12 Types Of Pain That Are Directly Linked To Emotional States

 

How much do emotions affect chronic pain? According to Dr. Susan Babel, a psychologist that specializes in trauma-induced depression, quite a bit.

She states, “Studies have shown that chronic pain might not only be caused by physical injury but also by stress and emotional issues.” Also, “Physical pain functions to warn a person that there is still emotional work to be done.” (Psychology Today)

 

So what does the chronic pain one feels say about his or her emotional state?
Let’s take a look!

Head

Headaches or migraines can be brought on by the stress of day to day life. If one gets chronic headaches, they need to take some time for themselves. Not just once, but daily. Relieving the body of stress may help to ease any head pain.

Neck

Contrary to popular belief, neck pain does not mean kids are driving one crazy. Pain in the neck signifies the need to forgive. It may be forgiveness of another person or even forgiveness of one’s self. It is important to think about the things one loves about themselves and others to fight this pain.

Shoulders

Shoulder pain is a sign that one may be carrying a heavy emotional burden. Basically, they are shouldering everything. Try to think of ways to solve this emotional problem or share the load with trusted friends or family.

Upper Back

Lack of emotional support can manifest in upper back pain. Maybe one does not feel appreciated or they are holding back feelings of affection. If one is in a relationship, maybe have a discussion about feelings. If one is single, it might be time to branch out.

Lower Back

Lower back pain may signify someone has financial worries. Try to sit down and focus on managing money better or hire a financial planner. It might also be time to ask for that well deserved raise.

Elbows

Arm and elbow pain may mean a lack of flexibility. Maybe one is resisting the natural changes that are occurring in their lives. Try shaking things up and going with the flow. Trying to fight change only brings trouble.

Hands

A lack of friends or reaching out may cause pain in the hands. Try making new friends or going to lunch with work associates. Spend some time actively meeting new people.

Hips

Fear of moving, change, and waiting to make a big decision could all cause pain in the hips. Make the changes one needs and move if needed. Also, make a choice and stick with it!

Knees

Knee pain may mean that one thinks to highly of themselves. Spend some time volunteering and remember that all people are mortal. No one is free of imperfections.

Calves

Emotional tension, stress, or jealousy may be the cause of calf pain. It may be time to let go of any big stressors in one’s life or to dump the jealousy.

Ankles

Ankle pain may mean one needs more pleasure in his or her life. Take some time to pamper yourself or spice up your love life. Indulge a little bit!

Feet

Depression can lead to foot pain. Depression is hard to beat but there are some things one can do to fight back. Try a new hobby or adopt a pet. Find something that gives joy!

 

 

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12 Places Your Body Stores Stress and What They Reveal About Your Emotions

Millions of people suffer from chronic pain, without being aware that one of its main causes can be stress.  Latest studies show that people who struggle with anxiety and stress constrict their muscles, which causes fatigue and cramps, headaches and IBS.

Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences, and we all feel it from time to time, due to everyday responsibilities like work and family to serious life events like a new diagnosis, war, or the death of a loved one.

 

Stress can be beneficial for immediate, short-term situations, as it helps one to cope with potentially serious situations, by releasing hormones that increase heart and breathing rates and prepare the muscles to respond. However, chronic stress keeps the stress levels elevated, and this can take a toll on your health, causing various symptoms and affecting overall well-being. The muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when stressed, and when one relaxes, they release again.

Yet, they do not get the chance to relax in the case of chronic stress, and their tightness causes back and shoulder pain, headaches, and body aches. 

Moreover, Dr. Susanne Babel claims that studies have shown that the chronic pain can not only be triggered from physical injuries but it is also a result of emotional issues and stress. Often, physical pain is only a sign our body sends that there is still some emotional work left that must be done.

Therefore, the area where you experience pain might reveal your emotional status, so here are the 12 body parts pained by stress:

Head

Headaches are often a result of worrying about small things in life, and certain obstacles you face. Find a way to relax and not think about your everyday tasks and problems.

 

Neck

The pain in the neck is often linked to resentment or a grudge against you or others. Sometimes, it is too difficult to forgive, but find the strength to let go, in order to improve your own wellbeing.

