Autoimmune diseases are a mystery to science, so far we know their symptoms and their evolution, but we do not know what produces them, most can be treated, but not cured, there are many hypotheses about it, but none of them are fully proven What we know so far is that the mind plays an important role in these pathologies.
Some autoimmune diseases are relatively well known, such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis; others, such as lupus erythematosus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Guillaime-Barré syndrome.
“There’s nothing in the mind that hasn’t crossed the senses before. “
-Aristotle-
The intriguing thing is that autoimmune diseases are the result of the attack of the body, the body behaves as if the antigens themselves invade the viruses and attack them, that is, the immune system fails and does not recognize what is in the body itself. This happens to people who are in perfect health and medicine cannot explain why.
Science claims that autoimmune diseases are the result of multiple factors, in which genetics plays a very important role, however, so far there is no concrete evidence that this is actually happening, but that the mind has been shown to play a decisive role. in these pathologies, especially in the way subjective experiences produce these diseases.
Currently, autoimmune diseases are addressed by most professionals as psychosomatic diseases, that is, they originate in the mind and manifest themselves throughout the body.
There are different approaches to the problem. Some argue that it is a person’s inability to verbalize their emotions; others indicate that this is a defensive response to emotional disintegration. Some believe it may be an “illusion of the body,” with a history of depression or a response to an intractable conflict.
Whatever the approach, there is one thing in common: there are realities in the minds of people manifesting themselves in diseases of the body.
Autoimmune diseases activate a self-destruct mechanism. The body does not recognize its own antigens and begins an autoattack, as if what it carries in itself is threatening or dangerous.
The mind is so important in these processes that a new discipline has emerged to treat these ailments: psychoneuroimmunology. The fact is that these diseases are not only chronic and invalidating, but can lead to death.
Some studies suggest that people with autoimmune diseases are depressed, but this is not always obvious, meaning even a happy and smiling person can carry great inner dissatisfaction that does not recognize themselves.
Another common feature is the inability to recognize one’s emotions, this may be due to excessive intellectualization or rationalization of situations or because the person is extremely controlling and believes that emotions are a threat to their autonomy.
Autoimmune diseases compromise the patient’s quality of life, can be painful, difficult to assimilate and deprive us of hope, patients turn to the doctor for answers and generally only find silence and palliative care, which are not always effective for their suffering.
Although this is reconsidered, the West has imposed the idea that the body and mind are isolated and sometimes contradictory realities, however, it is increasingly evident that health and well-being are an integral part of concepts and that the physical plane is just as important. like the mind.
The solution for someone with an autoimmune disease is to simply stop believing that a miracle pill, vitamin or doctor will be able to regain their health. Of course, these treatments should not be abandoned, but a mental health professional should also be sought to supplement this treatment.
All diseases have an emotional and mental component, but in autoimmunes it is decisive, resistance to treating their disease as a psychological problem is the fundamental reason why they find no relief from their physical suffering.
This resistance comes from the misconception that those with a mental illness are not strong enough or that this pain is an invention of the patient.