STRESS AND MIND-BODY INTEGRATION

The mind/body model integrates many approaches to provide a holistic treatment approach. It looks at
the whole person by recognizing that the mind and body are inextricably woven together. So, when you
feel happy, sad, angry, or fearful, there are changes taking place in your brain that effect your physical
and mental well-being. When mind-body integrity breaks down owing to mental and emotional stress
they can become concerned about possible health problems. This can take a physical toll. When chronic
it can manifest as body conditions( as notated in the symptoms section of stressors).

An example that illustrates the stress and mind/body connection is: that suppression of grief, and
suppression of anger increases the risk of breast cancer in women. Numerous holistic programs, that
have been established for women to express their grief and anger, report that the women live, on the
average, two times longer than those not afforded the opportunity decrease stress by expressing their
thoughts and emotions. When the stress response is chronically triggered, such as during childhood
maltreatment and compromised attachment, key Mind-body biological systems become altered and
dysregulated. People who suffer trauma, of any type, have higher rates of serious psychological and
physical illnesses than the general population. Also, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study
reported that adults who experienced trauma and chronic stress at anytime have higher rates of
emotional problems, of cancer, heart disease, bronchitis, diabetes, stroke, and gastrointestinal
disorders, than non-traumatized/stressed adults.

Similar outcomes have been found in other studies: women maltreated as children had a nine fold
increase in emotional stress, and heart disease. Sixty percent of women treated for gastrointestinal
illness had an abuse history. Significantly higher rates of chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, and
fibromyalgia occurred when there was a history of trauma and PTSD diagnosis. When the mind and body
are in balance there is neither over or under arousal of mental, emotional and physical components. It is
typically accepted that many of the mental, emotional and physical symptoms we experience represent
a mind/body imbalance that is caused by, or aggravated by “stress”. It is not unusual to hear persons
speaking of “being stressed, overwhelmed by stress, stressed out, under stress, stress management
etc. .” Although there are many definitions of stress, the following definition provides an simplified
understanding: stress is a condition in which there is excessively high levels of toxic chemicals being
released from the brain/mind and the body. This maladaptive response results in a range of unpleasant
physical, psychological and behavioral problems.

The longer stress continues, the more serious the effects can become. A person may experience
exhaustion, chronic fatigue and be unable to sleep. If these symptoms are left unaddressed they can
contribute to a number of physical and psychological problems. These conditions include heart disease,
hypertension, insomnia, muscle pains, peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, panic
disorder, and other medical conditions. These conditions can coexist with an inability to cope with
chronic stress, anxiety or depression.

So it is of utmost importance for you to manage your mind-body/ mental -physical balance in order to
decrease stress and the risk of causing or aggravating existing symptoms ( as noted above in the
symptom section of stressors.
 MIND-BODY INTEGRATION

The mind-body connection is a near-universal concept that has been accepted in many cultures around
the world for thousands of years. In particular, Eastern philosophy has traditionally seen the body, mind
and spirit as a whole, and takes a holistic view to the prevention and treatment of disease. By
comparison, until recently Western culture has traditionally viewed the body as machine-like and
objective, separated from thought and emotion. This view is changing as more studies prove the
strength and breadth of the mind-body connection. Let’s us talk about the varied prominent stances on
the mind-body problem —

1) Monism : This approach introduced by Parmenides in the 5th century BCE, posits that there is
only one reality, composed only of either physical or non-physical substances (Kind, 2020).
2) Physicalism : This view was proposed in the 1930s by Otto Neurath and Rudolf Carnap. It
assumes that everything existing is physical, including the mind. Here, the mind–body
interaction is acknowledged only in the physical plane. This is often related to traditional
science, which tends to explain mental phenomena in terms of brain activities.
3) Idealism : It was first introduced in the 18th century by Emmanuel Kant and using a metaphysical
perspective, this standpoint sustains that reality is non-physical, and everything is either a mind
or depends on the mind to exist. In other words, this view proposes that reality depends on how
our minds perceive and make sense of the world.
4) Dualism : This philosophical standpoint was probably the most controversial and it theorizes
that reality is composed of both physical and non-physical substances. Dualism posits that the
body is physical, while the mind is not, treating mind and body as separate entities. This
worldview was developed by Rene Descartes during the 16th century, widely influencing modern
science and compartmentalizing the study of body and mind. Dualism has evolved from views
proposing that mind and body exist independently from one another without interaction, to
ones that acknowledge a causal relationship between both. According to Kind (2020), current
views tend to be either interactionist property dualists or physicalists. While physicalists would
assert that the mind can be completely understood in terms of brain and neural networks,
interactionist dualists would state that mental activities are rooted in the physical brain, yet are
not reducible to these material properties (Westphal, 2016). This concept gave rise to the
‘biomedical model’, which largely ignores the influence of the mind and emotions on health and
illness, and ended up dominating Western medicine for well over a century.
5) Non-dualism : This philosophical approach is often linked to several Eastern traditions and might
provide further insight into the mind–body problem from a different angle. Non-dualism
proposes that the dualistic nature of things, such as mind/body, is an illusion. Thus, there is no
real separation between mind and body, as they are interdependent and need each other to
exist (Loy, 1997).

Although philosophy and empirical science may seem like independent silos, philosophy of mind is
highly relevant to science and psychology in particular, as it informs the underlying assumptions and
methods by which scientists conduct research and contribute to our understanding of mind–body
interactions.

Psychological approaches and their theories hold different philosophical paradigms regarding mind–
body interaction. Behaviorists may hold a physicalist view, conceiving of the mind in terms of observable
behavior expressed in or with the body. While cognitivism acknowledges the body’s role, it tends to
focus more on mental phenomena, reflecting a tendency towards dualism. Finally, embodied
approaches in psychology place equal value on the role of each, acknowledging their mutual interaction
and adopting a more holistic view (Leitan & Murray, 2014).

Over the past few decades there has been not only a widespread interest, but also a growing body of
scientific research dedicated to exploring the interrelation between the ‘mind’ (psychological and social
factors) and the ‘body’ (human physiology and medical illness). Numerous studies have proven that our
emotional and psychological health has an enormous impact on our bodies’ ability to function well and
be healthy. Nowadays, amongst the medical professional and the general public, there is a growing
acceptance of the ‘biopsychosocial model’, which acknowledges and takes into account all factors
(mental, emotional, social, spiritual and physical) that affect health.