Shoulders

You are probably indecisive, and the dilemma you face causes intense pressure. Find a person you can talk to, and even ask for advice, and you will find a solution easier.

Upper Back

In most cases, this pain is caused by the fear of love or a feeling of being unappreciated. Yet, communication is the best way to ask for support from your loved ones.

Lower Back

Pain in the lower back can be caused by the fear of loss or obsession with money. Remember, wealth is not the key to happiness, so try to find love and joy, and the profits will eventually come.

Elbows

Joint pain can be a result of illogical stubbornness. Try to let things happen in life, and do not resist to changes.

Hands

Pain in the hands is caused by loneliness. Try to go out more, meet new people, spend time in crowded places, and catch up with friends.

Hips

People who are afraid of change often develop hip pain. Life changes and you should go with the flow. Enjoy every single moment of it, since it can be a great adventure.

Knees

People with an inflated ego develop knee pain. Take a look at the world — it does not revolve around you. Show care for your loved ones, and be there when they need you.

Calves

Pain in the calves might indicate tension in the relationship, possessiveness, and jealousy. Learn to trust your friends and partner, relax and do not opt to control people. On the other hand, if someone forces you to lose yourself, it is time to move on alone. 

Ankles

Our busy and hectic lifestyles often force us to neglect our needs and stop chasing our dreams. Yet, you need to take proper care of yourself and do things that make you happy and help you accomplish your goals in life.

Feet

The pain in the feet usually appears in the case of apathy, or when someone believes that everything is going wrong. Just take your time and find beauty in your life. Smile more, do fun things, and enjoy life to the fullest.

The Virtual Medical Centre suggests the following techniques to lower your stress levels:

• Sharing problems with friends or family who are willing to listen will support you and suggest a solution
• Organize your time more effectively and establish priorities, learn to manage time and reduce extra stress while focusing on the most important things in your life
• Identify and change maladaptive ways of coping with stress, such as smoking
• Get involved in regular physical exercise and other healthy physical activities, and it will stimulate the release of chemicals in the brain (endorphins) that improve your mood
• Set short term goals to boost your self-esteem

 

6 Parts Of The Body That Store Stress and Can Tell a Lot About Your Emotions

Did you know that chronic pain can be caused by emotional issues and stress? Recent studies have shown that anxiety and stress can cause muscle pain, headaches, cramps and fatigue. The reality is that sometimes physical pain can be an indication that the person has a lot of emotions to solve.

Here are 6 specific body parts that can be hurting due to stress:
 
1. Neck

People with neck pain are full with anger. It’s very hard for them to forgive and let go. Just remember that not everyone wants to hurt you, even when you feel that way.
 
2. Upper back

People that experience pain in their upper back are full with fears. They often feel unappreciated, like they’re not getting enough support from their friends and family. Try to be more open and friendly with people around you and don’t hold back affection.
 
3. Lower back
The pain in the lower back can be caused by fear of loss and obsession with money. Money doesn’t buy happiness, so don’t stress yourself over it, or you might lose your health. Just do what you love and the profit will come.
 
4. Hands

Pain in the hands might indicate that you’re an introvert. You lack companions and you feel discomfort. Just come out of your shell! Solitude can only do damage to your health so try harder to make friends.
 
5. Knees

Inflated ego can cause pain in the knees. Remember to look around sometimes, because the world doesn’t turn around you. Pay more attention to your family and friends. Start giving more and we guarantee you’ll feel more fulfilled.
 
6. Feet

Pain in the feet might mean that you’re afraid of failures. Start paying more attention to life and start seeing the beauty in the small things. Smile more and try new things in life.

Different kinds of alcohol might make you feel different emotions

Humans have been buddies with booze for thousands of years. Some scientists believe this love affair goes back even further. The so-called drunken monkey hypothesis speculates that our ancestors possessed an unusual knack for consuming ethanol without keeling over dead, allowing them to access the sweet, sweet caloric payloads of rotting, fermenting fruit. But we’ve come a long way from merely tolerating overripe apples. These days, alcohol factors into our social interactions, our most cherished cultural ceremonies, countless classic poems, songs, paintings, and plays. And save for some occasions when we sip an elixir to fulfill a religious rite, we drink alcohol for one main reason: it makes us feel good.

