The Body-Mind Connection and Psychosomatic Illness

The body-mind connection is a powerful and universal force that exists in your life, often without your being aware of it. It is the main driver of your health, whether you realize it or not.

'Let's not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it.' ~ Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

Millions of people suffer from body-mind problems or illnesses. Your mind has a powerful influence on you and your physical health, as I have discussed in "How Emotions Affect our Body." You may want to read this article first, and/or my body window article to better understand the body-mind connection. Your body is the manifestation of who you really are inside, or the state of your soul.

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I will also use the term psychosomatic illness in this article, interchangeably with the term body-mind connection, to mean a physical manifestation of an illness of emotional origin. It is a term that often has a negative connotation in our culture, referring to an illness that is "all in your head." Instead of realizing that the body-mind connection is at work, we think of psychosomatic illness as something someone cooks up for their own personal gain or for some other crazy reason.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The phenomenon of the body-mind connection is universal. Absolutely everyone is physically affected by their emotions. The only difference, from person to person is the degree to which our emotions are physically manifested. We all carry around our emotional pain in our bodies.

The more I read on this subject, and the more I see in my practice, the more fascinated I become, that we do not embrace the concept of the body-mind connection in our culture.

I can find quote after quote, from history, where prior cultures have embraced this knowledge, going as far back as the ancient Greeks. Why is it that our culture cannot seem to accept that the body and the mind are one and the same? Most non-Western cultures embrace the body-mind connection, why can't we?

Peak One, Summit County, Breckenridge, Colorado

Is modern, western medicine so technology driven, that we cannot see what is right in front of us? Or is it just too much trouble to take the time to deal with it? Is the Western, fast-paced lifestyle ruining our connection with ourselves?

Why are we as a culture and as individuals unable to grasp the concept that we hold our psychic, chronic pain in our bodies?

Dr John Sarno, is a medical doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation, a specialty that treats neuromuscular disorders such as chronic back pain. Back pain is recognized as one of the most common psychosomatic illnesses.

Dr Sarno believes that modern medicine is grossly negligent when it treats symptoms of psychosomatic illnesses, but not the underlying cause. He states that the single most powerful tool for healing illness of the body-mind connection is becoming aware that this connection actually exists.

He works collaboratively with therapists to help his clients, with real, physical pain, to understand the mental and emotional origins of their condition. Dr Sarno, like me, believes that the physical symptoms are the body’s way of sending the message that the conscious mind is unable to acknowledge. The process of pain that is initiated by the brain is there to protect you from the emotions that he says may be too painful, too sad or too threatening for you.

Never has there been a time that you need to come to the awareness of your body-mind connection. It is vital and essential for your continued health. It is unbelievable and unforgivable for our society to ignore this phenomenon.

So you might think that people would say, "I refuse to believe it is my fault that I am ill." However, Dr. Sarno has a different opinion. In fact, from his experience, the opposite is true!

Dr Sarno states that none of his patients ever have gotten upset, thinking that somehow a psychosomatic illness is "my fault." In fact, they become empowered by the knowledge that the very cause of their illness ~ their brain ~ is the very thing that will heal them and make it all go away!

This information is not negative, but empowers people to know how to heal! The simple cause of their chronic pain is due to the suppression of unacceptable emotions. All of this is subconscious, which is why awareness is the key.

Once you become aware of your own mental causes, and your body-mind connection, the back pain will go away, or the neck pain, the skin condition, the allergies, or whatever your case may be. Your brain can re-connect you to your body and help you heal. Treating back pain may be as simple as treating your brain!

The following conditions are most commonly known as psychosomatic illnesses:

• Back pain: lower back pain and upper back pain
• Neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Any type of neuromuscular pain that is chronic
• Fibromyalgia
• Skin Disorders
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Stomach Reflux and Stomach Ulcers
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS or colitis)

Other conditions that are know to be exaggerated by psychosomatic illnesses, according to Dr. Sarno:

• Autoimmune disorders such as Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Cardiovascular conditions
• Cancer

I, however, would add that ALL conditions are exacerbated by emotional factors and the body-mind connection. How you approach life and your illness makes all the difference in the world.

Because western medicine is not taking the responsibility for your health, as it relates to subconscious emotions and how they affect your health, YOU will need to be responsible.

Because you are reading this website, it tells me that you are desiring to find your own self-healing personality, as you discover the connection of your own body-mind.

I encourage you in your quest, to take responsibility to be your own healer, by investigating my Adventure into Self-Healing eBook Course. This course contains all the information you need for healing, based on my many years as a holistic health coach! 

May your path to healing always be enhanced by learning about your body-mind connection! It is time for total healing of your body, your mind and your soul!

Related Articles that You May Enjoy:

• Lower Back Pain Exercises.
• The Body Window ~ How my Body can be a Path to Finding my True Self.
• Developing Intuition by Using Your Body ~ The Body Window Speaks.
• Nothing is Hidden from Your Soul!
• What is a Metaphor and Why is it Important?
• How Emotions Affect Our Body ~ Feeling vs. Denying Our Emotions!
• Achieving Emotional Health Through the Mind Body Connection
• Spiritual Fasting to Improve Self Awareness
• How to Manage Anger

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