How can my emotions affect my health?
If your negative feelings are so strong that they keep you from enjoying life and they don't go away, it's especially important for you to talk to your doctor. You may have what doctors call major depression. Depression is a medical illness that can be treated with individualized counseling or medicine, or with both.
Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the mind/body connection. When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn't right. For example, high blood pressure or a stomach ulcer might develop after a particularly stressful event, such as the death of a loved one. Poor emotional health can weaken your body's immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during emotionally difficult times. Also, when you are feeling stressed, anxious or upset, you may not take care of your helath as well as you should. You may not feel like exercising, eating nutritious foods or taking medicine that your doctor prescribes. Some people abuse alcohol, tobacco or other drugs to try to make themselves feel better.
To find out more about the mind/body connection: Mind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health from the American Academy of Family Physicians