But how exactly does it make us feel? According to a study published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal’s BMJ Open, different types of alcohol can actually inspire different emotional responses. Hard liquors made almost half of all participants feel “sexy,” for example, while more than half reported feeling relaxed when drinking red wine. Drinking spirits was far more likely to elicit feelings of aggression, illness, restlessness, and tearfulness than wine or beer.

“There is plenty of promotional material—through advertising, for instance—to promote the positive emotions people might look for from drinking,” says study co-author Alisha Davies, head of research and development at Public Health Wales. “But we thought it was also important to better understand the negative ones as well. If we are to help people make informed decisions about their drinking, they need to know the full picture of how alcohol affects moods and emotions.”

Davies and her colleagues also hoped to figure out who might be most susceptible to those emotional changes. Previous research has suggested that alcoholics might process emotions differently than those who aren’t addicted to alcohol. One study found male alcoholics to possess less empathy, and another seemed to show that alcoholics actually have decreased emotional processing in parts of the brain. The new study didn’t actually examine brain development and behavior, but figuring out how heavy drinkers relate to alcohol on an emotional level could give scientists key pieces of this puzzle.

Some of the study’s findings—which draw from around 30,000 individuals aged 18-34 who completed the Global Drug Survey, an online anonymous questionnaire promoted in 2015—aren’t exactly shocking. For example, 53 percent of respondents reported that red wine made them feel relaxed. There’s a physiological explanation for this; red wine contains high levels of melatonin, the hormone that tells our brains it’s time to go to bed. A solid 50 percent of subjects reported that beer relaxed them, but the carbohydrates therein also have a reputation for making folks drowsy. Only around 20 percent of drinkers said spirits had the same effect.

When it came to other positive emotions—feeling energized, confident, relaxed, and sexy—hard liquors really kicked the competition to the curb. Over 58 percent of responders reported feeling energized after a drink of spirits, 59 percent reported confidence, and 42 percent felt sexy. Beer proved to be the least sexy drink (bloat, anyone?) with just 19 percent of survey-takers reporting such an effect. But with 45 percent reporting a confidence boost, 25 percent feeling energized, and 50 percent enjoying a relaxing buzz, beer belly doesn’t sound too bad. Red and white wine both hovered around 28 percent and 25 percent for confidence and sexiness, respectively, but while 15 percent of white wine drinkers felt energized, only half as many red wine drinkers reported the same. And white wine had just a third of drinkers relaxed, compared to red wine’s half.

But spirits start to look less appealing when you consider the negative emotions they elicit. Davies and her team looked at reports of tiredness, aggressiveness, illness, restlessness, and tearfulness. While beer and red wine did indeed make subjects sleepy (39 percent and 60 percent, respectively) and red wine made 17 percent of drinkers feel teary, wine and beer otherwise got pretty low scores for these drawbacks.

Hard alcohol, on the other hand, apparently made nearly a third of drinkers feel aggressive (less than 7 percent of beer drinkers and 3 percent of wine drinkers reported the same) and at 48 percent, it made more than twice as many feel ill as any of the other forms of alcohol. 28 percent reported feeling restless after drinking hard liquor, compared to less than 10 percent for all other libations, and over 22 percent reported feeling tearful. Tell that to the next guy who makes a crack about ladies getting weepy over glasses of rosé.

But what does this all mean, and why should we care?

For starters, no one is sure exactly why the study subjects had these responses. With nothing but a filled-out questionnaire, scientists can only speculate. It’s possible that people are reacting to different, non-alcoholic components that go into these beverages (like the melatonin in red wine, for example) or even to substances in the liquid we tend to mix those beverages with. Different drinks also generally get drunk in different settings, and in different ways. If you usually drink wine with dinner (or sitting on the couch with a pint of ice cream, as the case may be), then of course you associate it with relaxation and sleepiness. Hard alcohol consumed quickly during a wild night out, especially with caffeine mixed in to keep revelers awake, is bound to have a more energizing, aggression-inducing response than a pint of beer. Without more data, there’s no way of knowing exactly why certain alcohol makes us feel a certain way.

