We all experience events to be cherished in our lives, which gave us highs and brought out the livelier sides. But as they say, what goes up must come down. The lowest ebbs are also a reality that we must fathom at one point in our lives or the other. Turbulations, betrayals, losses, all these can wreak havoc on the sanest of minds. The effects of psychological illnesses and certain personality traits (Type A personalities) are compounded by the situations we face in our daily lives and how we react to them. If you want to know the biological aspects of negativity in life, read this article till the end!
Not everyone faces the same situation in the same manner. Some are a calm presence in the face of the storm, while others are ruffled by the slightest of the gale. On the one hand, our outlook in life determines how and what decisions we make, while it also determines how we will fare in terms of our health.
Table of Content
Outlook In Life, Behavior & Mindfulness:
How we think and feel is very much part of who we are and has been determined by our environmental rearing & conditioning since we were little kids. The responses we build against internal and external stimuli become pretty much part of our repertoire of life skills.
Some of us are overly optimistic, while others find gloom in a near aspect of our lives. It is well known that psychological/psychiatric illnesses predispose us to many medical issues ranging from peptic ulcers to heart disease. This apart, our everyday behaviors, which we nurture with our day-to-day experiences, also play a significant role in how we will be at risk for diseases.
Undue hatred towards someone, unnecessarily looking down the barrel during the slightest of situations, jealousy, destructive criticism of someone are just a few examples of negative behaviors and attitudes which we all come across. When persistently exercised, these become second nature, and our minds become a breeding ground of such values and beget more of the same.
The concept of ‘mindfulness’ is based on being free from the thoughts mentioned above and focusing on the present rather than living the past or worrying about what’s to come. The future of medicine is very much intertwined with this concept. Preventive treatment should not be only based on healthy eating behaviors and exercise; instead, it will integrate a positive outlook in life and a healthy mental state.
How The Body Reacts To Our Mental Health?
Our minds and bodies are intertwined in structure and function. And it is high time that we started dealing with it as such. The body and its intricate processes of immunity, healing, aging, etc., are all dependent upon how our ‘whole’ self reacts to external and internal stimuli.
Say when we are going through a rough phase in life, the mental stress not only causes you to lose or gain appetite as the case may be, it can cause you to lose interest in the simplest of things, but all this affects our bodies simultaneously. The stress response, which is a ‘code’ as I would like to put it, in our body gets activated whenever we consciously/subconsciously sense harm, danger, or imminent threat. All this can be mental or physical.
The Not So ‘Sympathetic’ Mechanisms:
The physical aspect involves activation of the ‘Sympathetic’ nervous system, which is basically to protect us from harm hence the name. But in doing so, it activates the stress responses, which in the short and long run can cause a non-exhaustive of ailments. A few examples of this response will be highlighted.
The sympathetic nervous system comprises a vast meshwork of nerves that runs from the brain to every organ and niche of the body. It concerns regulating functions that are not under our control, such as digestion, bowel & bladder movements. However, it also equips us with functions to evade or cope with any form of stress, which is why the response it mounts is called the ‘Fight, Fright and Flight’ response. In the long run, the downside of this response is that people who remain in a constant state of alertness/heightened stress levels have their sympathetic system going into overdrive. This can lead to changes that lead to chronic metabolic diseases, increased susceptibility to infections, changes in body fat composition, and even melasma ( pigmentation on the face).
One mechanism increasingly being looked over in recent times is something called HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). In a nutshell, typically, our heart rate is variable from breath to breath, and there is physiological slowing or quickening of the heart. When this variation is lost, as in cases of continuous racing of the heart in case of anxiety or maybe because of some contents ( natural versus processed)of the food we eat, we are prone to all sorts of heart rhythm/function troubles.
Among other changes, raised blood sugars and cholesterol, a fast heart rate, and being fussy and fidgety most of the time, stand out. When persisting for a long time, all the above can take a heavy toll on one’s health, eventually unmasking or producing metabolic diseases.
The Remedy:
It is imperative to try to mitigate the triggers for our negative feelings and seek help from Psychologists/Psychiatrists if needed. Stress, in the form of simple overthinking, depression, or, say, post-traumatic stress disorder should be picked up earlier by Physicians since early management could avoid a lifetime of disease burden and negativity in life.
To improve HRV, simple deep breathing exercises can be done regularly, which reduces the sympathetic drive and lets the parasympathetic ( the opposite effect) take over, leading to more variability in heart rate and rhythm and can terminate panic attacks as well ( Yes! The breathe slow and deep routine ). Regular exercise, both aerobic and high intensity, should be incorporated into our lives; even simple walks can have anti-depressant effects.
Lastly, the foods we eat determine the health of our gut and, eventually, our brain. Make sure you eat more natural and unprocessed foods maintaining a balance. More greens balanced with different sources of meat helps.
In conclusion, mental and physical health go hand in hand. It’s high time we as physicians and the common folk started taking them as such and focused on our ‘well-being’ and holistic medicine rather than correcting and ‘repairing’ individual body parts.
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Dr. Syed Hunain Riaz: He is a Specialist Physician by qualification with expertise, interest, and experience in Endocrinology/Metabolism and infectious diseases. He has extensive experience in delivering talks to audiences regarding topics relating to Endocrinology/Metabolism and HIV & AIDS( on platforms of various international organizations). Has a few research articles under his belt. He likes to convey his thoughts through articles for the masses. Besides medicine has interests in astronomy/cosmology, traveling, photography, and philosophy.
