Mind Power (29 september2011)

Emotions and health

Emotions and health are concurrent with each other. In fact, emotional stress can cause real illness true changes in the metabolic system of the body and structure of quite normal people .And this phenomenon is remarkably common .According to many specialist , psychogenic disorders account for a large percentage of visits to the doctor . Physicians have long acknowledged that the mind could make the body ill .But they were unable to make a distinction between physically caused illness and that caused by emotional stress. Today , answers to this problems are beginning to come into sight. Fran Wilsons case illustrates one of the easiest means of recognising such ills. Since Fran spells resembled a common cluster called neurocirculatory asthenia ,the heart specialist tried a simple test. For two minutes he had her breathe deeply as well as rapidly. She grew dizzy. Her heart pounded .She feared that she was having an attack. When she had rested ,then the doctor explained that those were a bundle of physical signs of great anxiety. In fact rapid deep breathing generates many such signs in any person .whenever we are afraid or angry , a part of the brain called the hypothalamus prepares the body for action .The heart speeds the circulation of blood to our muscles. Thus ,we breathe hard to fill the blood with oxygen. Hormones are released to bring the nervous system to a ground of alarmed readiness. Sometimes our conscious mind considering no reason to be angry or afraid , may block out our awareness or anxiety. nonetheless the hypothalamus continues to alarm. Frans emotional distress had evidently been triggered by the temporary separation from her husband . I feel upset when anyone close leaves me , she admitted to the doctor. When I was a child ,my parents left on an outing and were both killed in an accident .When my husband left-the first time in our marriage hes been away more than overnight I felt real horror. I pulled myself together , but I guess the fear was still there .Fran was given tranquilizers and visited the doctor three times to talk over her fears .The symptoms vanished in two weeks. It is known to everyone that mind evokes certain automatic responses from the body .lets think about food and you salivate. Moreover, words or thoughts can prepare sexual organs for functions causing a blush or goose flesh. Besides, sudden changes in life are often found to precede illness. In one study of patients with a wide range of diseases ,three out of four were found to have recently suffered

some major loss loved or nearest ones, jobs, homes. Even apparently pleasant changes such as a trip abroad can cause problem . The tourists who often complains about foreign food or water would probably be wiser to blame the tension of being in a strange place or atmosphere. Moreover inclination to minor illness , such as colds , may be caused by slight emotional stresses. Now the question may arise that , are doctors other than psychiatrists really able to handle such emotional stresses ? Numerous experiences illustrates that they are. And some medical schools now are offering short courses in office psychiatry to their graduates.although most physicians can not devote an hour to talk with a patient as psychiatrists do .But so long a time has been found unnecessary in treating most patients with psychogenic illness. So , the focal point is that they need the primary reassurance that their ills can be dealt with.Moreover, the patient should make an effort to protect himself when he knows that stress has made him vulnerable. And he can help the doctor when emotional disruption has preceded an illness. ,