The anatomical link between the body and the mind has an interesting history going back to the 17th century. This history is important because it set the stage on how we approach the two today. Up until that time, the body and mind was considered one inseparable unit. Our understanding of physiology was only in its infancy. History shows that Descartes, the philosopher/scientist, decided to pursue the study of metaphysics. At that point he and the powerful Roman Catholic Church made a pact: As a man of science, Descartes would restrict himself to the study of human anatomy and the physical, leaving the mind and soul to the care of the church.
From that time on, studies of mind and body have for the most part remained two distinct and separate fields. Scientists endeavored to stay within the realm of the observable and strictly quantifiable. The body is broken down into components, and the pieces concerning the mind's function are disregarded as important. Since the mid-twentieth century, the physical specialties of western medicine have moved increasingly father away from the idea that the brain can bring about physical alternation to the body and that mind-body disorder exists. The concept of evidenced-based medicine is a recent evolution extrapolating from this thesis. Meanwhile, those in religious life lifted thought, reason, and emotion out of the body, into the realm of the spiritual.
Interestingly, this bifurcation hypothesis of splitting a human being into two distinct and unrelated units is not proven to have significant scientific standing, though modern medicine has accepted its premise on face value without a philosophical debate or question on the foundational basis of this thesis. Modern medicine is so engrossed in the pre-occupation of physical medicine and the anatomical slicing of the body into pieces that any venture into the mind's influence is considered quackery. It's all in your mind is a common conclusion when conventional medicine fails to provide the answers as patients are sent home to self-navigate.
Fortunately, eastern medicine has never forgotten that the body is indeed one whole and cannot be separated. Holistic practice has not changed significantly over centuries, and is now becoming validated following centuries of languishes. Recent neuroscience and research concur. It has provided irrefutable data that our minds and bodies are indeed well connected and intertwined. Our grandmothers knew all along that our mind and body was connected, even if the scientific community didn't. Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon investigated deaths by voodoo in the 1940s and concluded that humans could indeed die from "the fatal power of the imagination working through unmitigated terror". The mind isn't restricted to curing, fortunately. It can kill as well as heal.
In the 1970s, documented evidence of a physiological link between the mind and body was firmly established. The earliest research focuses on those whose psychological wellbeing matters most in their physical health, and this involves those requiring organ transplants for survival. It was repeatedly demonstrated that organ transplant recipients that survive the longest tend to be those with the strongest will for survival, so much so that candidates routinely undergo psychological testing to evaluate their will to live as part of the recipient selection process. Since then, many studies have shown similar conclusions being applicable to cancer and other terminal illness. Clearly, the mind's role, though not clearly understood or defined in full, cannot be ignored and cast aside.
Continued recent advances in neuroscience continue to confirm this. However, one does not need to be a neuroscientist in order to appreciate the mind-body connection in everyday life. It is all around us. Imagine biting into a chilled pickle. Most people will immediately experience increased salivation as an automated response. This is a simple demonstration of how strong the mind and body is connected. The very thought of the chilled pickle triggers a cascade of chemical messengers released by the brain that reaches the target organ in the mouth within seconds. Imagine taking a deep breath when under stress and feel the calm return. Imagine yourself in a scene of peace and calm to help you fall asleep. Imagine having butterflies in your stomach when you are nervous. These are simple reminders of how many of our daily activities already use this mind-body connection to our advantage, even modern conventional medicine have largely ignored.
Clearly, the state of our mental health counts. As it declines, physical health can wear down. The converse is also true. If your physical health declines, it can make you feel mentally down.
For years, the mind-body connection was clear, but the central question of just how they were connected remained unanswered. Advancement in orthomolecular medicine and cellular biology provides the answers. The mind-body connection can now be put in the context of evidenced-based physiology in many situations. Take the immune system for example. To provide irrefutable proof of the mind-body connection here, researchers has found receptors on the surface of immune system cells that act as keyholes to accept chemical neurotransmitters released by the nervous system and the brain. Hormones mediated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are a major transporter of messengers in this mind-body highway. In addition, researchers have identified new neurotransmitters that will talk to immune system cells. A stimulus such as emotional stress can trigger the release of a variety of chemicals, which then tell the immune system cells at a distant organ what actions to take. Much of the chemical messengers, including adrenaline and norepinephrine are mediated through various branches of the ANS throughout the day. Clear evidence that the brain has the ability to send signals to immune system cells and thus control the immune system as well is established. That is one reason why people under stress and mentally strained are more emotionally fragile and tend to fall sick more frequently.
