(AscendHealthy)- Have negative emotions been dragging you down? They could be taking a toll on more than just your emotional well-being. In some cases, your emotions could be making you physically ill.
Disruptive Symptoms
Distressed or anxious thoughts can have profound effects on your body’s day-to-day functioning. Most of us might experience a sinking feeling in response to sad news or a stressful day, whereas someone experiencing stronger feelings of grief might actually physically suffer.
Anxiety and depression can cause headaches, gastrointestinal distress like diarrhea or constipation, weight changes and problems sleeping. Some studies have shown that chronic stress can negatively affect the immune system, leading to chronic inflammation. This can contribute to the development of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and other chronic health issues.
A Sad Heart
It’s rare, but sometimes stress or sadness can kill. Broken heart disease occurs when a major life event causes the body to produce large amounts of stress hormones, which can damage the heart. The condition, most commonly brought on by some form of devastating loss, usually self-resolves within a few weeks or months. Broken heart disease does sometimes end in a heart attack, but in most cases the damage isn’t lasting.
When negative feelings become chronic, long-term exposure to those same stress hormones can lead to deadly heart conditions like atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. The severity of feelings also appears to play a role, with greater degrees of emotion correlating with increased risks.
The Cancer Connection
Negative emotions might even contribute to cancer. Chronic exposure to stress hormones can depress the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable. Researchers have found compelling evidence connecting negative behaviors with increased cancer risks, some going so far as to classify a “Type C” personality. These high-risk individuals tend to hold in negative emotions and have difficulty acknowledging and expressing how they feel.
Negative emotions can have very physical consequences. Even a little negativity can snowball into something bigger, and the longer you hang on, the heavier your burden is likely to become. Let it go, even if doing so means seeking professional help. You might be saving your own life.
~Here’s to Your Healthy Ascension!
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