Navigating Trauma, Illness, and Stress: A Holistic Approach to Health, Healing, and Wellness

Homeostasis.

The human body has a remarkable capacity for self-restoration. Hippocrates (a Greek physician) commented that the body usually returns to a state of equilibrium by itself, and people recover from most illnesses even without the help of a physician. The tendency results from homeostasis, the ability to detect change and activate mechanisms that oppose it. French physiologist Claude Bernard (1813-1878) observed that the internal conditions of the body remain quite stable even when external conditions vary greatly. Homeostasis has been one of the most enlightening concepts on physiology. Physiology is largely a group of mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis, and the loss of homeostasis control tends to cause illness or death. Pathophysiology is essentially the study of unstable conditions that result when our homeostatic controls go away. 

The Standard Posture.

As is true in all testing, there must be a standard when evaluating postural alignment. The ideal skeletal alignment used as a standard in consistent with sound scientific principles, involves a minimal amount of stress and strain, and is conductive to maximal efficacy of the body. It is essential that the standard meets these requirements of the whole system of posture training that is built around it to be sound. In the standard posture, the spine presents the normal causes, and the bones of the lower extremities are in ideal alignment for weight bearing. The concept of "heart posture" is a recurring theme in the Bible, highlighting the significance of one's inner state and how it impacts their relationship with God and their actions. The “neutral” position of the pelvis is conducive to good alignment of the abdomen and trunk, and that of the extremities below. The chest and upper back are in position that favors optimal function of the respiratory organs. The head is erect in a well-balanced position that minimizes stress on the neck musculature. It is not expected that any individual should match the standard in every respect, nor have authors seen anyone who has. 

Why has no one seen the Standard Posture?

Leonardo Da Vinci created the Vitruvian Man, a late 15th century drawing. This drawing intended to explore the idea of proportion, the piece of art and part mathematical diagram, conveying the old master’s belief that “everything connects to everything else”. There is also evidence of this in the golden ratio (Phi=1.61803…). It’s emergent patterns and ratios can be seen from the micro scale, and right through the biological systems and inanimate objects. Here are some examples in the universe: flower petals, seed heads, pine cones, fruits, vegetables, animal bodies, hurricanes, human faces, human fingers, shells of certain animals, galaxies, DNA molecules, bees, and more! The Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio, a mathematical pattern often found in nature, have been interpreted by some as evidence of divine design or order, with connections to religious beliefs, particularly Christianity. Some believe that the presence of these mathematical patterns in nature points to a guiding intelligence or designer, leading them to connect them with God's creation. Since the Fibonacci sequence(golden ratio) manifests itself artistically, mathematically, and naturally, what is contributing to humans misalignments, illnesses, disorders, and diseases?

Stress.

Stress affects us all from time to time, and we react to it in ways that are mediated mainly by the endocrine and sympathetic nervous systems. Stress is defined as any situation that upsets homeostasis and threatens one’s physical and emotional well-being. Physical causes of stress(stressors) include injury, surgery, hemorrhage, infection, intense exercises, and malnutrition. Emotional causes include anger, grief, depression, anxiety, and guilt.

Trauma.

The experience of severe psychological distress following any terrible or life-threatening event. Sufferers may develop emotional disturbances such as extreme anxiety, anger sadness, survivors guilt, or PTSD. They may experience ongoing problems with sleep of physical pain, encounter turbulence in their personal and professional relationships, and feel a diminished sense of self worth due to overwhelming amounts of stress. Veterans with PTSD as well as countless civilians who are haunted by trauma caused by emotional and physical abuse, rape, violent attacks, and serious accidents. Those who seek help are usually sent to group or individual therapy or both. Many are prescribed potent medications, ranging from antipsychotics to antidepressants, in a search for a drug cocktail that may bring peace of mind. The uncertainty of what will work best for whom can make treating trauma as much as an art as science. And since the consequences of not treating trauma can be so dire, refining the science is critical. There’s kind of a desperation to get better treatment. 

