How INFJs and Empaths Cure Illness
Illness — whether physical, emotional, or mental — is often more than just a physical ailment. It’s easy to assume that disease exists only in the body, but often, it starts far deeper. Have you ever wondered why certain emotions seem to settle in your body, causing pain, discomfort, or even disease? In this post, we’ll explore how unexpressed emotions — particularly grief and anger — manifest in the body and how we can begin to heal by releasing them.
The Emotional Roots of Physical Pain
While illness certainly has physical components, it’s essential not to overlook the emotional factors that play a crucial role. Unexpressed emotions — particularly grief and anger — don’t just linger; they transform into chronic pain and even disease. Even if there’s no conscious memory or awareness of these feelings, they can take form in the body and disrupt our health.
These emotions become trapped in the body, creating blockages and disruptions. When you store grief, anger, or any unresolved feelings, they begin to affect the way your body functions. The longer they remain suppressed, the harder it becomes to manage them, and the more likely they are to manifest as physical symptoms.
The Power of Feeling: Releasing Emotions Through the Body
One of the most common mistakes people make when dealing with emotional trauma is intellectualizing it. We often think we can think our way through emotions or coach ourselves out of them. However, this is not enough. Feeling the emotion — really experiencing it — is an essential step to healing.
Reframing your thoughts is helpful, but it’s important not to skip the critical part: feeling your feelings. When we allow ourselves to truly feel an emotion — whether it’s grief, anger, or sadness — it can begin to release. In many cases, this involves tears. These primal releases are part of the body’s natural healing process.
To fully release an emotion, you need to surrender to it. Let go of resistance. Stop fighting the feelings or trying to control them. Allow them to come up and out without judgment. The more you try to suppress them, the more they remain trapped in your body. It’s only when you let go, when you stop fighting, that the energy can move freely and heal.
The Connection Between Mind, Body, and Emotion
It’s vital to understand that the mind, the body, and even the gut are all interconnected. Hormonal imbalances, thyroid issues, and nutritional deficiencies can contribute to mental illness, but the reverse is also true. Mental illness can cause physical imbalances in the body. This intricate connection shows us that disease is not just physical — it’s emotional and mental, too.
The placebo effect is a powerful reminder of this connection. When a person believes a treatment will work, their mind can trigger real physical changes in the body. This is proof that our thoughts and beliefs directly influence our physical health.
Shamanic Healing vs. Modern Medicine
In shamanic traditions, disease is often treated by extracting what’s within the body. It’s about releasing emotions, trauma, and imbalances, rather than adding substances to the body. Modern medicine, on the other hand, focuses more on adding chemicals, medications, and treatments. Both approaches have value, but in many cases, the body’s healing power comes from removal — from allowing the emotions to surface and be released.
This is why emotional release is so crucial. When we let go of suppressed grief or anger, the body can begin to heal naturally. This type of healing doesn’t require chemicals or side effects. Instead, it calls for a willingness to face, feel, and release.
The Mental Health System’s Flaws
The mental health system today is broken. Often, it fails to acknowledge the environmental and emotional factors that contribute to illness. For example, if you’re surrounded by toxic people or in an emotionally unhealthy environment, your body will feel the effects. But instead of addressing the root causes — like your relationships, environment, or repressed emotions — the mental health system often focuses on numbing symptoms. It doesn't help people get in touch with what’s really going on. And in some cases, it doesn’t acknowledge the impact of our nervous systems, coping mechanisms, and unresolved trauma.
It’s important to note that some people do need medication. If you feel that medication helps you manage your symptoms, that’s valid. But, it's equally important to consider the bigger picture — the root causes of emotional distress — which are often overlooked in traditional treatments.
The Power of Emotional Release
Emotions like depression and anxiety are often the result of unexpressed grief, anger, or fear. These feelings get trapped in the body, causing symptoms like stress, pain, and mental health challenges. But releasing these emotions — crying, shaking, screaming, or even dancing — is one way the body begins to heal. These primal ways of expressing emotions help release them from the body, and they’re often a natural instinct in children.
Yet, society teaches us to suppress these releases. We’re encouraged to hold it all together, to push our feelings down, and to appear composed. However, this only traps our emotions and causes more harm in the long run. The key to healing is allowing ourselves to fully experience our feelings, even when they’re uncomfortable.
Healing Through Full Emotional Expression
The more you suppress or numb your emotions, the less alive you’ll feel. If you selectively numb your pain, you’re also numbing your ability to feel joy. You can’t selectively numb your emotions; they’re all connected. The more you allow yourself to experience the full range of human emotions — from pain to joy, grief to bliss — the more you’ll feel fully alive.
Tears, in particular, are an important release. Not only do they help you process grief, but they also release cortisol, the stress hormone. This helps reset your body and release tension. When we suppress our emotions, we build up stress, which can lead to physical ailments. By allowing ourselves to cry, scream, or simply feel, we clear out the stress from our systems.
Ways to Release Emotions: Primal Healing Practices
There are many ways to release trapped emotions from the body. Here are some primal practices that can help:
Screaming or yelling — Often, the body needs to release pent-up anger or frustration. Yelling into a pillow or at the top of your lungs can help let go of that energy.
Shaking or moaning — These movements can help release tension and energy that’s stuck.
Dancing — Movement, especially hip movements, can help release stored trauma.
Crying — Tears are one of the body’s natural methods of releasing stress and trauma.
In fact, when you let yourself cry or scream, you’re doing more than just processing emotions; you’re also resetting your nervous system and releasing pent-up tension from your body.
Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety and Health Issues
Anxiety about health, also known as health anxiety, is a compounding problem. If you’re constantly worried that something is wrong with your body, this increases stress, which affects your health. This cycle makes everything worse.
Remember that health problems aren’t just in your head — they’re real. But they’re often connected to unresolved emotions. These unresolved feelings create physical tension in the body, which in turn can cause your immune system to attack itself. When you feel like something is wrong with your body, it’s often your body responding to trapped emotions.
Takeaways: A Holistic Approach to Healing
To begin healing, start by identifying an ailment you’d like to heal. Rather than just relying on traditional medicine, explore natural and holistic remedies. Research teas, essential oils, or other holistic practices that can help your body heal. Get curious and open to new ways of thinking about your health.
Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires releasing stored emotions, caring for your body, and addressing the root causes of disease. And above all, it requires you to feel — all of it.
Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts or questions, I’d love to hear them. Leave a comment below or get in touch!
