Patient, heal thyself.  This is a statement that we have all heard and is probably a riff on a verse found in the book of Luke that states “Physician, heal thyself.”   The biblical reference is part of a parable and from all accounts can have a very deep meaning.  As the phrase is used today, it has more of a literal interpretation.  We all possess some ability to heal ourselves.

In my childhood home this phrase had special meaning.  My mother is a nurse, a very good nurse.  She has that wise, old school sensibility about health care, brought on from years of experience, but also from living in a time when a pill and technology were not readily available to “cure” everything.  So our, mine and my brothers, interpretation of this phrase was the literal interpretation – we held the keys to our health.  We were taught to make wise choices, analyze and alter our behaviors to promote health, and keep an optimistic point of view.  Little did I know how valuable was that childhood experience.

That experience began to translate to my academic pursuits, leading toward an increased interest in health psychology, particularly how stress impacts our health.  Stress is something we all experience from time to time.  The body is equipped to deal with stress in short term bursts, making it possible for us to maintain biological balance and harmony until the stress is resolved. It is when we are in a chronic state of stress that things become dangerous.  The same biological systems that work well and are healthy in times of short term stress can turn toxic in periods of long term stress.  At the very least this can lead to increased illnesses such as colds and flu and increased anxiety and depression.  At worst, this will cause us to have an increased risk for things such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

This is not to imply that stress is the only factor in these diseases.  However, research shows that when chronic stress is a part of our lives the risk of developing disease and possibly even dying from the disease goes up significantly.

The biggest threat that prolonged stress poses is to the immune system.  When we are stressed out, our immune system reacts just as if we have an infection.  It goes to work trying to keep our body in a state of balance while helping us physically deal with the stress.  This system works well in the short term, but when it is left on too long – chronic stress — the immune system itself becomes exhausted and depressed.  This is bad enough. Add to that, chemicals produced during prolonged stress decrease the number of natural killer cells in the immune system.  These cells, which are needed for a healthy immune system, are no longer released and the ones that are do not function correctly.

This poses the risk for several health problems; increased likelihood of more severe and prolonged viral and bacterial infections, overall inflammation and more frequent gastrointestinal illnesses.  However, the most significant problem is the strong link to cancer cell growth. A big job for the natural killer cells is they kill abnormal cells of the body.  This would include tumor cells. The lack of natural killer cells will allow cancer cells to grow freely and at a fast rate.  This will also interfere greatly with the effectiveness of cancer treatments.

The link between stress and heart disease is just as direct as the link between stress and a weakened immune system.  The body shuts down certain systems to conserve energy during times of stress.  One of these systems is the liver, which clears fat and cholesterol from the bloodstream.  As you might imagine, if this system is not working at full capacity because of prolonged stress, then fat and cholesterol will collect in the veins and arteries.  This is referred to as plaque buildup or Coronary Heart Disease.  CHD greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The link between stress and diabetes is less direct but still very real.  Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with excessive weight gain leading to inefficient pancreas function, is the type most closely impacted by stress.  Prolonged stress wreaks havoc on our endocrine system, which the pancreas is a part of, and causes the endocrine system to function less efficiently.  This could lead to weight gain, fatigue, anxiety and depression.  All of these factors coupled with eating poorly and lack of exercise, are connected to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes.   It becomes a vicious cycle where one thing leads to another, but the end result is a disease, type 2 diabetes, that can be debilitating on its own but has also been directly linked to an increased risk of another disease – Alzheimer’s.

As you can see, stress is serious business.  It is a major factor in our overall wellbeing and lifespan.  The reality is that we are likely to feel some type of stress daily.  The key is to lessen its impact through complete removal or deliberate constant management. In the next segment we will look more closely at specific ways to eliminate or mange stress and begin to “heal ourselves.”

Heather Emory holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and teaches in the Behavioral Science Division at Hinds Community College.