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“The mind grows sicker than the body in contemplation of its suffering.”

OVID

More than once in recent years I have strongly felt that my body was betraying me. The feeling was of course irrational, but at times I became angry at my surgically repaired heart, at my painfully inflamed joints, and, most frequently, at my immune system for turning against me instead of fighting for me. Needless to say, the longer I held on to the perception that my body was a traitor, the more alienated from myself I became.

When I finally shared these concerns with my close friends in a support group, I received not only empathy but also good advice. I learned that I was self-destructively focusing my anger at my body when I was really angry at the illnesses themselves. As long as my anger was misdirected that way, I couldn’t deal with my harmful emotions constructively. As the result of attending the support group, I am now able to clarify and subdue my feelings when such episodes occur.

I’ve come to an important understanding; that my mind and body are not separate warring entities but rather allies miraculously linked to create the unified whole that is me.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Anger at my physical self inhibits rather than enhances healing.