Blog

How Negative Emotions Affect Your Health

September 7, 2018

Dr. Marc Bony, DC

Negative emotions not only affect your mental well-being, but also your physical health. Discover how chiropractic in Mataró can help you maintain emotional and physical balance.

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AFFECT YOUR HEALTH

Did you know that any negative and positive feeling or emotion affects a specific part of your body?

Although positive emotions such as gratitude have been scientifically linked to various benefits, negative emotions and stress can wreak havoc-especially if you don't exercise, or eat right, both of which can alleviate pessimism and keep stress under control.

It is curious that certain emotions are related to pain in certain regions of the body, although science cannot explain exactly why. For example, people who suffer depression often experience chest pains, even when his heart is not physically bad.

Likewise, the feeling of extreme grief can have a devastating impact, and research confirms that, in the days following the loss of a loved one, the risk of suffering a heart attack increases 21 times.

Although much remains to be discovered about the exact mechanics of these mind-body links, it is known that your brain and, consequently, your thoughts and emotions play a distinct role when you experience physical pain and may contribute to the development of chronic disease. As a result of these types of findings, a number of mind-body therapies have emerged that take into account this interrelationship between your emotions and your physical health.

The science of anger

Let's say, for example, that someone encroaches on your lane while you are driving and, in response, you become angry. When this happens, stress chemicals related to the fight or flight response are released, which prepares your body for quick action. The biochemical rush that occurs during an anger attack goes even further....

The stress response begins in your brain. When your eyes or ears register a sudden threat (the car encroaching on your lane), information is sent to the amygdala, a brain area that interprets both images and sounds and is involved in processing emotions.

Interpreting the scene and sounds as an imminent threat, your amygdala sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, which is similar to a command center for your entire body.

It communicates with various parts of the body and organs through the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for involuntary bodily functions such as breathing and heart rate, blood pressure, dilatation and constriction of blood vessels, etc.

Your autonomic nervous system has 2 «branches»-the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers the fight or flight response, and the parasympathetic, which promotes the «rest and digest» response that calms your body once it is no longer in danger.

As the amygdala sends its distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system, This causes the adrenal glands to release adrenaline (also known as epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine).

The sudden release of stress chemicals causes them to increase in their heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn makes you breathe faster. It also releases glucose and fats from the body's storage sites, giving your body a quick boost of energy.

Blood also rushes to your extremities, including your face. This is why anger can literally make you blush.

This avalanche of events happens so fast that it is already in full swing before the visual center of your brain has fully processed what is happening.

The importance of your prefrontal cortex

To maintain or regain emotional control, you need to activate your prefrontal cortex-the brain area that controls executive functions, such as complex cognitive and social behavior, as well as personality expression, willpower, decision-making and judgment. Without the prefrontal cortex, you cannot have self-control or process logical thought.

As noted in a 2015 study examining how subliminal anger messages affect their decision-making abilities, «the behavioral and physiological impact of anger states jeopardizes cognitive processing efficiency through action-ready changes in autonomic response that distort neural and regional activity.».

The video presented is not about how to activate the prefrontal cortex, however, some scientifically proven ways that can strengthen this brain region and improve your self-control are:

Eating a healthy diet with high quality fats
Get enough quality sleep (most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night).
Regular physical exercise. To strengthen the prefrontal cortex, relaxation exercises such as the Tai Chior the yoga, as well as the high intensity workouts, will provide great benefits
Manage your daily stress. Your prefrontal cortex begins to succumb when it's chronically overwhelmed with stress chemicals. By not allowing stress to become chronic, you will be much better able to manage your self-control in difficult situations.

Brief daily meditation has been shown to increase activity in the prefrontal cortex in as little as 8 weeks, improving stress management and self-awareness.

When you feel angry: Stop and take a deep breath to reoxygenate your brain before you act

People who are easily angered live shorter lives

Feeling anger often is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart problems, such as heart attacks and strokes. Biologically, this is because epinephrine and norepinephrine constrict blood vessels, which makes your heart work harder.

They also increase levels of glucose and fatty acids in the blood, which when chronically elevated damage blood vessels and contribute to atherosclerosis. Research has also shown that people who are easily angered tend to die earlier compared to their better tempered counterparts.

In a studyinvolving 1300 men who were monitored for 40 years, those in the quartile with the most exasperation had a 1.57 times greater risk of dying prematurely compared with those in the quartile with the least exasperation.

In fact, the results were the same after considering other factors that correlate with mortality, such as income level, marital status, and smoking-even personality traits (such as higher levels of cognitive ability, which may be protective). As noted by the lead author:

«The point is not just to get angry once in a while ... It's likely that these people have been constantly angry. It's okay to get angry one afternoon, or even a year. This issue may capture not transient anger, but a predisposition to anger.».

Now, even an intense bout of anger has implications. In one study, a person's risk of having a heart attack increased almost 5-fold and their risk of stroke increased more than 3-fold in the 2 hours following an anger attack (compared to being calm and relaxed). The risk was even higher among those with a history of heart problems.

