus and colds when stressed and run-down. It is not uncommon, either, to see articles or studies that acknowledge the impact stress has on aggravating certain medical conditions.
In a recent study by the University of Pittsburgh, a team of researchers identified definite, physical links between the (thinking) cortex of the brain and the adrenal medulla (responsible for the body’s response to stress). Dr. Esther Sternberg, an expert on the mind-body relationship, published ground-breaking research on physical links between the central nervous system and the immune system. The mind-body connection is also the subject of Robert Sapolsky’s highly readable book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers (1994). In a description of how the body handles sustained stress he writes, “The army does not run out of bullets. Instead, the body spends so much on the defence budget that it neglects education, health care and social services…It is not so much that the stress-response runs out, but rather, with sufficient activation, the stress-response can become more damaging than the stressor itself, especially when the stress is purely psychological”.
Both Sternberg and Sapolsky state that stress does not necessarily cause illness or create conditions. Stress can actually be of benefit to us as it may sharpen our awareness, help us deal with pain, prepare us to act quickly in times of need or spur us on in challenging situations. The problems come when stress becomes chronic. When there is too much of it, performance starts to suffer and the body begins to get worn down, thus affecting various physical systems, including the immune system.
The body is well-adapted to deal with fight or flight situations. It is the anticipation and the continued psychological rumination, if you will, that sustains the stress response in the body. Dr. Richard Strick, head researcher of the University of Pittsburgh team mentioned earlier writes of their findings, “…the areas of the cortex that are active when we sense conflict, or are aware that we have made an error, are a source of influence over the adrenal medulla. This observation raises the possibility that activity in these cortical areas when you re-imagine an error, or beat yourself up over a mistake, or think about a traumatic event, results in descending signals that influence the adrenal medulla in just the same way as the actual event.”
Whether stress is prompted by environmental factors or has a purely psychological cause, all is far from lost. In the same way that the brain can initiate stress responses in the body, so too can it trigger calm. Strick’s research also revealed this potentially healing aspect of the mind-body connection. As described by www.MindXPress.com (August 15/2016), the research provides evidence “that may help explain why meditation and certain exercises such as yoga and Pilates can be so helpful in modulating the body’s responses to physical, mental and emotional stress”.
Perhaps it is unsurprising that the mind and the body are intricately entwined. Our worries, negative thoughts and fears can potentially impact our health. There is also evidence, however, that we can impose balance and calm and rein in those stress responses before we get overwhelmed. The more we understand and are aware of, the more empowered we become to find solutions to suit our individual concerns.
By Elaina Curran, HPD, DSFH, AdvDPLRT, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Past Life Regression Therapist
Published in BS35 Local Magazine - June 2018 issue