That’s why Davies and her colleagues are more interested in figuring out how emotional effects differ from person to person. They believe this could help them to better understand what causes alcohol dependency, and how a cycle of excess alcohol consumption can affect the drinker. As of 2015, 6.2 percent of American adults (15.1 million individuals) had Alcohol Use Disorder, as did hundreds of thousands of adolescents. Globally, alcohol causes 3.3 million deaths a year, and 5 percent of cases of ill health and injury are directly attributed to alcohol consumption. But to keep alcohol from harming us, we need to understand why people seek it out.

“Increasing our understanding of how alcohol affects moods and emotions, and the complex emotive relationship we have with alcohol, helps to inform our approach to addressing factors which influence our decisions about drinking,” Davies says.

Women in the survey were more likely to associate all emotions with all types of alcohol while men were much more likely to feel aggressive. Young drinkers were more likely to feel sexy and energized when drinking outside of the home. And people categorized as heavy or dependent drinkers were five times more likely to feel energized after a drink than other survey participants.

But heavy drinkers were also six times as likely to experience aggression when drinking, and were also much more prone to imbibing drinks they associated with aggression and tearfulness.

To Davies and her colleagues, this suggests that people dependent on alcohol seek out the positive emotions they associate with particular drinks even knowing that they’ll pay the price of stronger negative emotions.

“Our findings suggest that especially people who are heavier drinkers may be expecting, or perhaps even relying, on certain drinks for energy and confidence. But heavier drinkers are also much more likely to report those negative emotions as well,” she says. “This risks a dangerous spiral where drinking may be seen as solution to some emotional problems which it is actually aggravating.”

In fact, the authors note in the paper, it’s possible that dependent drinkers are actually influenced by what they believe to be an understanding of their disease. If they’ve been taught that addicts use alcohol as a coping mechanism, rather than as the source of pleasure that more casual drinkers enjoy, they may be more willing to ignore feelings of sickness, sadness, and anger as a necessary side effect. Meanwhile, advertisers highlight the positive emotions associated with drinking, which may make individuals more likely to minimize the downsides when choosing to imbibe.

The researchers hope to use future studies to examine why people choose to consume specific drink types in different settings, how mood prior to drinking factors in, and the different effects of various alcohol in various volumes, combinations, and mixers. Eventually, they might collect enough data to figure out just which situations are most dangerous for dependent and would-be dependent drinkers, and how public health officials might cut down on alcohol-related injuries and death in more casual consumers.

“This study may also remind people that the emotions and moods they may be looking for from drinking may not always be the ones they get,” Davies says.

Feeling sad can prompt you to make choices that improve your life

Everyone feels sad sometimes, just like everyone can feel joyful, angry, proud and plenty of other emotions. In other words, everyone has feelings, and those feeling are always changing.

Sometimes we feel happy (such as when we’re having fun) and sometimes we feel sad (such as when we lose a loved one). Whatever the feeling, it is real and part of living. 

A negative emotion may even help you. Our world focuses on happiness and treats unhappiness as an unnecessary or useless feeling. But sadness can slow you down, and make you really think about your life, your feelings and the people around you. It can help you keep sight of your relationships and dreams. 

In other words, being sad doesn’t mean you are not coping with a situation. Rather, it helps you come to terms with that situation and move on. It is an important emotion that can help you adapt, accept, focus, persevere and grow.

And there’s more good news: you can learn to manage your sadness. 

About sadness

We use different words to talk about sadness: agony, anguish, broken heart, hurt, sorrow, dejection, dismay, homesickness, distress, unhappiness and more. All these emotions are a response to a negative situation.  

Sadness is also often a result of another feeling, such as anger, stress, guilt, grief, anxiety or hopelessness. Sometimes, the other feeling may be so strong that you don’t realise you are sad. 

So what does sadness feel like? It may change how you feel physically. Perhaps you have a stomach ache or a headache, or you can’t sleep. 

Sadness may also change how you feel emotionally. Perhaps you are teary, grumpy, bored or frustrated, or just keen to avoid other people. 