Research published in the journal Circulation showed that men who frequently feel anger and hostility have an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm). Likewise, other negative emotions such as depression and loneliness have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Repressing negative emotions makes everything worse

However, suppressing your anger is not the solution. Doing so has been found to triple your risk of heart attack. Also, the risks associated with suppressing anger were even greater when people felt they had been treated unfairly.

According to Iris Mauss, associate professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and author of a study on the effects of repressing negative emotions versus accepting them:

«We found that people who habitually accept their negative emotions experience them less, which leads to better psychological health. Maybe if you have an accepting attitude toward negative emotions, you don't pay as much attention to them. And probably, if you are constantly judging your emotions, you may accumulate negativity.».

Put another way, trying to pretend you don't feel what you feel, or harshly judging your emotions, tends to cause more stress compared to simply feeling the emotion in question and overcoming it. Conversely, people who allowed sadness, disappointment, anger or resentment to simply run its course had fewer symptoms of emotional disorders.

Accepting “the way things are”, including emotions, is what many practices of meditation and yoga can teach you. But why is it so important to accept your emotions? Psychology Today explains the following:

«When you try to deny or repress any ‘part’ of yourself-whether emotions, desires, or fears you don't want to feel-parts of you fragment.

You need a sense of integration; of inner wholeness, to increase your well-being and ability to handle ups and downs, successes and failures; all part of the relentless change and impermanence that characterizes life.».

Repressed emotions such as anger, fear, frustration and rage can also be a contributing factor to chronic pain, especially back pain. I wrote about this in “Most back pain is caused by repressed emotions»-an article about the groundbreaking work of the late Dr. John Sarno, who used mind-body techniques to treat patients with chronic, severe back pain.

Chronic anger may increase your risk of dementia

Brain health also suffers negative consequences if you are chronically angry. For example, a form of chronic anger known as «cynical distrust» has been linked to a significantly increased risk of dementia. Cynical distrustis described as the belief that most people prefer to follow their interests rather than consider others.

In a study, older people with a high degree of cynical distrust had a 2.5 times greater risk of developing dementia compared to those with low levels. The finding adds to a growing body of research showing that negative emotions, and cynicism in particular, contribute to poor health. It is dangerous in a number of ways. For example, research has shown that:

People with cynical and hostile attitudes are more likely to die prematurely and have higher rates of death from coronary artery disease compared to people with «positive future expectations.»
People with cynical attitudes may suffer more from stress and do not get as much of the stress-mitigating benefits of positive social support.
Cynical hostility related to poor oral health
Cynical hostility is linked to increased markers of inflammation, which may contribute to heart problems and dementia
Cynical hostility is associated with increased metabolic burden among middle-aged and older adults

How to nurture emotional well-being

Anger is a normal human emotion and can certainly be appropriate at certain times. It can serve as a warning that something is wrong or to alert you to impending physical or psychological trauma.

Anger, with its surge of adrenaline, can give you the energy to resist an actual physical threat. Similarly, anger can help you learn to set healthier physical and emotional boundaries.

If your anger eventually harms your health, it may be related not only to its frequency, but also to how it is expressed and how you deal with its consequences. The key is to channel your anger into controlled and constructive outward expression. This can really help release tension and stress.

An example of this would be using your anger in order to encourage an intense exercise session or to clean the house. Constructive anger, in which people externalize their angry feelings in the most rational and calm ways possible, and work to find solutions, has also been shown to benefit health and interpersonal relationships.

If you tend to be easily angered, implement energy psychology techniques such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

EFT can reprogram your body's reactions to the stressors and inevitabilities of everyday life by stimulating different energy points and meridians in your body. It is done by tapping specific points with your fingertips while repeating personalized verbal affirmations. This can be done alone or under the supervision of a qualified therapist.

Procure be more aware-Focusing on what you are doing and the sensations you are experiencing can also improve your mental and emotional outlook. When you are consciously present, your mind will be less likely to wander and dwell on stressful or anger-producing incidents, which can help you let go of these types of feelings.

Also, be sure to get enough restful sleep, as without it you are much more likely to lose emotional control, exercise is another key strategy for emotional well-being.

Studies have shown that during exercise, calming chemicals are released in the brain (endorphins). It is a natural way to provide your body with pleasant relaxation and rejuvenation, and has been shown to help protect against the physical effects of daily stress.

Last but not least, follow the advice of Susie Moore, a columnist for the publication Greatist and a life and self-confidence coach. When something or someone makes you angry, simply ask yourself, «So what?» Unkind comments, even insults, are not a reflection of what you're really worth, nor is invading your lane an indication that the universe is conspiring against you to ruin your day.

The expert writes in the article «These Two Simple Words Can Cure Your Anger”,

«there is an almost ancient wisdom in this short question-’So what?’-means ... Don't worry about other people. All is well.

Speaking from a Buddhist-style perspective ... Now let me ask you: what are some situations to which you can respond with a ‘so what?’

Were you not included or invited to something you wanted to be a part of?
You were not invited for a second date?
Didn't get the job you were looking for?
Were you punished for not making it to your 7 a.m. class at the gym because you preferred to get that much-needed extra sleep?
Did you spoil your dinner?