Recently I attended a congress on auto-immune disease exploring new treatment approaches for patients suffering with this range of debilitating conditions.

I’ve been successfully treating auto-immune conditions from a holistic, naturopathic approach, with a focus on the impact of stress, for over a decade now. Throughout the 3 day congress, this approach was consolidated and it became clearer as more and more evidence was presented, that this is the only way that will lead to successful outcomes.

Stress and its far-reaching effects impact on every system in the body, including the immune system. If you’re dealing with an auto-immune condition then we need to look at the mental and emotional aspects of your life, as well as what’s happening on a physical level. It’s all connected to the healthy functioning of the immune system and is something that has been well researched now.. In fact, a whole science was created to study it called Psycho-neuro-immunology.

Psycho-neuro-immunology

Essentially psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is the study of the link between your mind, body and immune system. In other words, the role of your psyche on your nervous system which then impacts your immune system which can make you either more resistant to disease or more prone to disease.

PNI is very important when considering infectious diseases, but its role in other immune-mediated conditions such as auto-immune conditions is also becoming very clear.

Gary Schwartz, professor of Psychology at the University of Arizona, conducted research in the field of Psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI) for over 20 years and found that healthy people with a strong immune system characteristically attend to feedback signals from their bodies, whether they come in the form of symptoms, sensations or emotions.

‘Negative’ Emotions are not ‘bad’ for your health

One of the most interesting findings from these years of PNI research is that they shattered the myth that ‘negative emotions’ cause immune dysfunction and ‘positive emotions’ contribute to a healthy immune system. So, you can’t ignore what you’re feeling and just think positive thoughts to make yourself well again.

The key practice that can be developed to support a healthier immune system, is that emotions are experienced and expressed rather than repressed and withheld. Of course, there are ways to express emotions that can create more problems and more stress, so working with a professional who can guide you to healthy expression of emotions can be helpful!

The importance of expressing your emotions

PNI studies show that people who chronically repress emotions are more likely to develop an immune system that is either hypersensitive and overactive with a tendency to allergies, asthma and auto-immune diseases, or hyposensitive and underactive with a susceptibility to infectious diseases and cancer.

So if you’re wanting to heal from an auto-immune disease, it’s vitally important that your internal state is congruent with your external representation. This means acknowledging those feelings, sensations and emotions that arise in your body as important messengers and developing healthy ways to express your emotions.

If you want to find out more about auto-immune conditions, I’ve shared the key drivers behind autoimmune conditions, and approaches that can support you in my talk on Taming the Immune System. You can watch this video for free - click here.

Edward Enever

Adv.Dip. (Nat)

Edward's main area of interest is in chronic disease, particularly people with a diagnosis of cancer. After defeating cancer three times, Edward now uses his skills and experience to guide patients through their journey with cancer and other chronic illnesses.