Relationships are essential
Readers of this blog will recognize what I have labelled essential nourishment: occupation, spirituality, movement, occupation and..RELATIONSHIP. It turns out, after seeing hundreds of patients with chronic medical and emotional maladies, that poor quality relationships are often at the heart of poor health. Here’s how it works:
Stress sets the body up for disease by placing it in a chronic “fight or flight” status, leading to release of catecholamines by the adrenal gland which stimulates inflammation, cardiovasculhar stress, and malfunction of the body’s tumor surveillance. What results is type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and even cancer, not to mention depression and other mental health challenges.
This is all due to what I call the “satisfaction gap”, when where we are (in terms of relationships) is far from where we hope to be. The “gap” creates stress which can contribute to disease.
How do we close this gap in our own lives? Of course, healing relationships is the best way, whether it is our life partner, paramour, children, siblings, friends, co-workers, neighbors, clients or fellow citizens. But this is not always easy, because it depends not only on what we do or say, but also on the party we are trying to relate to.
A healthier, often more successful approach is to become more mindful of our relationships. Helath/Life coaching can help tremendously with this. A coach (or any type of therapist or counselor) can be a great help in sorting out the issues in your relationships through insightful, compassionate questioning and active, empathic listening. Maybe we need to lower our expectations by more realistically approaching our relationships. Or, by seeing our relationships from the point of view of the other party can dramatically reduce the stress of an unsatisfying relationship. A coach or therapist can help with this as well.
If you are stuck in relationships that are causing you stress, and possibly negatively affecting your health, the MONACO Wellness Health/Life Coaching program is here to help. Visit www.monacowellness.org or call or text (813)541-6440. We are here to help you live longer, healthier, more satisfying, les stressful life. I await your call!
Dr. John Monaco
(813) 541-6440
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