In recent years, our understanding of the ways in which our minds impact our bodies has grown exponentially. The rise of integrative medicine demonstrates an increased focus on taking care of our minds in order to take care of our bodies, and vice versa. Even in your own life, you may have heard your primary care physician inquire about your mental health status, or perhaps your therapist has recently asked you about improvements in diet and exercise, and even sleep hygiene (yes, it’s a thing). You truly cannot take care of one and ignore the other.
Our bodies are designed to manage stress, and stress is both physical and psychological. We move in and out of states of hyperarousal to manage the threats we experience on a daily basis - whether it’s the physical grind of the daily commute, the psychological concern over an angry boss, or a literal fire in the kitchen. In our society where the demands on our time are ever increasing, many of us suffer with a disproportionate amount of psychological stress. If not managed, it can lead to a chronic physical state of distress, which negatively affects your body through a process known as allostasis. Allostasis, according to Dan Allender, is “our body’s attempt to adapt in order to maintain homeostasis by changing our normal physiological responses… in order to process the continued stress signals from the brain.” It’s your body’s way of adapting to improve survival in intensely traumatic environments. But there are costs to survival.
Individuals with an increased allostatic load have higher levels of inflammation in the body and can contribute to the development of autoimmune disease, as it activates the immune system response to a disproportionate degree. Chronic pain syndromes are also affected by allostatic load, and can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life. The effects of stress and anxiety can even lead to an accelerated death, as it deteriorates our telomeres, which serve to protect our chromosomes from the effects of aging.
Suffice it to say, mental health is important, not just for improved way of thinking and behaving in the world, but also for the benefit of your physical body. As you journey toward healing following a trauma, a goal of reducing your allostatic load can be immensely beneficial for your mind and body. Changes in diet, exercise, and sleep provide opportunities to lower your body’s stress response and reduce inflammation. You can also combat allostatic load with sunlight, prayer, gratitude, social support and even therapeutic modalities such as EMDR.
The very nature of trauma creates a sense of powerlessness and overwhelm in the face of difficult circumstances. Developing an attitude of care and kindness toward your body, and acting in ways to reduce your stress response, can undo those effects and create a sense of stability and support.
For more resources on how the body and mind affect one another, check out these publications:
Van der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps the Score, 2015
Allender, Dan. Healing the Wounded Heart, 2016