The reverse also occurs: Chemicals released by immune system cells have an effect on the brain. The body's super highway of communication and influence is a two-way street with multiple connection points to various other organs. It is a virtual network of servers, transmitters, nodes, and receptors.
In addition to basic science research, clinical psychological studies also show that the mind and body are strongly linked. A positive mental outlook can help keep you healthy. Consider the following:
The current divisions and boundaries of the mind and body are simply matters of our thought's artificial construction due to social circumstances three centuries ago. The body has not changed. The mind and body is indeed part of the same whole, as the head and tail of a coin are not separate, but differential points of the same coin. The mind and body are thoroughly entwined and inseparable.
As our understanding of how the mind controls the body is increasing exponentially with research, illnesses that have always been defined by the system they belong to anatomically must now be looked at from multiple angles concurrently. A complete clinical picture needs to incorporate not only the direct physical pathology but also the less obvious but nevertheless just as important mental component. This is the most comprehensive way to look at each condition. The reason is simple; the universe appears to be essentially inseparable whereby everything interpenetrates everything else.
The failure of modern medicine to recognize this is grave. Patients suffer because of incomplete and mistaken diagnosis. The social and economic cost of failure to understand or accept the mind-body connection is therefore very serious indeed.
The emerging field of mind-body medicine (also called psychosomatic medicine) focuses greatly on the unified concept of mind and body. It specially refers to physical disorders that may appear to be purely physical, but which have their origins in unconscious emotions. Hundreds of conditions fall within this realm. To fully appreciate this connection, the mind-body physicians have to have a thorough knowledge of psychoneuroimmunology, psychneuroendochrinology and psychogenics in addition to traditional medicine.
In mind-body medicine, the thesis is that the mind contains the root cause of the physical distress. The mind has the ability to make decisions of which it is unaware, and symptoms are part of that picture. Unfortunately, the social stigma of acknowledging a psychosomatic diagnosis is high and research shows that ninety percent of the general population is unwilling to acknowledge its presence. Yet, its widespread prevalence cannot be denied. The implication that it's all in your mind is almost insulting to most because we equate that only to someone committed to a mental institution. This is most unfortunate, since the symptoms are very real, the result of a very physical process. Skepticism of mind-body therapy is strongly reinforced by conventional medicine. Patients who are not mentally ill are labeled as such. They are abandoned and left to self navigate. Prescription psychometric medications including anti-depressants are dispensed to justify such diagnosis. Those not improving are eventually referred to psychiatrists for further medication adjustments. The preference is for a quick fix with prescription drugs to suppress symptoms rather than dealing with the root cause of the mental dysfunction and their associated physical expression.
Mind-body disorders range from mildly bothersome pain of the back to cancer. The recognition in conventional medicine of this is sorely missing, despite the nearly universal prevalence of such disorders. Focus is placed on the symptoms rather than at the cause, leading to a skewed frame of reference and thus wrong diagnosis. Let us look at the underlying patho-physiology of how the brain works in more detail.
Our brain can be broadly divided into our conscious and unconscious mind. They work together. Think of an iceberg floating in water. The conscious mind is what we see and notice above the surface while the unconscious mind, the largest and most powerful part, remains unseen below the surface well below water.
The conscious mind is what we refer to as my mind. It's associated with what we learn as we grow up-thinking, analyzing and making judgments and decisions. The unconscious mind holds all awareness that is not presently in the conscious mind going back to our childhood-all memories, feelings and thoughts that are out of conscious awareness are by definition unconscious or subconscious. We use our unconscious mind all the time without noticing it. In driving, for example, our unconscious mind keeps us alert and helps us react every minute we are driving without much effort once the skills of the conscious mind are learned.
Our intuition and insight comes from the unconscious mind. When the conscious mind stops working and goes to sleep, our unconscious mind continues. To appreciate the importance of the unconscious mind, think of how often one fails to immediately solve a given problem only to have a sudden flash of insight in the middle of the night while sleeping. That is the unconscious mind working.
