Is it possible to get physically sick over stress and anger?

Hi, Im new to the board I just wanted to know if you people can help me. A couple of years ago I was living thorugh some pretty bad times and I was under alot of stress. Later I became very angry at everyone, then one day I develop a constant cough it had gotten so worse that sometimes i would collapse to the floor not being able breath. I went to the doctor they said it wasn't asthma and that they couldn't find anything wrong with me.

stress can come out in a myriad of ways , some of which are detailed in this link, asthma or shortness of breath being amongst them.

www.helpguide.org...

I hope that things are going a bit better for you now

I read somewhere once that 88% of all illness people seek medical attention for is found to have it's root cause in emotions.

I know when I get upset, my stomach tightens and I can get a stomach ache.

Since stress can negatively affect our immune systems, that alone can make us susceptible to illness and disease.

Whenever there is an imbalance in our lives such as holding grudges and staying angry, or feeling resentful, etc., it eats away at us like a cancer.

When you look at things like how being embarassed can make you physically blush, or when frightened your pupils can dilate, it shows how closely our emotions are connected with our physical responses.

In heart patients, it is common for them to have experienced depression before they sought medical treatment.

Laughter and joy and happy feelings boost our immune systems.

It makes sense that negative emotions deplete us.

Yes, you absolutely can get sick because of stress. Anger is just a reaction to events and as you know it is easier to release when you are stressed.

I went through the last 7 years of bad events that ran its course and caused me to be stressed. I lost a lot of weight, made bad decisions and got sick more often than normal. It can weaken your immune system, enabling things as colds and the flu to hit you more often and harder. I still deal with it and the best thing to do is find every way to 'un-stress' yourself. If the stress is because of something you can control, by all means, fix it. Some things cannot be controlled and you need to find mental ways of dealing with them. Been there and done that - good luck and sympathies;

ben91069

Yes, it is definitely possible for stress to cause physical symptoms. Problems with my job over some time made me unable to sleep, I felt nauseated, lost weight and became highly strung and snappy. When I got a new job, within a month I was almost back to normal.
I think the official name for this is psychomatic illness, but don't quote me on that.

It is possible to get physically sick over emotional reasons.

One question though....

Do you smoke? And if thats a yes...do you smoke more when you are stressed? And if thats a yes...Quit....your persistent cough should stop....

I was stressed majorly a few years back and that led to stomach and intestinal problems, dehydration, and weight loss. I had to stay in the hospital for two days.

Originally posted by Ravenna
I think the official name for this is psychomatic illness, but don't quote me on that.

I just quoted you and you can't do anything about it!

psychosomatic disorder
Encyclop�dia Britannica Article

also called Psychophysiologic Disorder, condition in which psychological stresses adversely affect physiological (somatic) functioning to the point of distress. It is a condition of dysfunction or structural damage in bodily organs through inappropriate activation of the involuntary nervous system and the glands of internal secretion. Thus, the psychosomatic symptom emerges as a physiological�

Originally posted by Jonna
I just quoted you and you can't do anything about it!

I'll let you off this one time because I'm feeling nice

[Edited on 23-11-2004 by Ravenna]

I believe that the way we think, we manifest physically into our bodies.

For example, someone who is overweight is insulating their bodies with fat. Keeps the cold out etc... I believe you will find that this person is also 'insulating' their emotions, trying to hide. It manifests into reality.

Someone with Diabetes cannot get the sugar into the cells, and stays in the blood stream. This probably means that they cannot get the sweetness into their life, they see, but cannot get.

I have both these conditions, and to answer the original poster, yes, stress definately causes a physical reaction. I know this seems like a silly idea, but visualise the colour Ice Blue around the throat area, hold that thought for around 30 seconds, then see how it feels.

All the best

Yes, I agree with most of the answers here, I think our mind can (and is) influencing matters, and in this case, our body and physical health.

One of the best example I've seen lately for my-self (maybe not the best example, but u get the idea), since I've started depressing this summer, my physical health took a long shot down. I've stopped working out, gained fat around the waist and now I have those weird internal pain, that I can't explain, even more often then before.

[Edited on 29-11-2004 by m0rbid]