Emotional Well-Being 4 of 4

Take charge of your health: Emotional Well-being

 Contributed by:  Dr. Darrin Robertson, D.C. on 1/28/2007

This week we are delving into the last piece of the Triad, Emotional Wellness. Emotional Wellness is our ability to experience all our emotions, yet be able to adapt and adjust our emotions to achieve a feeling of well-being. If we have Emotional Wellness than it is likely that our attitude towards life is somewhat positive.

Our attitudes determine how we each view the world. Our thoughts define our feelings and our feelings then shape our attitudes. Our view of the world affects our emotional wellness. If we view the world as being dangerous, we will see danger. If we view the world as an opportunity, we will see opportunities everywhere. Our attitudes of the world filter what we see, directly affecting our well-being. If we have Emotional Wellness then we have an awareness of how we think, feel and behave. We are able to see how our actions affect our external environment and relationships.

How does Emotional Wellness affect Physical Wellness?

Your thoughts are the birth of your emotions. In order to have an emotion, you must first have a thought. When you think a particular thought, do you feel the emotion it creates? Imagine a time when you were in love. Do you feel it in your stomach or do you experience a blushing in the face? If someone has lied to you, do you suddenly feel tightness in your throat or a quickening of your heartbeat? Science has discovered that with every emotion comes a chemical reaction and physiological response. My guess is that each of you could share your physical reaction to speaking in public. Speaking in public is listed as our number one fear - even over death. It creates such emotional unrest in many of us that we often shake, become short of breath, or even develop red splotches on our body.

All emotions exist for a purpose. Some emotions are more positive than others, but all are necessary. When we experience a death, sadness and anger are necessary reactions in order for us to move through the experience. Problems occur when our emotions are out of balance. If any emotion consumes us, it will have a direct affect on our Physical Wellness.

What Does the Research Say?

Emotional distress over long periods of time will have adverse affects on our health as seen in the following studies.

During a 13-year study at John Hopkins School of Public Health researchers followed 3,109 East Baltimore women. They found that women with a history of depression were nearly four times more likely to develop breast cancer that those who had never been depressed.

In the 2002 archives of Internal Medicine, an article titled, "Anger in Young Men and Subsequent Premature Cardiovascular Disease: The Precursors Study," stated that "young men who quickly react to stress with anger are at three times the normal risk of developing premature heart disease...."

How Can We Achieve Emotional Wellness?

It wasn't too long ago that the subject of Emotional Well-being was considered taboo. We now recognize the need for Emotional Wellness in achieving overall good health. We can choose to take care of our own emotional health in a variety of ways.

Medication

In today's society we are bombarded by the media's suggestions to use pharmaceuticals to alleviate our emotional imbalances. At times, these drugs are necessary and appropriate. At other times, we must question the quickness in which these drugs are prescribed.

The Journal of the American Medical Association in February 2000 said that from the years 1990 to 1995 there was a three-fold increase in the utilization of Ritalin among preschooler’s ages 2 to 4. This is remarkable for two reasons. The study states that the long term affects of these psychotropic drugs are not even known. In addition, the FDA states that Ritalin is not approved for children under the age of six. How will a two year olds Chemical Well-Being change as a result of ingesting Ritalin over a long period of time?

We mention this preschool study because no one can truly predict what will happen when we take any drug; each of our body's chemistry is unique. Five people can take an aspirin and we can have five different reactions. Medication is an option to achieving Emotional Wellness, yet it is not an option to be chosen lightly. We must realize that by ingesting a chemical, our body's chemical makeup is instantly changed. No one can determine the extent of the change.

Exercise, Therapy/Counseling, and Attitude

There are many other ways to shift our emotional state of being; we will share a few. It is a known fact that exercise can alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. We can also benefit by sharing our thoughts and feelings with people we trust.

Our attitude is crucial. We must take a closer look at our thought patterns. Are we predominantly negative through out the day? Do we anticipate the worst? Or, are we flexible and able to adjust to constant change? One of the largest growing populations in today's society is the Centenarians, individuals who are 100 years old or more. Studies have shown that Centenarians have certain characteristics in common, including a love for life, spiritual beliefs, and realistic, but positive attitudes. Obviously, the Centenarians are doing something right. The more positive our attitude towards our life, the better off we will be.

Chiropractic and Emotional Wellness

We have just discussed how our emotions affect our health. Our thoughts create emotions. Our emotions create physical responses in our bodies. These messages must be delivered via our nervous system. It is imperative that our brain and spinal cord have full access to our body in order for our emotions to be properly interpreted. If we are not allowed to experience our emotions fully, they will manifest in unpredictable ways.

I feel that many of today's emotional imbalances are due to an overactive nervous system. If you go into anyone's house, you may find multiple sources of stimulation going on at once: televisions, video games, computers, radios, ipods and cd players. Our body is constantly required to filter this information and determine what is important and what is not. You might recall learning about fight or flight in your high school biology class. The fight or flight part of your nervous system interprets information as being dangerous or safe. Many people are stuck in fight or flight mode, because their nervous systems are inundated with constant information. There is a growing body of research that demonstrates the benefits of chiropractic for ADD/ADHD children. Most of us do not take the time to just sit and breathe. If we cannot relax and rest, we cannot rejuvenate. How many of us have taken five minutes or more to sit and breathe today? What about our children?

Chiropractic adjustments allow us to turn on the portion of our nervous system that helps us rest and digest (known as the parasympathetic), therefore quieting down the fight or flight mode (known as the sympathetic). Emotional Wellness is contingent on our nervous system's ability to interpret and adapt to a constantly changing internal and external environment.

Taking Charge of Your Health: Putting It All Together

Over the last month, we have discussed the Triad of Health. I have shared research, as well as my experience as a chiropractor, to hopefully give you the tools to begin to take charge of your health. To maintain a triad, all three aspects are equally important. We must strive to balance our Physical, Chemical, and Emotional Wellness in order to experience optimum health. However, we must be realistic and recognize that it is impossible to live in a perfect environment. Therefore, awareness is essential in order to recognize imbalances and readjust when needed. I hoped to create a paradigm shift away from sick care and towards health care by writing this series. I welcome your thoughts and comments as you move toward optimum health. However, I have only begun the conversation. 

Dr. Darrin Robertson, D.C.
Living Chiropractic Center
5590 S. Windermere St.
Littleton, CO 80120

303-347-1909