The unconscious mind can be injured or traumatized, especially during childhood. Common traumas include sexual and physical abuse. Resulting personality traits from such early childhood trauma that carries into adulthood includes dysfunctional behaviors such as obsessive compulsive, aggressive, dependency, childishness, capacity for savage behavior, intense, and perfectionist character. These dysfunctional traits are often overlooked and suppressed, as we become adults because it is socially unacceptable to release such discontent from within that arises out of an injured unconscious mind early on in our life. Unfortunately, such suppression only makes things worse as repressed feelings can turn into anger and rage that can wreck havoc internally over time
A deeply injured unconscious mind is not able to mend itself. Injuries can become cumulative over time. They continue to rest unhappily within our unconscious mind. Like a cancer, this discontent grows, slowly but surely. It does not go away until consciously acknowledged and dealt with properly. Imbalanced personality traits such as those mentioned above become a compensatory and defensive mechanism to cover up the injured unconscious mind. As time goes on, physical symptoms can surface as the body decompensates with additional stress or age. This is when mind-body disorders become fully integrated. Patients will present with physical symptoms such as pain of unknown origin when the underlying root cause has a strong mental cause or association. Physicians not alerted to this mental component will be easily misled by treating the physical symptoms without healing the mind. The result can be devastating.
Physical disorders that are directly induced by unconscious emotions include: Tension Myositis (TMS), fibromyalgia, non repetitive action triggered carpal tunnel syndrome, gastric reflux, IBS, non-bacterial caused gastric ulcers, skin disorders, esophageal spasms, hiatus hernia, allergic phenomena (e.g. allergic reactions triggered by allergens such as pollen but the immune system is weak by direction of the unconscious mind), rhinitis, asthma, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, skin problems such as eczema, hives, angioedema, acne, psoriasis, spastic colitis, tension headache, migraine headache, sexual dysfunction, tinnitus and allergies. Disorders in which unconscious mind plays an important but not the only role in causation includes autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, certain heart arrhythmias and cancer.
It is very important to understand that in mind-body disorders, symptoms of pain are meant to be protective distractions. Pain, anxiety and depression are not symptomatic of the underlying illness or disease, although that may appear so on the surface. They are all part of a normal reaction to the frightened unconscious, which is not allowed to surface and be recognized.
Researchers in mind-body medicine embrace the thesis that symptoms can be a manifestation of the struggle between the conscious and the unconscious mind. According to some, pain is merely a strategy of avoidance advanced by the mind to distract us from dealing with the many unresolved dysfunctions at the unconscious level. Such unconscious dysfunction can include pain, rage, anger, and long standing disappointment accumulating from events in early childhood. Perhaps it is far easier for the body to deal with pain than the deep-rooted hurt within. This is especially so when it is socially not acceptable. Recognizing this is an important milestone in mind-body condition recovery because these conditions can often improve greatly once the dysfunction within is recognized. Specifically, symptoms of pain of unknown origin often subside drastically once the anger and rage within is acknowledged. Those with TMS, for example, often report a reduction in pain by simply writing down their discomfort at the onset of pain. This is an amazing testament to the healing power of letting the suppressed voice of the unconscious be heard. Once acknowledged, the need for pain as a tool to divert our attention away from the unconscious hurt cease to be productive, and pain symptoms no longer serve a purpose. Pain spontaneously subsides and improves greatly. Deep-seated psychological issues, however, will require mind-body coaching in addition to psychotherapy for maximum healing.
The association between Adrenal Fatigue and Mind-body conditions is more than casual. Common symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue include reduction of energy, muscle and joint pain of unknown origin, heart palpitations, IBS, depression, anxiety, insomnia, hypoglycemia, low blood pressure, low immune system function, multiple chemical sensitivity, low metabolic rate, and poor GI assimilation. Those in Stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue are particularly vulnerable to suffer the additional symptoms such as anxiety, depression, myositis, neuropathy, gastric ulcer, internal symbiosis, and low immune function. This later group of symptoms is similar to those commonly found in mind-body conditions previously mentioned. Is there a connection between Adrenal Fatigue and the mind? The answer based on clinical observation is resoundingly yes. This is particularly evident in those in advanced stages.
