Five Emotions That Damage Your Body

According to traditional Chinese medicine, a negative emotional disposition can seriously damage health. However, these findings have actually been confirmed by science today.
Five Emotions That Damage Your Body

Last update: 15 December, 2021

According to Chinese medicine, every emotion is related to an organ and a function of the human body. They believe that the most common causes of disease are negative attitudes and emotions such as guilt, resentment, the need for attention, and fear. Therefore, any emotional imbalance can be reflected in certain symptoms or diseases of our organs.

As a matter of fact, they believe that disease is born to avoid unpleasant situations or to try to escape from them. Furthermore, they think that our feelings of discomfort are telling us deep down, that we must love each other. Therefore, by loving each other, we let our hearts run our lives and not our egos.

Life isn’t about stability, it’s about knowing how to walk in a balanced way.

Emotions that cause disease according to Chinese medicine

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Chinese Medicine claims that there are some emotions that can trigger illnesses. These are:

  • Sadness or Grief. These feelings arise from disappointment, separation, or loss, and primarily affect the lungs. Sadness produces heaviness, shortness of breath, tiredness, and depression. It means it takes time to accept and express our emotions.
  • Caution. It derives from insecurity and tends to weaken the spleen. Caution is related to diseases in the chest and shoulders.
  • Fear. Fear is associated with the kidneys, the pit of the stomach, and kidney deficiency. These alterations come from the propensity to suffer from irrational fears. Unaccepted fear is then transferred to the body, causing liver and heart problems.
  • Terror. This is similar to fear, but it’s more extreme. It’s associated with physical and emotional problems. Furthermore, terror can lead to memory loss, disorientation, palpitations, vertigo, tremors, sweating, and fainting.
  • Anger. It can take various forms. For example, irritability, frustration, envy, and anger. Anger turns into headaches, neck pain, vertigo, and, more particularly, liver disease.

“He who lives in harmony with his own self lives in harmony with the universe.”

-Marco Aurelio-

The connection between emotions and illnesses

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It’s important to know the meaning of disease because it’s one of the ways in which our body expresses itself. Indeed, all our emotions and thoughts are registered in cells. Therefore, illnesses are the manifestation that something isn’t right.

The following compilation is a summary of the meaning of some of the most common diseases. As a matter of fact, all of them are based on both traditional Chinese medicine and other complementary oriental medicine.

  • Allergies. They indicate deep fears. For instance, fear of a lack of ability to be self-reliant, and to be unable to seek compassion, support, and attention from others.
  • Depression. Its meaning is found in the conflict between the ideal and the real. In other words, between who we are and who we want to be, and between what we have and what we want to have.
  • Arthritis. Feeling unable to adapt and be mentally flexible. It’s interpreted as a lack of confidence and an uncompromising attitude towards life.
  • Obesity. Its meaning is found in an inner emptiness, hence food is used to compensate. Furthermore, fear of exposing ourselves to others and being vulnerable and susceptible to harm.
  • Nervousness. Lack of contact with our inner self. Egocentricity. Everything is seen from a subjective point of view. Feelings of insecurity and living with the fear of being attacked. Also, an inability to get rid of selfish attitudes.

Emotions trigger or accentuate disease, but also influence health

Happy woman, emotions

Emotions can trigger or accentuate certain diseases. However, we can also use them in such a way to positively influence our health.

For this to happen, we just have to know how to recognize the emotions that cause imbalances in our bodies and transform them. In Eastern medicine, special importance is given to the self-knowledge of emotions. This is something that Western psychology is also now beginning to take into account. That’s because it’s now recognized that any complete treatment will always address a problem from different perspectives. Consequently, it has a greater chance of being effective.

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”

-Chinese proverb-


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Barra Almagiá, E. (2003). Influencia del estado emocional en la salud física. Ter. psicol21(1), 55-60.
  • Garrido-Rojas, L. (2006). Apego, emoción y regulación emocional: Implicaciones para la salud. Revista latinoamericana de psicología38(3), 493-507.
  • Shapiro, L. E. (2002). La salud emocional de los niños (Vol. 16). Edaf.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.