Stress, Behavior and Our Health

Most used to believe in the separateness of mind and body. One of my most intriguing experiences involved my participation in a demonstration of how mind and body interact.  A researcher attached a sensitive electronic thermal probe to one of my fingers. I was then directed to relax and visualize my hand becoming warmer. Of course I did not believe imagining my hand warming would actually cause it to warm. Within a few minutes the biofeedback device to which I was connected began beeping.  The blood vessels in my hand apparently began dilating, allowing a greater volume of my 98.6F degree blood to reach the area where the probe was attached causing a detectable increase in skin temperature.

I found the experience startling because I used to take for granted the separateness of mind and body. The experience demonstrated how easily a physical change could be brought about by a mental change. I could only wonder about the extent to which mind affects body. Can mind contribute to illness; can mind heal?

Today, there is information which points to the affect our emotional health has upon our physical health. The general idea is that our emotions may affect our behavior and physiology and the combined affect can lead to either deterioration or improvement of our health. Depression, for example, a condition which may involve mood, may impact our cardiovascular system and may also lead to problematic health behaviors such as smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise. Over time these conditions may harm our health. There is much more heart disease among depressed individuals.

A problem with believing that mind and body are separate is that it may lead to a kind of helplessness, which makes things worse. We are more likely to take action to improve our health if we believe action may benefit us. Those more apt to accept a “holistic” view, i.e., mind and body are one; may be more inclined to invest in the ongoing nurturing of their well being by eating healthy foods, avoiding risky behaviors and habits such as smoking and substance abuse and by engaging in routine, medically appropriate exercise.

The belief that mind and body are one can cause us to consider what actions to take to improve our physical and emotional health. Unquestionably, the issue of personal well being, and happiness are at the core of our emotional wellness. A high degree of satisfaction with life and good self esteem might be the best form of prevention, since they may lead to the adoption of healthy behaviors, the avoidance of risky behaviors and an absence of depression. People typically engage in healthy behaviors because they value themselves, and avoid risky behaviors because they realize indulgence does not solve problems. Happiness is a condition, which stems from good management of our inner relationship with our self.

So what is happiness? After eating at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, I opened a fortune cookie which read: “Happiness is not having what you want; it is wanting what you have.” How true! If we put off accepting ourselves until we achieve a goal, we probably will never feel happy and we may never achieve the goal. We seem to achieve more, and are generally less prone to depression when we accept ourselves. When we are angry with our selves we are depressed.

Everyone gets blue sometimes. Sadness, loss, bereavement, and frustration, to name just a few of life’s problems, may all leed to a short term drop in our emotional well being. When the distress and sadness becomes long-term, experts tell us to evaluate for the possibility of depression.

Top ten things to do to improve quality of life and health include: (1) Set reasonable expectations for your life; smaller, routine goals are usually more achievable and may lead to more success; New Year’s resolutions may disappoint. (2) Try to develop a satisfying career for yourself. (3) Accept yourself, no one is perfect. (4) Treat yourself as your most valuable possession through good nutrition, medically recommended exercise and good self maintenance activities which involve enjoyment and relaxation. Try to engage in good anger management involving assertive communication, appropriate problem solving and ultimately forgiveness as chronic anger is toxic. (5) Have good friends, particularly ones who make you laugh. (6) Develop interests and hobbies. (7) Avoid anything more than occasional, mild consumption of alcohol. (8) Nurture your relationships with your family; they are essential to your well being. (9) Have routine medical check ups; follow medical recommendations, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (10) Seek professional counseling for marital and family problems. Parent Coordination services described in earlier Lake Placid News Commentaries may greatly alleviate the complications of divorce. Seek consultation with a psychologist if you are concerned about your mental health, it is not a sign of weakness. Additionally, seek mental health treatment if you have a physical condition which may be worsened by your emotional condition. Try to encourage a “team” approach on the part of your physician and psychologist.

Raymond Havlicek

Lake Placid, NY

Previous LPN Commentaries are on line at: www.drhavlicek.com/articles