Can Grief Cause Physical Pain and Health Problems
Posted By James on September 24, 2008
According to John E. Sarno, M.D. in his book, “The Divided Mind”, emotions are the major cause of many bodily pains.
Dr. Sarno’s theory, which I agree with, is that the mind will reduce oxygen to certain parts of the body to cause pain so the person will be distracted by the pain and not have to deal with the emotions.
Consider for a moment if a person were molested as a child, in order not to have to deal with the emotional pains, the body would “protect” the person by making them have stomach pains.
It can work the same way with the emotions of grief. If since your loss you have started having pains in your body that you, and maybe even your doctor can’t explain, it may be coming from your mind.
According to Dr. Sarno, this is a psychosomatic problem. I don’t like that term as it has been viewed as being all in your head for many years, and any pain you are having is definitely not in your head! Even though your mind is the cause of this pain, the pain is very real.
We know that the mind operates our body. Our heart and other organs, along with our digestive system, and almost all other functions of our body are controlled by the mind. So it is not a stretch to believe the mind can control the oxygen being delivered to the cells.
Now you may ask what the big deal is with the cells doing without a little oxygen, but according to Dr. C. Samuel West, D.N., N.D., Chemist and Lymphologist, anytime the cells lose oxygen, pain is the result. So lack of oxygen to the cells equals pain.
Dr. Sarno even goes to say that most back, and neck pain, headaches, carpal tunnel and all Fibromyalgia is caused by emotions. I am not sure I agree with this 100%, but I do believe much of the pain in the body is caused by the mind to cover the emotional trama of our lives. Grief is definitely one of those traumas.
I will cover this subject in much more depth in later posts, but I wanted to share with you the idea that if you started having new pains in you body after your loss, it may be caused by your grief!!!
James Einert, N.D.
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In response to your article about physical pain and grief I would like to add the following.
Last February I was suffering from really bad back pain & could hardly walk, (I am usually fit & healthy and had never suffered from back pain prior to this).
Mid morning my husband took a phone call informing us that our only son had collapsed playing football and was being rushed to hospital, amazingly the pain instantly disappeared.
Tragically he died two days later, for weeks I had a very real phyical pain constantly from my throat to my chest that I couldn’t explain.