Whether Adrenal Fatigue is the end-result of a dysfunctional mind, or that mental imbalance is caused by Adrenal Fatigue remains to be determined. It is likely to be multi-factorial. What is clear is that the adrenals and the mind are closely connected. Neurotransmitters, chemical messengers, and hormones of the autonomic nervous system are highly involved.
Let us look at a typical scenario clinically. Advanced Adrenal Fatigue sufferers commonly complain of muscle pain of unknown origin, similar to fibromyalgia and myositis type pain. There are multiple pathways leading to the same symptoms. Myositis can be the result of the body's entrance into a catabolic state during Adrenal Fatigue, mediated by cortisol. The breakdown of muscle and the lack of timely repair and rebuild leads to pain when muscles are palpitated or stretched as the overall muscle mass is reduced. Myositis can also be due to a low metabolic state, whereby normal chemical metabolites unable to clear out of the body promptly are deposited in joints and muscles. There they act as an inflammatory agent. Lastly, myositis can also be due to mind-body disorders as tension increases. Those with advanced Adrenal Fatigue often have all three causes intertwined with each other, which is not easy to separate.
The clinical picture can be more convoluted once we factor in other secondary symptoms. For example, myositis is often very painful. This pain in turn can contribute and worsen depression and insomnia, both of which can be symptoms of common mind-body disorders. As insomnia sets in, the sleep pattern is disturbed, leading to reduced energy during the day as the body fails to receive the proper amount of rest during the night to recharge itself. This reduced daytime energy often leads to inability to maintain full time employment. Negative financial consequences may ensue which puts further stress on to an already compromised body, increasing anxiety, anger, rage, and loss of self confidence. This viscous decompensatory cycle of cascading pain and reduced daily activity presents as a convoluted picture of multi-system dysfunction defying conventional medical logic unless one takes a step back and really looks at the overall state of what the body is going through.
In Adrenal Fatigue especially, the common wisdom is to point much of the dysfunction at cortisol. Cortisol imbalance is blamed for many Adrenal Fatigue symptoms, and rightfully so in many cases. Its wide-ranging negative effect in various systems of the body cannot be discounted when optimum level is not maintained on an on-going basis by the adrenal glands. However, many situations exist where cortisol alone cannot be held totally responsible for all symptoms presented. In order words, cortisol itself is not the absolute answer. Some can have normal cortisol levels and still present with symptoms consistent with Adrenal Fatigue. Those who fail to improve over time and have refractory and long standing adrenal weakness where the body's recovery process is retarded or delayed for lack of good reason must be particularly on the alert. For these specific situations, other organ system dysfunctions, including infection, metal toxicity, and mind-body imbalance must be considered.
To complicate matters further, unresolved anger and rage are the most common underlying traits associated with mind-body conditions. Many with advanced Adrenal Fatigue harbor long-standing anger and thus have similar root issues. The anger could be from a variety of sources, including lack of conventional medicine's acknowledgement of what they are going through, failure of improvement over time, and financial stress from inability to work. They could also be harboring anger and rage from a traumatic emotional injury to the unconscious mind in childhood as well. It is almost impossible to clearly separate the entire emotional state of mind into components as they are all intertwined. Surely, any reduction of anger and rage will help the adrenal's healing process, regardless of the root cause. The question is how, and for that, we need to look at the physiology of how the mind and body are connected.
The primary physical conduit between the unconscious mind and the body largely rest with the autonomic nervous system (ANS). A thorough understanding of how the ANS works therefore forms the foundational platform from which we can facilitate the healing process both in Adrenal Fatigue as well as mind-body disorders.
