Can Emotions Make Us Sick?

We rarely stop to think about how our emotions manifest in our bodies. If you don’t believe they do, think about the last time you got really angry. Maybe your heart pounded, your jaw clenched, or you got red-faced and sweaty.

You may have had a rush of rage-induced energy and an overwhelming urge to say words that sailors say. Your emotional reaction affects your physical body. In a world governed by scientific thinking, our physical bodies and emotions are often thought of as separate.



But many ancient cultures—and the medical systems they developed—recognized a deep connection between them. They understood that emotions could profoundly influence us physically and change the course of our health—for better or worse. In this sophisticated system, emotions are associated with specific organs, seasons, elements, colors, and tastes.

Emotions and the physical body have a bidirectional relationship. Intense, lingering, unacknowledged, or unprocessed emotions can adversely affect their associated organs—and vice versa. If feelings are ignored or not processed appropriately, they can show up as physical symptoms and lead to illness.

In this holistic system, emotions are integral aspects of the human being that must be tended to, nurtured, acknowledged, and expressed to remain healthy. Grief : Lungs Fear: Kidneys Anger : Liver Joy : Heart Worry/Overthinking : Spleen Science is beginning to explore this connection and validate the physical effects of emotions. A 2022 Swedish study examined data from 490,527 heart failure patients for approximately four years.

Findings showed that those who lost a close family member had a significantly higher chance of dying than those who hadn’t. The death of a spouse increased the risk of dying by 20 percent and elevated to 35 percent for those who lost two people. Modern life encourages us to chase “positive” emotions and avoid anything that feels unpleasant.

Feelings we label negative—like sadness, anger, grief, or fear—are often avoided. Instead of facing them, we distract ourselves with everything from technology to alcohol, numbing emotions that might lead us into the deeper, darker corners of our psyches. The habit of avoidance is becoming a pattern we’re passing down to our children.

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