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In China, one published study involving a huge population reportedly showed three factors:
1. Burst of emotion that could not be controlled.
2. Poor working circumstances, including poor relationship with coworkers
3. Depressive feeling for a long time.
I think Western medicine is in the pre-infancy stage of seeing how emotions and disease are connected. I think there are correlations, but they don't study it much because there's no money to be made?
Can you imagine bottling the necessary states of mind to produce a healthy body? And, people would have to work at their "stuff" instead of taking a pill. Imagine that.
I think of health as an amalgam of mind and body, any extreme unbalance in either can affect your health. Depression has been linked to lowered immune function, anger to impaired cardiovascular health. You won't suddenly cure yourself of a disease by being happy, but I think it will improve the results of any therapy to be in a positive emotional state.
I would add that I know of no study on the planet that I am willing to trust 100%. It is said that death and taxes are the only things we can count on with certainty. In reality, it is only death that is truly 100% reliable. We will all die! Taxes however, can be avoided if you are sufficiently wealthy, or you are a member of congress who forgets to pay them.
I've known at least a half dozen people who were very emotionally healthy and died of cancer. I don't think the Chinese study is 100% reliable.
True, but none of us knows everything that is going on inside another human being. We are all pretty adept at hiding emotional baggage from others.
And I don't think anyone believes cancer is caused ~solely~ by emotional turmoil. So, of course, even the most well-balanced happy person can develop cancer. That is a given.
Just like lung cancer among people who have never smoked. It happens.
True, but none of us knows everything that is going on inside another human being. We are all pretty adept at hiding emotional baggage from others.
And I don't think anyone believes cancer is caused ~solely~ by emotional turmoil. So, of course, even the most well-balanced happy person can develop cancer. That is a given.
Just like lung cancer among people who have never smoked. It happens.
That is true. Some people are better handling stress than others. Some people have better feedback and emotional outlets than others.
Accessibility and willingness for a sounding board to pent up emotions could also be key to relieving stress. Some people can count on family and friends but altho you have family and/or close friends they may be miles away.
I pray too that someday no one will know what the "C" word is because just like in a Star Trek episode, we will be able to wave that wand over them and no longer will they have that disease - or any. That would be nice!!!
Nothing is as terrifying as hearing that nasty C word. However after the oh crap I have cancer then the work begins. It is a saga that has played out in my life for the last 4 years. Through the 3 surgeries and 9 weeks of chemo I made certain to pay attention to my attitude about the whole thing.
I would control my reactions to whatever challenge would come my way. Finally the doctor pronounced me as cured, and finally resolution to this ordeal.
First, count me among those applauding anyone in remission and/or cured.
Re the topic, IMO it's a no brainer that your mental/emotional state plays a part - of course it's not the only factor either, as lizzy pointed out.....but I have no doubt it's vital.
I was told by my social worker that studies have been done in the US about possible links between cancer and emotion (specifically, stress) and there was no evidence of a connection.
Honestly, it's not the patient's fault when they get cancer. I don't know why so many people on this board insist that it is.
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