Chapter 15. An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Other studies support Dr. Selye's thesis:

In 1946, a study of 1300 senior medical students at John Hopkins Medical school showed that people who are cancer-prone have impaired emotional outlets. When they feel hurt, angry and hostile, they can't quite communicate it. They have strong feelings of helplessness and hopelessness and often see themselves as victims who are trapped and who cannot alter their lives in any way.

In the December-January 1978-1979 issue of "Modern Maturity" there was an article on Dr. O. Carl Simonton, a radiation oncologist, and his wife, Stephanie Matthews-Simonton, who both treat cancer patients. They stated, "The worst thing is when we don't even admit our needs to ourselves. The difficulty is not that we have to punish ourselves for having those feelings. It's having to deny those feelings ... particularly anger and resentment. Bottling up these feelings stresses the entire body and inhibits getting well."

The July 6, 1986 "Parade Magazine" insert in many Sunday papers reported: "Remember how you always seemed to catch cold or get the flu around exam time? Well, scientists now have evidence that stress can alter our immunity to disease by acting on our white cells.

Quoting again from the "Health News Network" web site, http://www.healthnewsnet.com/stress.html : "There isn't a disease or illness in the modern world that is not, in one way or another, affected, intensified, or triggered by stress. From the common cold to cancer, every illness known to man typically begins with a breakdown in immunity. the illness then continues at various levels until it is either attacked and eliminated by drugs or natural defenses or thrives and overwhelms the body's homeostatic mechanisms. One of the more important significant contributing factors in the latter process is physical or emotional stress."

Regretfully, once the immune system is totally depressed and the body is in a state of chemical imbalance and virus and bacterial infections are in control, it's a little late to begin expressing feelings! Better to change the oil and filter in your car regularly than to wait until it needs a complete overhaul! It's true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Are you beginning to understand more fully the importance and value of expressing feelings? Remember, our body was made to express feelings and there's a price to be paid for failing to do so!

From my point of view, there are a thousand and one different symptoms of stress due to unexpressed and unresolved feelings. These stress symptoms occur because of our inability to recognize our feelings, accept our feelings and express these feelings in the right way. Add to this our inability to accept our need for affection and our sexual feelings, plus other factors, and you have a multitude of stress related symptoms!

And now, some more words of comfort. I previously stated that your inability to accept your feelings, your need for affection and your sexuality, is most likely due to your having never experienced acceptance of them when growing up. I would like to remind you that fortunately, it's not too late! If you don't know of any human being who will unconditionally accept you and your human attributes, then know for sure that the God of Heaven, our Divine Creator who made you in his Image, can certainly accept your feelings. Remember though, just make sure you don't confuse acceptance with approval! Unconditional acceptance of feelings is one thing, but unconditional approval of everything we say or do is quite another!

Next: Depression and Going Crazy

 

Stress Reduction Through Honesty in Communication by John Twelker, Copyright 1986, John Twelker Enterprises, Inc.