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Written by Dr. Ather Ali
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The World Health Organization defines health as a “state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.” This comprehensive definition is consistent with the Old English
meaning of wholeness.
Traditional medical systems, such as Indian Ayurveda,
Chinese medicine, and Islamic medicine have always recognized the importance of
emotional health. It was understood that the health of the mind, body, and soul
were intricately related, and that an imbalance or disease in either component
can adversely affect the entire being. The modern era has largely lost this
consciousness, though a tremendous volume of cutting-edge research in the field
of ‘mind-body medicine’ is corroborating ancient wisdom.
It is well known that negative emotional states, such as anger and hostility,
can predict future disease. Our traditional sages and scholars have long warned
of anger killing the spiritual heart, and this warning is just as applicable to
the physical heart. In the past two decades, numerous studies have shown anger
and hostility to predict high blood pressure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and
heart disease. Anger has been shown to be an independent risk factor, like high
LDL cholesterol, for heart disease. Those who express more anger have nearly a
300% higher risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death. Other ‘negative
emotions’ have been shown to be associated with many disease states: Asthma,
arthritis, headache, and chronic pain are associated, to varying degrees, with
anxiety, anger, hostility, and depression.
On the other hand, ‘positive emotions’ are associated with a number of health
benefits. Optimistic people have been shown to live 19% longer than pessimists. People
with high levels of social involvement and social support demonstrate better
wound healing, less susceptibility to colds, and shortened recovery times. A Stanford University study demonstrated a doubling
of survival time for women with metastatic breast cancer in women involved in
weekly support groups where they expressed their feelings about their illness
and its effect on their lives.
The act of forgiveness, a mainstay of our spiritual tradition, been shown to be
a powerful healing tool. People with high levels of forgiveness report lower
levels of pain, anger, and psychological distress.
Releasing negative emotions in healthy ways is also beneficial. In one study,
patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis were asked to write about the
most stressful event of their lives. Four months later, the asthma patients
showed improvements in lung function and the arthritis patients showed
improvements in pain scores.
As eating well and regular exercise are rightly promoted as mainstays of
preserving health and preventing future disuse, the value of emotional health
must also be emphasized. Unlike many advanced chronic diseases, our emotional
diseases are easily ‘cured.’ The first step in the process is to recognize and
reflect on the problem, followed by seeking appropriate help.
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