How Emotional Repression Impacts Chronic Illness, Plus How to Make Peace with Powerful Feelings

Chronic illness comes with big emotions that may be hard to navigate. Emotional repression can have a powerful impact on physical health, but mindfulness can help.

It’s common for people with chronic conditions to hear phrases like “stay positive” or “look on the bright side.”

Though well-meaning, this suggestion can often have the effect of invalidating how someone feels about their illness. It may even imply that they’re somehow making it worse by acknowledging the difficult parts — and their difficult feelings.

On the other hand, the practice of neither pushing away nor grasping for another, different experience may be the best way to not only improve the outcomes of disease but to find peace in the midst of it.

Read on to learn how to make space for the ups and downs of chronic illness, plus tips for applying this practice in your everyday life.

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The power of negative thinking

In his book, “When the Body Says No,” Gabor Maté, MD, jokingly refers to the power of negative thinking as a potential solution to overcoming disease.

This comes in light of his years of clinical observation and experience treating people with chronic disease, whom he noticed share some striking characteristics. One of the most prominent features Maté saw, especially in those with cancer, was a tendency to minimize, ignore, or otherwise repress their own emotions.

This was especially the case when it came to so-called negative emotions, like:

• sadness
• anger
• resentment
• grief
• fear

In Maté’s view, this emotional repression led to unacknowledged emotional and physiological stress, laying the groundwork for disease to make a home in the body.

“The body and the mind are connected; the influence on one another is cyclical,” says Bianca Busch, MD. “If and/or when we experience really intense emotions, they have a possibility of manifesting in physical symptoms in our body. And vice versa.”

According to a 2020 review, multiple studies have found evidence indicating that chronic stress is associated with tumor growth and may promote cancer development.

The studies reviewed showed a relationship between stress and cases of several cancers, including:

• prostate
• breast
• gastric
• lung
• skin

According to the review, the hormones released during stress can potentially damage cell DNA, weaken a gene known as p53 that helps prevent tumors from growing, and increase inflammation.

This can lead to inflammation of the nerves in the brain, which can change how it processes and responds to stress.

The review authors note that stress management is essential for both healthy people and people with cancer.

A 2021 study noted that curbing neurological and inflammatory stress by psychological or pharmacological means, “especially alongside cancer treatments, could save lives.”

How can you manage stress when stress is unavoidable?

While the link between stress and disease is clear, what isn’t so clear is how to reduce stress when it’s an inevitable part of life.

According to Maté, one way is to acknowledge, accept, and express your emotions — even the so-called negative ones.

In simple terms, feeling difficult emotions is stressful enough without feeling like you shouldn’t be feeling them. The burden of having to hide difficult emotions piles on the stress.

This is how repression occurs.

“While this might temporarily alleviate the feelings, it can cause them to come up in even bigger ways in the future if we don’t allow ourselves to fully experience them and choose how, when, and if to respond,” says Virginia Dawson, MD, psychiatrist at Headspace.

Acknowledging, accepting, and even welcoming negative emotions can prevent that second layer of stress from taking hold.

How to reverse repression with mindfulness

“The most important step is getting started, no matter how big or small,” says Dawson.

She also emphasizes that mindfulness doesn’t have to involve deep breathing or meditation.

“Finding mindful moments can come through in everyday tasks such as eating, going for a walk, taking time between meetings, and more,” Dawson adds.

Dealing with doubt

She also shares some words of wisdom for when you’re doubting yourself.

“It’s really common for people to tell me they’ve tried mindfulness or meditation and that they stopped because they worried they weren’t good at it or because they noticed their mind wandering,” Dawson says. “I’m here to tell you that this happens to everyone, and improving just takes time and practice.”

It’s also important to set healthy expectations.

Busch notes that mindfulness may feel uncomfortable or unproductive in the beginning, especially when chronic illness flare-ups occur. She also notes that consistency is essential for real results, and regular practice makes it almost second nature.

“Someone who has been practicing for a while can expect an almost automatic inclusion of mindfulness activities in their everyday life,” Busch says.

Noticing the body’s cues

Busch suggests noticing physical cues when big emotions come up.

These can include:

• an increase in heart rate
• your mind feeling scattered or going blank
• your face feeling hot or flushed
• a sinking feeling in the stomach

“When these things happen, it’s important to say, ‘Huh, something different is happening with my body,’” Busch says.

Unearthing emotions

Reversing repression won’t happen overnight. It’s also a good idea to seek professional help to support you as you confront difficult feelings.

While being mindful of difficult emotions isn’t always comfortable, it can grant you the freedom to choose how you respond to chronic illness and life.

This freedom can extend to your relationships, your physical health, and your sense of self.