The Mind-Body Connection: Can state of mind affect our health?

Most of us have wondered at one time or another about the connection between mind and body. Can negative feelings like fear and anger make us sick? Can positive feelings like hope and a "will to live" help make us well? Recent research seems to indicate that the answer to these questions may be yes.

Research have found numerous other examples of close mind-body connections:

• People with strong social ties live longer and have lower rates of some chronic diseases than people who lack social support.
• Regular exercise improves mood, boosts creativity, and helps maintain mental functioning throughout life.
• People who frequently respond to minor hassles with hostility and aggression have an increased risk of developing heart disease.
• Participation in a support group extends the lives of cancer patients and improves their emotional health.

The realization that mind and body are intimately connected gives new meaning to the notion of "sound mind in a sound body" The implication is that we can't cultivate mental and physical health separately and independently. There is no such things as a purely psychological event or a purely physical event; the two are inseparable in a living being.