CAN THE MIND CAUSE DISEASE?
Can a negative state actually cause disease? Could certain kinds of personality invite illness? A 15 year study by Dr. Stephen Greer at King's College Hospital, London, suggests that women who respond to early-stage breast cancer either with a fighting spirit, or with the kind of denial that gives them space to cope, have less recurrence and longer lives than those who react fatalistically or helplessly. It is less clear whether repeated negative experiences or the repression of anger, frustration, or other strong emotions can contribute to the onset of malignancy. The possibility that individuals may be able to "give" themselves a disease - that conditions such as cancer or diabetes may be due to something they said, did, or didn't do, years beforehand - has generated feelings of guilt in patients. So far, there is no convincing evidence to link any ailment a patient may currently have with any changes in the immune system that resulted from a specific event in the past.
Diseases such as cancer are more likely to result from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors, including nutrition. Emotions probably play only a small part in determining susceptibility to serious diseases. Psychological factors can affect survival, but their effect seems relatively small, especially in later and serious stages of disease, or when the immune system is severely compromised, as in AIDS. However, these factors could have a crucial impact on the quality of life and the severity of many chronic diseases. Given a particular set of circumstances, how a patient copes mentally with the stress of these conditions may be significant.
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MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information: Difficult Emotions
