What the mind silences, the body expresses

When we talk about mental health... Are we referring to something totally unrelated to physical health? And when we refer to the emotional discomfort that someone is going through, do we imply that this phenomenon has no effect on their body?

The truth is that decades of research in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy have shown that this mind/body divide is fundamentally fictional. A theoretical resource that human beings use to make it easier for us to understand the complexity of our existence and our way of being in the world.

Now... If we start from the idea that the mental and the physical are part of the same reality, that would mean that the Psychopathologies are, at bottom, something that belongs to the same category as diseases that damage organs and tissues. cell phones. Is this true? The answer is yes, and there is something that shows it: the psychosomatizations. In many ways, there are certain psychological complications that, if they are not well attended, have effects that we can physically observe in our body, which is damaged.

• Related article: "What is the relationship between the mind and the body?"

What are psychosomatizations?

This term refers to physical health problems that have as their main cause, or as one of their causes main, psychological alterations, such as anguish, traumas or disorders the control of the impulses. This kind of trouble can be produced through two main pathways, which are often combined:

• Psychophysiological alterations: the psychological disorder generates an imbalance in physiological processes, such as example the release of hormones, and this gives rise to changes and discomfort in the body: itching, skin rash, hair loss hair…
• Alterations through behavior patterns: the psychological disorder causes us to involuntarily harm our body, such as through the tendency to expose ourselves very little to sunlight, or to eat little and poorly, etc

In short, psychosomatizations show us that no matter how much we try to “corner” our emotional and psychological problems in general, they are able to emerge to the surface of our corporality making its signs can be seen by all, by going beyond the limits of our mind and our subjectivity. That is why we should not act as if nothing is happening when we notice that something is not right in our way of experiencing life and relationships.

• You may be interested in: "Psychosomatic disorders: causes, symptoms and treatment"

What to do to avoid these problems?

Follow these tips to prevent the alterations associated with psychosomatizations in your body.

1. Never underestimate the importance of mental health

The main idea that you should remember is that we have to take responsibility for our emotions and know how to express them so as not to get sick. If we take for granted that our mental health It is the rug under which we can accumulate everything swept up in our lives, we will end up suffering crises that will affect us not only psychologically, but also physically.

The fact that the immediate sequelae of mental problems do not show up so clearly in our appearance leads many to people to fall into the error and underestimate the importance of a good emotional balance and good levels of self-regulation of one's own conduct. That is to say, since anxiety or depressive symptoms do not make us bleed or produce malformations, they generates the fiction that they are superficial problems, something incapable of making a real dent in our existence. Nothing could be further from the truth.

• Related article: "The 10 benefits of going to psychological therapy"

2. Lead a healthy life

Just as the state of your mind affects your body, if you take care of your body, you will be preventing the appearance of psychological disorders. For example, it is known that certain alterations that affect the digestive system and that trigger inflammatory processes predispose us to developing depression; Similarly, lack of sleep makes us more vulnerable to anxiety disorders. In this sense, it is important that you exercise regularly, get enough sleep and eat a balanced diet; And don't miss your periodic medical check-ups, of course.

3. express what you feel

Today we know that if we are able to translate into words what worries us or that makes us feel anguish, we will be better able to manage it emotionally, and not fall into the tendency to try to avoid thinking about these things. For this reason, it is recommended that you fill in a personal diary and that you do not shy away from expressing your feelings by talking about them with your loved ones.

• You may be interested in: "Emotional labeling: what it is and what it is for in psychotherapy"

4. When you notice that something is not going well, go to psychotherapy

At the psychologist's office you will learn ways to modulate and express your emotions, so that your physical health is not the one that has to carry on your shoulders your inability to deal with what you feel.

Do you want psychotherapeutic support?

If you are interested in going to psychotherapy, you should know that the sooner you start to have professional help, the greater your ability to tackle the emotional or stress-related problem in time. In this sense, I invite you to contact me.

My name is Carolina Marin and I am a General Health Psychologist, as well as a psychotherapist federated by the FEAP. I can assist you in person or online.