EMOTIONS AFFECT ALLERGIES

It has been recognized that food and chemical sensitivities can play a role in the way we think, act, and behave. Often people with behavioral problems are referred to psychiatrists, who rarely ask about dietary habits. Many types of mental disorders have been shown to result from brain malfunctions due to food and chemical allergies. Symptoms such as depression, headache, hyperactivity, and others can be induced by specific foods or chemicals and the symptoms can be stopped by eliminating the substance. One can see how these reactions and symptoms can lead to violence, since depression and suicidal tendencies are forms of internalized violence. If the symptoms are overlooked in a child, they can lead to criminal behavior later in life.

The symptoms of allergic reactions are so varied that it is impossible to list them. Each of us will react differently to our environment, food and emotions, and the way that we manifest our reactions is also individual. If you are under stress, it may contribute to your illness. Any sort of stress – physical stress from an illness, poor diet, cigarettes; emotional stress from a job or difficult relationship – any type of stress can play a role both in bringing on the headache, for example, and in weakening the body and therefore increasing the body’s susceptibility to allergies.

If the stress is prolonged, you may even develop sensitivities to chemicals secreted in the body when it is under stress. These chemicals, through the allergic process, also can cause the illness. the sensitive person must keep in mind that new allergies to different foods may develop and that sensitization may vary over time for each individual.

All of us have experienced fatigue. It can be from staying up late at night. Or perhaps you had a cup of coffee after dinner and it kept you awake. For some, a few hours of sleep is sufficient. But, this can change! An example of this is mentioned in Good Food, Good Mood: a man was one of those who required little sleep and still had lots of energy. It was mentioned that two months ago his father passed away. He had handled all the funeral arrangements and took care of his mother and sisters. In short, he had taken charge of the situation the way he normally did. However, for the last month he had been sleeping until noon, sometimes until mid-afternoon. The shock of his father’s sudden death, all the responsibilities that were placed on him, and his own grief exhausted him. He kept saying that he could not believe that he needed all this sleep.

But, he did need it! Emotional stress can be just as debilitating as strenuous exercise. Both body and mind need sleep to relax, to restore and heal themselves.