The great enigma of emotions and physical pain

Headaches, stomach problems... they turn out to be very common in doctor's offices. At this time, psychology joins medicine and they build a whole that manages to explain the cause of part of these pains that affect a large part of the population with no apparent physical cause.

Mental and physical health are indivisible, are coordinated and if there is an imbalance in one of the two, the other is affected.

• Related article: "The 8 types of emotions (classification and description)"

What influence does the mind have on pain?

Many kinds of pain are diagnosed as tension myositis syndrome, and the cause is in the mind. Clinicians commonly encounter this situation and observe first-hand how an intense headache is related to family problems, at work... and they consider how to treat it since there is no evidence of a physical cause.

John E. Sarno has been interested in this topic and has delved into issues relevant to the mind's use of pain. Faced with a complicated situation, the human being prefers physical pain to face said emotion.

It all starts with the brain. This generates pains that have no organic cause for people to pay attention to their body, in this way the attention of the repressed subconscious is diverted. Dr. Sarno's theory proposes that when the repressed subconscious is recognized the symptoms diminish. In this way, we would be "signaling" to our brain that we already know the cause of this pain and that it no longer has to cover it up.

How does Doctor Sarno carry out this treatment?

These kinds of alterations are treated through a work of education and learning, in which the patient is an active subject and aware of what is happening to him and uses conscious strategies in order to heal and make pain disappear.

First, the patient is asked what he thinks is the origin of said emotion. Letting him express himself is essential to this awareness. The person will share how they feel and the therapist accompanies them in this process. However, the recognition of emotions is not as simple as it seems.

How to recognize our emotions?

These are several guidelines to reconcile ourselves with what we feel.

1. Recognize the feeling

Be able to detect the physiological impact that this emotion causes. Such as: neck tension

2. The answer that excites me

As we well know, emotions have an adaptive function. Identifying what awakens this emotion in us is basic.

• Related article: "What is the use of crying?"

3. Identify the primary emotion

All moods are based on a primary emotion such as anger, sadness, etc.

4. Identify emotions combined with the primary emotion

This requires a deeper introspection process. We can get scared to go into this reflection that is essential in the improvement process.

Let's reflect

We must pay more attention to our body, get to know each other more and express our feelings on a regular basis. Society should not be ashamed of being in emotional pain. The stigma that exists regarding mental health will not disappear by talking about solutions, but by carrying them out. Let's stop being afraid, let's act and promote human well-being.

Author: Andrea Martínez Pellicer.

Bibliographic references:

• Bisquerra, J. and Pérez, N. (2007). Emotional competencies. Education XXI, 10, 61-82.
• Lambie, J. TO. and Marcel, A. J. (2002). Consciousness and the varieties of emotional experience: A theoretical framework. Psychological Review, 109, 219-259.
• Sarno, J. (2006). Heal the body, eliminate pain: a definitive treatment for psychosomatic ailments. Sirio Publishing House: Madrid.