2023-11-19 23:40:00
It is not easy to let go of resentment, forgive and accept situations with which one does not agree. Much less is it to navigate the murky waters of negative feelings. However, delving into them and understanding the intimate connection between the mind, emotions and body is essential to achieving the highest level of personal well-being.
Why channel and reflect on negativity? Because resentment and anger tend to become destabilizing agents that mainly affect one of the most precious assets that people have: the brain.
Likewise, they reign in everyday life: in an argument with a partner, with a family member or friend; when witnessing, seeing or hearing injustices; or by the mere memory of past situations. “Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die,” is a popular phrase attributed to Gautama Buddha.
The majority of those who experience and normalize these negative emotions tend to cling to it and, consequently, end up sinking in a puddle of resentment and discomfort. The longer they choose to stay in the pool, the more bitter they become.
“Bread for today, hunger for tomorrow”
From the University of New Hampshire in the United States they explain that, initially, resentment can help a person feel more comfortable in the face of pain since this feeling acts as a shield against the true source of anger. The educational institution considers that acting like this is a way to avoid responsibility because it makes you think you are in control. However, behind the scenes what emerges instead is a complex variety of emotions that provide a false sense of security by feeling completely vulnerable.
Ramiro Fernández Castaño, a doctor specializing in cognitive neurology and sleep medicine, agrees with what has been mentioned and states that excessive exposure to anger and resentment can modify the way the brain behaves. Furthermore, he highlights that this occurs especially if both negative feelings are repetitive since childhood, a stage in which the brain develops the most.
“A child who is exposed to stressful situations from an early age is likely to be an insecure or hypochondriac person when he grows up and will see things catastrophically in any situation,” says the doctor.
A study published in the International Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research ensures that the aforementioned emotions have negative consequences on a physical level. “These emotions, trapped inside us, keep us reliving anger and negative memories. The internal stress of this emotional repression can lead to depression, anxiety, reduced immune function, fatigue, hypertension, chest pain, obesity, psoriasis and chronic pain,” the report details.
“People who remain stuck in a negative mentality are unintentionally promoting neuronal death, while those who choose to focus on the positive generate new neurons from brain stem cells,” adds Jackie Delger, neuropsychoeducator and Life & Business. Coach. “Living in a chronic state of tension deactivates the body’s repair mechanisms, which increases inflammation and the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body,” states the North American health services company, Piedmont. According to the institution, forgiveness activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the immune system function more efficiently and leaves room for hormones that produce well-being, such as serotonin and oxytocin.
The loss of self-control leads the person to think that their anger is justified and that the only way to solve the problem is their way or no other way. (Shutterstock)
“The brain doesn’t know what is real and what is imagined,” says Piedmont psychologist Angela Buttimer. “When you replay an experience from six months ago in your mind, your body reacts as if it were having the same experience over and over again,” she adds.
Fernández Castaño explains that when cortisol rises, the limbic system is activated – a set of interconnected structures that mediate emotions, learning and memory – and in response to this process the heart beats stronger, bleeds more to the muscles and more oxygen enters. to the lungs. “When it happens chronically every day, the limbic system works harder and, in any situation, it is on the verge of reacting or perceiving danger,” he adds. He subsequently reports that it not only brings cardiovascular problems but also metabolic problems since, with more cortisol, blood pressure and cholesterol increase.
In addition to this, John Hopkins Hospital highlights that people who hold grudges are more likely to experience severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as other health conditions. Although there is a light at the end of the tunnel, professionals assure that this can be trained so as not to have harmful effects on health.
Studies show that the act of forgiveness can generate enormous health benefits such as: reducing the risk of suffering a heart attack; improve cholesterol levels and sleep; and reduce pain, blood pressure and levels of anxiety, depression and stress.
If you want to learn to cope with anger and prevent it from being encapsulated in the body, a survey carried out by the Australian Ministry of Health advises:
♦ If you feel out of control, you should temporarily remove yourself from the situation until you feel calmer.
♦ Recognize and accept emotion as normal and part of life.
♦ Try to identify the reasons why you feel angry.
♦Carry out a physical activity, such as going for a run or playing sports.
♦Talk to someone you trust about how you feel.
As Delger develops, thanks to advances in science there is the certainty that through different techniques one can reprogram oneself, rewire the brain with new beliefs and thus expand one’s personal world of possibilities.
Dr. Fernández Castaño agrees and adds: “Brain circuits can be modified for the better through constant meditation or mindfulness practices, which are scientifically proven to untangle circuits related to stress.”
Ultimately, Delger explains that a thought triggers an emotion and this in turn triggers another thought at the same frequency, which generates a level of frequency and associated mood. “Through techniques such as visualization, meditation, releasing trapped emotions, reprogramming the unconscious, among others, we can have access to the command and programming center of our life,” he concludes.
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