Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is the study of the relationships among: psychological factors, the immune system, and the brain.
“A decade or so ago, many researchers believed emotions, the feelings usually associated more with the heart than the head, couldn’t be measured or studied in laboratory experiments. Researchers lacked instruments, and what’s more, most scientists didn’t recognize the far-ranging and long-lasting effects emotions can have on peoples’ health.” – UW-Madison.
Fortunately, that is no longer the case. Understanding how positive states of mind influence the body is part of the next great frontier in brain research.
Psycho-neuro-immunology
This section of the Positivity Zone examines Psychoneuroimmunology research and other data involving the relationships between emotions and physical health. The research shows that a person’s psychological state has a direct affect on his/her physical health. Emotions and attitudes, like pessimism and anxiety, are detrimental to sustaining good physical health. These also impact recovery from illness. Equally, optimistic attitudes and emotional intimacy promote and sustain physical well-being. Emotional health impacts physical heath.
The Immune System Connection
For more than two decades, researchers have known that behavioral and psychological events can influence the immune system. But newer research shows the Psychoneuroimmunology link: the immune system sends signals to the brain. These signals “potently alter neural activity and thereby alter everything that flows from neural activity, mainly behavior, thought and mood,” said Maier, professor of psychology at the University of Colorado. “In a real, true sense, stress makes you physically sick,” explained Maier. “In addition, many of the changes over time in mood and cognition from day to day are driven by events in the immune system of which we are unaware,” (APA.org).
Stress causes the nervous system to produce stimulatory cytokines.
Psychoneuroimmunology and Cytokines
When a person’s coping skills are weak and stress is chronic, cytokines continue to be produced. The result is over stimulation of the immune system. The effects of this over-stimulation are a weakened immune system and ‘burn-out’ depression.
Clinical depression has a quicker impact to the immune system. The degree and duration of negative emotions associated depression cause the central nervous system to produce inhibitory cytokines. And this quickly depresses the immune system. These immune system impacts occur whether a threat (the stressor or depression causing situation) is real or merely perceived. According to Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., “The body cannot tell the difference between events that are actual threats to survival and events that are present in thought alone… The mind spins out endless fantasies of possible disasters past and future. This tendency to escalate a situation into its worst possible conclusion [“awfulizing”] can be a key factor in tipping the balance toward illness or health.” (Minding the Body, Mending the Mind).
What Can You Do?
The simple act of understanding why something is happening is key to taking action on it . So, understanding Psychoneuroimmunology is the key to manage out of control negative thoughts.
Start by making a habit of regularly acknowledging your current physical and emotional states. Are you feeling negativity in any way? Does your body hurt? Are allergies or a cold impacting you? Are you thoughts trending toward negative?
Next, recognize that your physical and emotional states are tied together. You will need to actively manage both. Of course address any physical ailments as best that you can. And while doing that, actively manage your emotion state, your thoughts.