Somatic Symptoms.

In Chinese medicine, the liver is known as a storehouse for anger, particularly suppressed anger. Unexpressed anger leads to depression(anger turned inward), shame, jealousy, or irritability. Connected to anger are bitterness and resentment, which are seen as a production of bile or guilt, hopelessness, frustration, and hatred. Here is a testimony: A patient was having liver issues, the liver sonogram report was inconclusive, and the liver biopsy came back negative for any disease or complications. Yet, the individual showed symptoms of liver disease…

Mind/Body Connection.

“Any treatment plan must include the treatment of anger and fear, if the healing process is to be complete”.

Dr. Carl Simonton:

“Simonton goes on even further when he asserts that all illness, ranging from cancer to the common cold or a stomach ache, is a result of the interaction of our bodies, our minds, and our emotions”. According to Simonton, the path to health and wellness begins when we take responsibility for our own sickness. In order to do this, we must begin to work through the buried emotions of fear and anger. That’s not a comfortable concept. We may be able to help others work through their anger in order to prevent illness, but working through our own anger is another matter. That’s probably why it stays hidden so long. 

In treating cancer patients Dr. Simonton combines conventional medical treatment with psychotherapy. He and his associates insist on psychotherapy in order to deal with buried anger. Often they see amazing remission of disease as the person begins to deal effectively with that anger. Dr. Simonton found, the first trait that he and his team of researchers found to be at the root of cancer is a great tendency to hold in resentment and anger. 

Type A Behavior.

Dr. Meyer Friedman and colleague Dr. Ray Rosenman began to write about the association between behavior and heart disease in scientific papers during the 1950s. They used their observations for a popular 1974 book, "Type A Behavior and Your Heart." "Type A personality" soon became a popular term, used for people who are chronically impatient and exacting. The work of Friedman and Rosenman began a new inquiry into the association between mental states and heart disease. Friedman put the whole issue on the map and generated a lot of research around it.

In the waiting room of the practice they ran, Friedman and Rosenman noticed that chairs needed to be upholstered for rather unusual reasons. The upholsterer brought to their attention that the chairs in the waiting room were worn out in the front and armrests, instead of the usual chair backs. The doctors knew these chairs were typically occupied by coronary patients, who tended to be tense and fidgety. These patients were inclined to sit on the edge of chairs and would leap out of the chairs, often impatiently, causing rather unusual wear and tear patterns in the furniture (and additional expenses for the doctors).

Observing these chairs made the doctors curious enough to conduct further research on the link between mental states and heart-related problems. Eventually, they published a book “Type A Behavior and your heart” to propose a connection between stressful/impatient personality types and heart disease. This publication laid the foundation for what we refer to in popular culture today as ‘Type A personality’.

Dr. Friedman discovered “Type A Behavior”-”The hurry sickness”. These individuals avoid dealing with feelings of anger and fear, and jump on the “treadmill” of life. “If we can go faster, we don’t have to deal with anything”. The faster we go, the more things we ignore. The more things we ignore, the more we experience anger or fear, and the faster we have to go in order to avoid these emotions. 

Sigmund Freud.

Freud said we walk around with our conscious mind knowing less than half of what we are doing or why we are doing it. Our unconscious mind is really in control, and that deep, dark part of us is a churning cauldron of destructive impulses battling anything good within us. Those destructive impulses feed on our repressed emotions.

In summary, repressed emotions can have a profound impact on both physical and mental health. By understanding the connection between emotions, posture, and alignment, individuals can take steps to address repressed emotions, improve their physical and mental well-being, and promote a more balanced and resilient life.

A holistic approach to healing from trauma, illness, and stress focuses on the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, recognizing that these aspects are deeply intertwined in the experience of well-being. This approach aims to address not only the symptoms of trauma, illness, and stress but also the underlying causes and individual needs to promote long-term healing and wellness.