mindbodyconnection

Repressed Anger = Migraines & Jaw Pain

"Your body is keeping the receipt for the emotions that you refuse to pay for." Dr. Bessel van der Kolk wrote the Bible on trauma: The Body Keeps the Score. He found that when we repress our emotions, they don't just disappear. They settle directly into our tissue. Repressed anger turns into jaw pain and migraines. Repressed grief turns into autoimmune flare-ups and respiratory issues. Dr. Gabor Maté has written extensively on how the "nice" personality—the people who never get angry, who avoid conflict, and who constantly please others—are statistically more likely to develop chronic illness. As I dive deeper into my psychology training, this mind-body connection is one of the most profound truths I've encountered. You cannot outsmart your nervous system. It's time to stop paying for your repressed emotions with your physical health.