epinephrine. Tese neurochemicals in the gut’s enteric nervous system control major biological functions that include heart rate, sleep cycles, muscle movement and mood. While commonly prescribed antibiot-


ics eradicate infectious invaders, they also kill off beneficial bacteria and neurotrans- mitters, opening the door to depressive disorders. Because approximately 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut, it’s not surprising that overuse of antibiotics has been associated with mental health conditions. British research pub- lished in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 2015 documents case-control studies over an 18-year period involving 202,974 patients with depression. Te findings show a high risk for anxiety and depression following repeated antibiotic use. Connecting the dots further, 2018


research published in the Journal of Neu- roendocrinology correlates compromised intestinal permeability with a weakened blood-brain barrier and alcohol addiction. Research published in 2014 in the journal PLOS One involving patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) reveals abnormali- ties in catecholamines, elevated plasma cor- tisol and hyperactivity of the amygdala—the part of the brain that can become stuck on overdrive from trauma and other life stresses. In a nutshell, negative emotional


states can suppress immunity and foster more frequent antibiotic prescriptions and in turn, promote neurological loops of chronic depression and anxiety, and even more compromised immune response. Functional gastrointestinal disorders


like IBS and inflammation-driven Crohn’s disease are oſten exacerbated by emotional upset and improved with stress manage- ment techniques like biofeedback, cogni- tive behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, meditation and breath work.


One Body, Many Selves Resolving emotional trauma can offer un- expected hope for conditions that elude improvement or scientific understanding. A deeper look into how unrecognized or unreleased emotional pain can contribute to disease might help to solve the riddle of digestive problems, eczema, inflammatory bowel conditions and pain syndromes,


including the multi-system agonies of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s a widespread misunder- standing that psychosomatic (mind-body) health conditions are imaginary or the product of mental instability. In actuality, the term psychosomatic simply refers to physical diseases with no organic origin that are presumed to have unconscious emotional taproots. “We are made up of different types of


energy,” explains LaStacia Ross, a reiki mas- ter and sound healer at Eclectic Soul Studio, in Pittsburg, Kansas. “Physical or sensory energy is the energy of the physical body. Our outer energy field is subtle energy which consists of layers and includes thoughts and emotions. I like to think of the subtle energy field as a library containing the records of everything we’ve ever experienced.” Reiki, a form of non-touch therapy, is


now deemed valuable by many respected hospitals, like the Memorial Sloan Ketter- ing Cancer Center, in Manhattan. Spring- boarding from the philosophy that we are trinities of body, mind and spirit, reiki and other forms of energy medicine aim to encourage the flow of vital life force. Ross, who also uses sound resonance via tuning


forks in her work, has witnessed significant improvement in her clients. “Energy work can help release stored energetic patterns of trauma and stress that no longer serve us,” she says. “Relaxation is an immediate benefit of energy work. People oſten feel a huge mental weight liſted and report pain relief, sometimes aſter just one session.” Despite the many gains of energy work, Ross emphasizes individual timing. “On a subconscious level, pain or illness can serve us in some way without us realizing it. Sometimes we’re not ready to work through our issues or let them go, even if we think we are.”


Investing in Equilibrium Stress-induced psychosomatic illness does


not discriminate, and even affects members of the medical field. A 2009 study pub- lished in the Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that professional burnout in nurses can mani- fest as back and neck pain, acidity, anger and impaired memory. Krisanda underscores the importance


of self-care in all walks of life. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you are useless to care for others. Adopt a healthy diet and


October 2020 17


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