You may feel sad for many reasons

Life is full of situations that may make people feel sad:

• having trouble at home (for example, family fights or domestic violence)
• having trouble at school or work, or feeling pressure there 
• moving home
• losing a loved one or a friend
• being ill, or caring for someone who is ill
• experiencing chemical changes in your body (from puberty, drugs or medicines)
• experiencing changes in your thoughts (for example, developing an unhelpful thinking style such as being self-critical, or learning new information about subjects such as poverty or terrorism).

When you face these situations, you may have unhelpful or negative thoughts about your sadness. And those thoughts can make you feel worse. 

So, try a different approach: try to acknowledge your sadness and the situation that prompted it. And give yourself time to deal with any problems and feel better. You also may want to call on resources that could help you (such as friends and family, or a psychologist, or other health professional).

Sadness will ease

Feeling better can involve taking one step or many. It may happen quickly or over a long time. Just remember that emotions ebb and flow, and you can move through sadness to a more positive emotion.

First, acknowledge that you are feeling sad. Then, look at ways to deal with your sadness. You may want to try some of these tips:

• Be honest with yourself and the people around you. Talk to someone whom you trust.
• Seek help from a professional (a doctor, psychologist, or other health professional). You may need support, advice or a referral to a specialist.
• Think about whether your sleep and eating patterns are good for you.
• Help someone else. Just improving someone else’s life, or being part of a community, can lift your spirits.
• Find a creative way to express your sadness. Writing your thoughts in a diary, for example, may help you find a new perspective.
• Keep yourself safe. If you feel at risk of hurting yourself, let someone know immediately. 
• If a prescribed medication makes you feel down, let your doctor know. And talk to your doctor before taking any non-prescribed medications or complementary or alternative medicines.
• Do things that you enjoy and that are good for you. Find ways to make your life more pleasurable: listen to music, go for a walk, read a book, call a friend.
• Tackle one problem at a time. It doesn’t matter if you start with the biggest or smallest problem, just make a list and begin.
• Have confidence that things will improve. You need to trust that your sad feelings will lessen with time and effort.

Supporting someone else who is feeling sad 

Maybe you know someone else who is feeling sad. Being supportive isn't always easy, because it’s hard to know why someone is sad and how they are coping. 

Here are four basic tips:

• Ask the person if they are okay. Just checking shows you care.
• Listen without judging.
• If the person is reluctant to ask someone for help (such as a school counsellor, a workplace HR representative or a doctor), you may be able to help by offering to go with them, finding the contact information for them to make the call, or even by finding them some helpful information from a trusted and credible source. 
• Reassure them that sadness is a valid emotion, and can be overcome.

For more ideas about how to support someone who is sad, read the tips from beyondblue.

Sadness is different from depression 

Feeling sad does not mean you have depression. But if your mood starts to interrupt your life and how you function, then you may have become depressed. 

Key differences between sadness and clinical depression relate to the cause for the change in mood and how long you have felt that way. 

If your mood relates to a recent event, such as a relationship breakup, then you may well be feeling sadness. But if that breakup was months ago, or you can see no clear reason for your change in mood, you could be depressed, and it might be helpful for you to chat to your GP about what’s causing you to feel the way you do.

Let’s look the differences between sadness and depression.

Sadness:

• is part of life’s regular ups and downs, but it is not constant
• is a common reaction to an upset or setback, and is usually not a cause for worry
• is interrupted by times of laughter and contentment
• is an emotion that can involve negative thoughts but does not usually involve suicidal thoughts.

Depression:

• is a longer term feeling (more than two weeks) of severe sadness and other symptoms. These symptoms may include sleeplessness, low energy, concentration problems, pessimism, loss of hope, suicidal thoughts and appetite issues.
• has complicated causes, which may involve genetic or biological components. Maybe the person has experienced a trauma or psychological stress
• can lead to significant weight change or sleep disruption.
• is mentally painful and can be life altering.
• beyondblue has a checklist for working out whether you have depression.

Remember…

• Everyone feels sad sometimes.
• You can learn to manage your sadness.
• Feeling sad does not mean you are experiencing depression
• If you have been feeling persistently sad for more than two weeks or you have lost interest in most of your usual activities, you might be depressed. In this case, it is important to seek help.

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