Constant kindness can make us sick, and women suffer more than men, says the therapist.
“Very good people” tend to develop autoimmune diseases, when the immune system attacks the body instead of protecting it, due to the “character trait” of selflessness. The doctor stated that women are more likely to get hurt because they suppress their anger and need to be accommodating.
A healthy immune system protects the body from disease and infection.
“But if the immune system fails, it mistakenly attacks healthy cells, tissues and organs. These attacks, called autoimmune diseases, can affect any part of the body, weakening physical functions and even threatening life,” says the doctor- therapist Irina Andreeva especially for MedikForum.
Acceptance of a “socially defined role” in putting others before oneself and repressing anger leads to the unconscious emergence of stress, and this “invites” to illness. Of the millions of people who suffer from autoimmune diseases, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disease, four-fifths are women.
This speaks to mental health issues as well as the physical effects of stress and injury.
>There are certain inevitable patterns in people with chronic diseases. The patterns included the suppression of healthy anger.
“These are very nice people. They always give, always close to everyone except themselves. Certain personality traits put people at risk of chronic diseases. Others put people's emotional needs ahead of themselves, suppressed healthy anger, believed they were responsible for other people's feelings, and never disappointed anyone. These patterns lead to disease. When you identify with your social role and responsibilities rather than with your own needs, you create stress for yourself. These patterns are not conscious, deliberate, criminal. These are reactions to trauma.”
Once they are ingrained in the personality, they cause disease due to the stress they cause. This explains why mostly women suffer from autoimmune diseases.
Poverty
Childhood poverty is associated with rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood. The researchers also found an association between lower socioeconomic status in childhood and rheumatoid arthritis in adulthood. The effect of lower childhood socioeconomic status and lower adult education was equal to the combined effect of smoking in both paternal and personal history.
How to manage the condition
- Get regular physical activity. Talk to your doctor about the types of physical activity you can do. A gradual and gentle exercise program often helps people with long-term muscle and joint pain.
- Get enough rest. Rest gives your body tissues and joints the time they need to recover. Sleep is a great way to help your body and mind. If you don't get enough sleep, your stress levels and symptoms may worsen. You also can't fight illness when you don't sleep well. When you are well rested, you can better deal with your problems and reduce your risk of illness.
- Reduce stress. Stress and anxiety can exacerbate the symptoms of some autoimmune diseases. Therefore, finding ways to simplify your life and cope with daily stressors will help you feel better.
MedicalForum has previously written about trans fats in meat and dairy products.
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Important! Information provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, consult a doctor.