Heal The Soul To Heal The Body

Many people come to primary care consultations with pain. With that migraine that won’t let us live. With that high tension that makes our heart race. With that sorrow in the soul that overwhelms, that exhausts, that prevents us from getting up in the morning.

Our body hurts. And as such, we receive those pain pills for life. Is it the right thing to do? We cannot attribute all the blame to the doctors, they have little time to attend to us and it is usual, for example, to return home with an unsuccessful treatment. Soon, that heartburn will return, those dizziness that prevent us from leaving the house and those tachycardias that are accentuated when we return to work.

Life hurts. Life has side effects that injure our soul and make our body sick. What can we do? How do we face this harsh reality?

The most frequent problem in medical consultations

We are not going to enter into philosophical or religious discussions here about the existence or not of the soul. But we all understand the concept. We attribute to the soul what we are, what we feel, in it are our fears and anxieties. Our dreams.

There are theories that go a little further, that speak to us of the concept of regression and of previous lives, where we continue to “carry” unresolved issues. But we will not go into these concepts.

We will stay with the basic idea that the soul is a representation of our true essence. A very fragile, vulnerable entity that feels hurt on a daily basis. How to advance through our daily life if our being is disappointed or coerced?

An undiagnosed depression will remain hidden, but evident in the person who suffers it. There is no use as a reliever for that back pain or stomach pain. The person comes to the specialist complaining of suffering, of those gastrointestinal problems that barely allow him to eat anything …

Face the problem

What can we do? First of all, be responsible. We must be aware that the true focus of the problem is in our mind, it is not our body. And it may surprise you, but something like that is not easy for many of us to admit.

It is easier to assume that we have migraines than depression. It is also curious what occurs in many families where one of the members is diagnosed with this disease, with depression. How should they treat that relative? How do we address it? What should a child do whose mother suffers from depression?

But how is the soul healed?

• Be aware of what is happening around you and how things affect you. Sometimes we give up more than necessary. We accept things against our values. We find ourselves involved in toxic relationships that we are not aware of until it is too late. Take care of yourself, analyze what is happening around you and assess how it affects you. Self-awareness is essential as a coping strategy.

• When you come home with a headache, tense and in deep discomfort, before resorting to a drug, allow yourself some time for yourself. Two hours of rest, of being with yourself. A moment of time in “your palace of thoughts”, where you can disconnect and be yourself.

If this alleviates your physical discomfort, it may be time to make small changes in your life. We know that it is not always easy to find this time for ourselves, but keep in mind that little by little, you will “lose yourself” if you do not take new measures. Blurring into obligations that take you away from your balance, your well-being.

• Don’t be afraid to say out loud what hurts you. That which bothers you and that affects you. If you keep silence and hide it, day by day that restlessness will end up turning into physical pain. Accept, express, seek help, and start the process of change in search of that longed-for well-being. That tranquility in the “soul”, to which we all have the right.

What does science say?

Today, it is well known and accepted that mental and emotional conflicts can move into our bodies and manifest themselves through physical illnesses. This phenomenon is called somatization and is due to the close relationship that exists between the mind and the body.

Somatization is so common that most of us have experienced it at some time in our lives. A fairly common example is the damaging effect that constant stress has on our immune system, which makes us more prone to disease and other medical problems.

However, this is not the only scenario where somatization can be evidenced, as there are many ways (some more serious than others) in which the body can manifest unresolved psychological conflict.

This phenomenon is usually diagnosed when the person goes to the doctor for a constant ailment, but no organic explanation can be identified that causes it. In these cases, the specialist raises the possibility of somatization.

To conclude, it does not matter what name we give to that immaterial entity that defines us (mind, soul, psyche, spirit, etc.); what does matter is the indisputable relationship it has with the body. In this way, we must ensure the well-being of both entities, because only in this way will we be able to feel full.

Image Courtesy: K. Leshmann, Irene Colber