According to the American Institute of Stress, stress is the basic cause of 60% of all illnesses and disease in America and costs the nation $300 billion in lost production and medical bills.
As the victim of post-traumatic stress disorder, I could write the book about stress but have much to learn.
Doctor Norman Vincent Peale said “there does not seem to be very many people who understand the absolute necessity of relaxing or who would know how to practice it if they tried.”
Dr. Flanders Dunbar, an authority on psychosomatic medicine, wrote in her book Mind and Body, “the inability to relax is one of the most widely spread diseases of our time and one of the most infrequently recognized.”
Having had rota-tor cuff surgery on August 28, 2018 I continue to ponder the connection of the mind and body.
Thirty years ago I watched a series by Bill Moyers, author of Healing and The Mind,hosted by PBS, because I’ve had a gut level feeling for years that most of our illnesses originate in our minds — when we toss and turn — unable to find solutions to overwhelming problems until our bodies finally rebel by making us sick enough to go to bed.
In 2016 I found myself in such a situation until I was so overwhelmed that I went to bed, quit eating or drinking until I had emergency surgery on July 21st at Willis Knighton Hospital, due to a blocked, twisted colon.
Though not a doctor I will always believe that was a psychosomatic illness that ended up in a physical solution — surgery.
I would go so far as to say that even my back problems, which led to a fall causing my shoulder injury may also be linked to a psychosomatic illness — which isn’t to say that the pain hasn’t been real.
The Bible says that “as a man thinks in his heart so he is” and I believe this applies to all areas of our lives, both physically and emotionally.
Since that time I continue to think most of my illnesses have been psychosomatic because I don’t know how to truly relax and let go and let God take over.
Life isn’t easy.
It’s like a good friend
often said “we all have something” which could mean many things.
I ponder how our mind and our bodies are connected.
I believe if we could ever gain control of and become master of our thoughts most of our illnesses would be eliminated.
Since my colon surgery in 2016 I talked to two friends who experienced the same colon surgery I did after they each experienced one too many traumatic blows to their emotional system.They underwent surgeries identical to mine, including the doctor who performed all of our surgeries.
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