The nervous system of the body is divided into the central (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system. This peripheral system is in turn divided into two parts: the somatic nervous system that regulates skeletal muscle functions which help us deal with the outside world and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that regulates functions of the smooth muscles and glands within the body for proper inner world workings. The ANS is further divided into the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and the adrenomedullary hormonal system (AHS). The PNS regulates the vegetative processes such as urination and digestive function. Dysfunction of the PNS leads to a wide variety of illnesses including abnormal gastric acid secretion, reduced gut motion, erectile dysfunction, and loss of urinary control and bowel movement irregularities. The sympathetic nervous system regulates the unconscious housekeeping functions of the body, including blood pressure, body temperature, force of heartbeat, and heart rate. The sympathetic adrenergic system regulates the emergency and distress functions such as those responsible for the body's fight or flight responses and has properties similar to the sympathetic nervous system, plus more. It is also activated in fainting, shock, extreme fear, hypoglycemia, and low body temperature. The other parts of the ANS include the enteric nervous system (ENS), which regulates enteric functions and the sympathetic cholinergic system (SCS) that regulates sweating. The combination of AHS and SNS constitutes the sympathoadrenal system (SAS). Maintaining a normal balance of the SAS within the ANS is vital to optimal body function and homeostasis. This is of particular importance in the case of Adrenal Exhaustion (Stage 3 Adrenal Fatigue) because it is the dysregulation of the messengers of these two systems, namely adrenaline (also called epinephrine) in the case of AHS and norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline) in the case of SNS, that is the hallmark of Phase C Adrenal Exhaustion symptoms.It is also at this stage of Adrenal Fatigue that we see the most prominent display of psychological expressions of the unconscious mind such as irritability, anxiety, and depression.
Adrenaline is a hormone that is stimulatory in nature. Symptoms of excessive adrenaline include heart palpitation, irritability and anxiety. Less common symptoms are dizziness, cold sweats, brain fog, peripheral neuropathy, and orthostatic hypotension.
In addition to possible adrenaline overload in advanced Adrenal Fatigue, those with weak adrenals may have a reduced capacity to clear excessive unwanted adrenaline and its metabolites from the body, leading to the toxic build-up of metabolites and manifestation of symptoms such as fatigue, jitteriness, muscle pain, joint pain, nervousness, brain fog, anxiety, insomnia, and gastric upset. These are also physical symptoms of common mind-body disorders such as Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) and Irritable Bowl Syndrome. The weaker the adrenals, the more prevalent these symptoms are.
Over stimulation of the SAS with resulting adrenaline and norepinephrine overload in the context of Adrenal Fatigue are usually a compensatory reaction of the ANS that is triggered by stress and causes the SAS to be activated and put into overdrive. This physiological pathway is largely controlled by the unconscious mind.
The resulting cascade of automated responses is called Reactive Sympathoadrenal Response (RSR). In short, the body is bathed in a sea of adrenaline and norepinephrine. RSR comprises a myriad of symptoms such as clinical or sub-clinical orthostatic intolerance, fragile blood pressure, inability to stand for a long time, lightheadedness, spaciness, tachycardia, CVD, irregular heart rate, temperature intolerance, body fluid and electrolyte imbalance, sweating, fainting, POTS, loss of bowel and urination control, sense of impending doom, anxiety, and dizziness. Some of these symptoms are due to excessive amounts of adrenaline and norepinephrine while others are due to imbalances between adrenaline and norepinephrine (also called sympathoadrenal imbalance). Clearly, the role played by the ANS in connecting the mind and the body is critical.
Regardless of whether there is a mind-body component to Adrenal Fatigue, maintaining proper mind-body balance in Adrenal Fatigue is important for recovery. The key is to reduce sympathetic tone and increase parasympathetic tone, bearing in mind the following:
A variety of calming and empowering mind-body modalities have been proven successful to help rebalance the mind-body state, resulting in a more balanced body with less adrenaline release. The following is the result:
The following are three clinically proven exercises used to restore mind-body balance and help reduce Adrenal Fatigue.
Adrenal Breathing Exercise using the diaphragm helps to restore adrenal health by enhancing parasympathetic tone, improving lymphatic circulation and clearing up toxic metabolites. It reduces sympathetic overtone and reconnects the mind to the body in harmonious fashion. The activity also improves vital capacity, supports healthy ANS balance, improves tissue oxygen saturation, and effects gentle rhythmic massage on the GI track and internal organs including the adrenals, and optimizes musculo-skeletal tone. It is one of the easiest and most effective exercises anyone with Adrenal Fatigue can do at anytime and anyplace to support adrenal recovery.
