When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-disease Connection

Avoidance always has its reasons. The organism is trying to protect itself, ensure its well-being, and preserve self-esteem—but in the wrong way. Since emotions, negative and positive, express our assessment of the significance of different aspects of reality for ourselves, when we bury feelings and emotion we also bury ourselves. This is what it m

– une activation du système d’alarme, responsable de l’anxiété et des troubles du sommeil, rendue nécessaire en raison de l’état de vulnérabilité. Ces manifestations physiques s’accompagnent de l’expression d’une douleur morale (sentiment d’impuissance, de dévalorisation, d’isolement, perte d’espoir). Cependant, le lien entre cette expression émoti

Positive thinking in the face of illness purports to give us back a modicum of control. It suggests coherence in a chaotic world. It makes willpower and mindset meaningful again—even though willpower is one of the things that disease can prove to be a false (or at least overdetermined) construct.

When our needs are consistently unmet, our pain and disconnection are compounded. Self-preservation leads to self-betrayal. It’s a loop we can easily get stuck in. The cycle of unresolved trauma, repetition of maladaptive coping behaviors, and consistent denial of Self allows the pain to live on in our mind and body, where it can eventually make us