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Emotions and Health Back to Treatment Modalities |
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Dorland’s Medical Dictionary (1994) defines emotion as “…a strong feeling state, such as excitement, distress, happiness, love, hate, fear, or anger. The external manifestation of an emotion is called affect…” Dorland’s further defines affect as simply “…the external expression of emotion attached to ideas or mental representations of objects.” Therefore, Western medicine only considers an emotion as a feeling state with an external expression, such as a smile, frown, laugh, or cry. The failure of Western medicine to expand this definition demonstrates their limitation in the treatment of the human body.
WHAT IS AN EMOTION? Today, many natural health practitioners who seriously believe in Mind-Body and its relationship to health, define an emotion as “…a complex reaction and pattern of changes in chemical, nervous, visceral, skeletal, muscle, and other tissues as a response to a stimulus which may be perceived as either pleasurable or threatening”. This concept also acknowledges Mind-Body as One and also acknowledges that the Mind does influence the functioning of the Body and vice versa - something that Western medicine has long chosen to ignore. It is interesting to note that the ancient Chinese and their traditional medical practices for over 3000 years have recognized that emotions (Mind) and health (Body) are intimately linked together.
WHAT IS MIND-BODY? In the Western Culture, especially in Western medicine, the role of the brain (Mind) has long been considered as being separate and distinct from the Body. Namely, that which affects the Mind does not affect the Body and vice versa. This misconception has existed in Western medicine for the last several hundred years. Conversely, the ancient Chinese have known, understood, and practiced for over 3000 years that the Mind and Body are One, hence Mind-Body. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that the Mind can and does affect the Body and also that the Body can and does affect the Mind. This concept of Mind-Body does not “fit” into the current Western medical model. In fact, Western medicine, as practiced today, will attempt to give you a pill for a condition within your Body without ever considering the possibility that your physical condition may be due to abnormal physiologic processes caused by a previous unresolved emotional (Mind) trauma or event.
HOW DO EMOTIONS RELATE TO HEALTH? Emotions are expressions due to a chemical mechanism produced by the conscious and subconscious brain (Mind) in response to an external stimulus, which is perceived as either pleasurable or threatening. Emotions are both necessary and healthy. The brain (Mind) generates emotions as a complex cocktail of neuropeptides as a protective mechanism for the Body. The Mind generates specific emotions so that the entire Body will respond to each and every similar external stimulus in the same way as an act of self-preservation. However, the generated emotion and its associated neuropeptides affect the entire Body at an even deeper level. TCM and other Eastern medical philosophies associate specific emotions to specific organs and meridians within the Body. For example, the emotion of anger is associated with Liver / Gall Bladder; the emotion of joy is associated with Heart / Small Intestine, the emotion of grief is associated with the Lung / Large Intestine, the emotion of fear is associated with the Kidney / Bladder, and the emotion of worry is associated with the Stomach / Spleen-Pancreas. TCM also states that the key to a healthy Body is balance, including balance in emotions (Mind). There must be a balance in Fear, Anger, Joy, Worry, Grief, etc, within our lives. However, an excess or deficiency in even one the above listed emotions (Mind) can have a detrimental effect upon the Body. For example, too little or too much grief can injure Lung, or excessive anger can injure Liver. In addition, an unbalanced Lung can lead to the individual expressing excessive grief or too little grief. In TCM, one’s emotional state (Mind) can be indicative of one’s physical state (Body) and vice versa.
WHAT CAUSES DISEASE STATES? When the Mind generates an emotion in response to an external stimulus (either a real or perceived threat), the Body, being directed by the Mind, reacts to the emotionally produced neuropeptides. In fact, every cell within the Body reacts in some fashion to these neuropeptides. Normally, when the external stimulus is no longer present or perceived as a threat, the Body, including every cell, returns to its normal functioning state. However, when the nervous system and/or acupuncture system is not communicating properly within the Body, a neuro-physiological deficit, commonly referred to as an Neuro Emotional Complex or NEC, occurs and a tiny portion, or small group of cells, become “locked-in” to their physiologic response to that specific emotion, even though that emotion and its associated neuropeptides are no longer being generated. Hence, this “locked-in” state continues to attempt to direct the entire physiology of the Body in an abnormally functional manner. Over a period of time, months, years, and even decades, this abnormal functioning of these “locked-in” cells of the Body can lead to abnormal physiologic processes, conditions, and diseases. Over 90% of abnormal physiology has a “locked-in” emotionally related component. This simply means that in over 90% of all disease states or pathological processes within the Body are directly caused by these NEC's. These abnormal conditions may include allergies, pain syndromes, autoimmune disorders, recurrent spinal subluxations, specific organ dysfunctions, diseases, etc.
REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS In addition to abnormal physiology, disease states, and pathology, the NEC can also adversely affect a persons lifestyle and goals. Whenever a part of the Body is operating abnormally, the subconscious Mind attempts to direct the Body to reset and clear the abnormality. In the situation of altered physiology due to previous emotional trauma, the Mind attempts to reset and clear the Body of the NEC by attempting to reproduce the entire physiologic response to the original traumatic event by allowing the individual to re-engage in an event which is very similar to the original emotional traumatic event. Most of the time these attempts at self-clearing of the NEC fail and hence, the Mind continues its process of attempting to clear the NEC again and again and again... This continual attempt at clearing the Body of its NEC by the subconscious Mind leads to subconscious repetitive destructive behaviors by the individual. Such repetitive destructive behaviors may include issues involving relationships, finances, low self esteem, self worth, guilt, inadequacy, anger, shame, paralyzed will, etc. Once corrected by utilizing Neuro Emotional Technique (NET), the individual will become “free” to alter their destructive tendencies, if he/she so chooses.
HOW IS THE BODY CORRECTED? At Benham Chiropractic, several methods are utilized to “unlock” the Body’s abnormal conditioned responses or NEC's. The methods include chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET). You are not being treated mentally and you are not being treated for any emotional condition or problems. You are only being treated physically to release and unlock your Body’s abnormal physiologic response due to a previous emotionally traumatizing event, the NEC. Once the NEC is isolated, then a simple spinal correction or an acupuncture meridian correction is performed, thus “freeing up” the locked-in abnormal physiologic response. The methods utilized are always painless and are all natural.
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER TREATMENT? If you are interested in your health and in maintaining your health, you are encouraged have periodic checkups at Benham Chiropractic. If you are suffering from a long-term chronic illness or a condition that has not responded to previous treatments, then you should also contact Benham Chiropractic. Also, if your life's goals are being self-sabotaged or if you are unable to successfully change your life's patterns, then a visit to Benham Chiropractic should be strongly considered. A simple examination can reveal if there is an emotional component, or NEC, associated with your condition and the correction to release and unlock your abnormal physiologic response, NEC, can easily be made.
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BENHAM CHIROPRACTIC
CHIROPRACTIC * ACUPUNCTURE * APPLIED KINESIOLOGY NEURO EMOTIONAL TECHNIQUE |
