One of the most important things I have come to appreciate through my work is how closely our minds and bodies are connected. In fact, they are not just connected, but actally work together as one unit. We often think of physical health and emotional health as two separate things, but our everyday experiences show us otherwise.
Consider what happens when you recieve upsetting news. You might immediately feel tension in your stomach, experience a headache, or notice your muscles tightening. You have not instantly developed a new physcial condition. Instead, your emotional respose has produced a physcial reaction to the upsetting news.
Now, consider the reverse.
Suppose you begin experiencing unexplained stomach cramps. Naturally, you might start wondering what is wrong. You worry about the cause, become anxious about what might happen next and pay increasingly close attention to every sensation.
The physcial symptoms may trigger emotional distress, which can then affect how you experience those symptoms.
This is an example of the mind-body unity.
What Is Every Psychology?
Energy psychology is a broad term for approaches that combine psychological techniqus with attention to the body's energy systems or stress responses. Depending on the method used, thse approaches may involve tapping on specific points on the body, focusing on emotions, exploring distressing memoires, or working witht the thoughts and feeling associated with a particular issue.
The intention is to help a person work through emotional distress and change their response to experiences that may still affect them.
Looking Beyond The Physical Symptom
When someone experiences ongoing pain, it is natural to want the pain to stop. But sometimes it can be helpful to broaden the questions we ask.
- When did the problem first appear?
- What was happening in your life around that time?
- Did you experience a stressful or upsetting event?
- What emotions arise when you think about your physical condition?
- Has the fear of the pain become difficult to manage?
The goal is for you to remain open to the possibility that physcial symptoms and emotional experiences may interact in ways that deserve attention.
A Client Experience...
In my work as an Energy Psychology Practitioner, I have seen how exploring a person's history can lead to meaningful discoveries.
One client came in experiencing intense reactions to smells. Any scent was problematic for her, limiting her ability to enjoy things that many people take for granted.
Rather than focusing only on the immediate reaction, we began asking questions about earlier experiences.
During our conversation, she recalled a distressing indicent at a hairdresser. Harsh chemicals used during a hair colouring treatment had burned her scalp. This had been a frightening and unpleasant experience.
However, the body tries to keep us safe and in this case the strong smell of the hair colouring coupled with the scalp burn meant that any strong odours may cause harm. So the body created an allergic response so that person would stay away from strong smells and stay safe by doing so. Of course, to the logic mind, this may not be necessary, but the mind and body do not always work logically.
Once we uncovered that memory, we did some work together and immediately after, she reported that she was able to enjoy perfumes, flowers and other scents without the issues she previously experieinced.
Could Unreselved Emotional Stress Be Affecting Your Experience of Chronic Pain?
Consider this cycle...
* You experience physcial pain.
* You become worried about what the pain means.
* The worry creats additional stess and tension.
* Stress may affect your sleep, mood, muscle tensions, and sensitivity to pain.
* The increased discomfort creates further worry.
Not everyone experiences this cycle, and stress is not the explanation for every case of chronic pain. However, if you are living with chronic pain, Energy Psychology may be an approach you choose to explore.
The question is not whether your pain is physical or emotional. Your pain is real!
The question is whether addressing both your physical health and your emotional well-being could help you live a healthier life.