In adrenal breathing, the goal is to reduce sympathetic tone. All sympathetically driven and oriented breathing techniques such as holding ones breath as well as deep breathing should therefore be restricted and not be deployed until the adrenals are well healed. The pattern of breathing is calm, rhythmic, and smooth. Breathing programs that do not consider this may cause Adrenal Fatigue to worsen.
Adrenal Breathing Exercise takes as little as a few minutes to complete and can be done anywhere at any time. No equipment is necessary. The exact program varies from person to person. The frequency and intensity depends highly on the stage of Adrenal Fatigue. Because the wrong inhale and exhale intensity can trigger an adrenal crash, this exercise should be done under professional guidance.
Adrenal Restorative Exercise is a set of specially designed exercises to promote deep and active relaxation. Utilizing established restorative yoga poses and adapting to enhance adrenal function, it focuses on a key aspect of Adrenal Fatigue-repairing the mind-body connection and restoring nervous system homeostasis.
Adrenal Restorative Exercise is not like regular exercise, where you focus on stretching and strengthening. For those in Adrenal Fatigue, this approach will leave you feeling physically strained and exhausted. In some, this will trigger an adrenal crash. Adrenal Restorative Exercise is different! This approach is specifically designed to help people with Adrenal Fatigue; for whom even gentle stretching is too active and for those who need to restore their health and find balance again in their lives. People who have had injuries, surgery or prolonged physical conditions such as high blood pressure will also find Adrenal Restorative Exercise a breakthrough experience. It is a special form of therapeutic exercise with a focus on healing.
Adrenal Restorative Exercise focuses on being, connecting the mind and body, allowing signals from the mind and body to reconnect in a restorative and nurturing mode. The ANS responds to such modulation well. These exercises rely on a customized sequence of specially designed postures in which your body is comfortably supported. This allows your joints to be open, and muscles to utterly relax and melt into place instead of stretching and straining into position. Blood flow to the adrenals is increased, and the nervous system switches to calmness and a deep inner mode of healing.
Adrenal Yoga takes the best of traditional yoga and modifies it to suit those with Adrenal Fatigue. For example, certain stretching and strengthening exercises known as asana are removed, because they can stimulate the SNS. Gone are certain breathing techniques known as pranayama that can trigger a release of adrenaline. Posture and lung capacity are improved as is bowel function, muscle tone, lymphatic draining, and the function of the immune system. Gradually one feels more balanced and the body is better able to endure stress of daily living. Adrenal Yoga then, is about restoring internal balance, and with balance, internal control. It is not about physical flexibility, as many with Adrenal Fatigue are already quite flexible. It is not about increasing strength only, though that is an important side benefit. Many are strong and still suffer from Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal Yoga is able to transform liabilities such as fear, inability to relax, low energy, anxiety, and depression into strength, giving the person exercising more control and a more balanced feeling.
Adrenal Yoga is a special form of therapeutic yoga that is gently nurturing by design. It places heavy emphasis on body awareness; rhythmic adrenal breathing that is non-stimulatory, proper postural alignment, and movements that tone muscles. Mind-body balance is restored, as adrenal function improves. Special attention is placed on slow and relaxed motions that are suitable for all, including those that are in advanced adrenal failure and possibly close to being bedridden.
The following are other therapies that can be considered as additional modalities:
The concept of the body being split into two components is outdated. The many mind and body connections are now proven. The mental and the physical are simply differing aspects of the larger whole. The mental and physical planes of any human all penetrate and overlap one another. An impact in one plane has immeasurable affect on the other. This is particularly true of those suffering from advanced Adrenal Fatigue, where symptoms of common mind-body dysfunction such as pain, gastric ulcer, skin allergies, low immune system, anxiety, and depression are also present. Many of the physiological connections between the mind and body rest with the ANS. It comes as no surprise that those with advanced Adrenal Fatigue often present with dysregulated ANS concurrently, with a primary sympathetic system overtone and high level of adrenaline.
The key in restoring the proper mind-body balance rests with increasing parasympathetic tone and reduced sympathetic tone from a physiological perspective. Adrenal Breathing, Adrenal Restorative, and Adrenal Yoga exercises are all excellent tools and thus facilitate Adrenal Fatigue recovery.
