According to the World Health Organization, today every twelve people on the planet suffer from various types of allergies. It is predicted that in 10 years the number of allergy sufferers will at least double. The reasons are often cited as deterioration in the quality of food, environmental conditions, decreased immunity in children, excessive use of medications. However, not only this affects the manifestation of allergies in adults and children.
Allergy is a condition in which very often the cause lies not in allergens and not in the immune response to them, but in psychological prerequisites that are formed in childhood or at an older age.
In this article, we will talk about the psychosomatics of allergies.
Traditional medicine view
Official medicine understands an allergy as a pathological immune response to certain antigens. For reasons that are not fully understood by doctors, immune cells begin to perceive this or that substance that has entered the body as an enemy, alien. Protective cells produce certain antibodies to this substance, whole colonies of modified immune cells grow, whose task is to fight exclusively with this antigen.
When a substance enters the body a second time, a battle develops at the cellular level, which is clearly manifested in the form of a rash, edema, swelling of the mucous membranes, indigestion and a general deterioration in the condition and well-being of a person.
More often than others, according to statistics, children suffer from allergies.
The most common are food allergies, allergic reactions to flowers, pollen, animal hair, medications, and allergies to the sun and cold.which is manifested by the formation of spots and rashes on the skin. The most common manifestations of allergies are allergic rhinitis (runny nose), rash, itchy skin, allergic conjunctivitis (when a negative reaction manifests itself in the eyes), and eating disorders.
For treatment, recommendations are usually used to eliminate contact with the allergen, as well as antihistamines and hormonal drugs... In severe cases, drugs that suppress the activity of the immune system (immunosuppressants).
Psychosomatic medicine view
Traditional medicine, due to insufficient knowledge of the initial causes of inadequate behavior of the immune system, treats only symptoms - manifestations of allergies (an ointment is prescribed for a rash or drops from a cold), suppresses the immune system with suppressor drugs so that it "does not rage". The cause cannot be treated. And she is often in the field of psychosomatic medicine - a science that is at the intersection of medicine and psychology.
From the point of view of psychosomatics, allergy is an external manifestation of the internal rejection of the surrounding world.
Please note that the manifestations of any allergy are always closely related to organs and systems of the body, one way or another in contact with the external environment - skin, mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory tract, eyes, digestive tract (food from the outside enters it). Allergy almost never manifests itself at the level of organs that do not have contact with the outside world - at the level of the kidneys, spine or heart.
From this it follows a simple conclusion that an inadequate reaction of the body is an inadequate reaction of the person himself to the world around him.
Assessing the world, a person uses the familiar "friend or foe" system, as well as personal beliefs, experience, and views. If he does not like something in what he sees, hears, touches, then he experiences unpleasant emotions, which psychoanalysts refer to as destructive - anger, irritation, fear, anger, resentment. Accumulating in the subconscious, these emotions sooner or later find a way out. And this way out is a disease.
With rejection of oneself, self-abasement and a terrible resentment, pathological problems develop inside - tumors, inflammatory psychosomatic diseases, nervous disorders. If aggression is aimed at the world around, then violations will be from outside.... This is exactly how, with the fear of the outside world, with rejection of it, allergies arise.
Development mechanisms in children
The task of the skin and mucous membranes is to protect the body from adverse external influences.
If a child is hostile or wary of the world around him, then the manifestations of allergies are almost inevitable.
But where, you ask, can a kid get a negative perception of the world around him, because he has not yet had time to form his own experience of interacting with him? Everything is very simple. The kid, really, did not have time to form opinions about what is good and what is bad in this world, what is dangerous and what is safe, but his parents managed to do it, who from the first days of life begin to teach the crumbs to their child.
While the baby is lying in the cradle, mom and dad are worried that he will not be blown, so that strangers do not touch him, so that they do not become infected with bacteria or viruses. Mom is terrified of eating something "wrong" while breastfeeding. The baby perfectly feels, although he is not yet able to analyze, mother's feelings, and therefore the world around him begins to seem to him by no means so safe.
When a baby learns to walk independently, he is constantly warned (of course, solely from good intentions) that it is impossible to step into a puddle - there will be a cold, there is no need to stroke the cat - worms or fleas will appear, especially if the cat is someone else's. From the first years of life, a subconscious block is firmly laid in a baby, which says that the world around must be feared, because it carries a threat.
The harder the parents try, the more often the baby becomes covered with a rash on eaten berries or a stranger's cat stroked, a runny nose and cough appear. All these defense mechanisms in his body are "turned on" subconsciously to protect the little man from dangers.
And now try to answer the question yourself, why in dysfunctional families or families where there are many children, and therefore it is not always possible to make sure everyone does not touch the cat in the yard, children suffer from allergies much less often than children surrounded by parental care? The answer is simple - they have less beliefs about the harm of the world.
And one more nuance - why in the overwhelming majority of allergies "outgrow" and pass without a trace in childhood, and only 2% of children take it with them into adulthood? The answer is also not too complicated - the child gains his own experience with age, forms personal attitudes that destroy the attitudes of mom and dad, and this "reconciles" him with the world around him.
One more the cause of allergies in children is the intolerance of someone in their own environment... Usually, such an allergy manifests itself not from birth, but at a more conscious age, for example, at the birth of a second child, when the first one begins to pay less attention and anger and resentment towards the younger one develops, as well as when a stepfather or stepmother appears in the family, if this person does not like.
Such an allergy can also be quite severe, but it is usually "outgrown", gradually realizing what's what in the relationship of people.
From childhood to adulthood, allergies to something are carried out mainly by those whose parental attitudes turned out to be stronger than their own experience, if the influence of the parents was authoritarian and strong, if the child's own will and self-esteem were seriously affected (he stroked cats in the yard and did not dare!).
The conclusion is simple - the further civilization moves towards its development, the more it moves away from nature, nature is considered unsafe. Therefore - and the growth of allergic diseases throughout the planet.
Please note that among peoples who still live close to nature, and their children do not create beliefs that puddles and cats are dangerous (nomadic peoples, peoples of the North, some peoples of Africa), there are almost no cases of allergies in children, as well as cases of bronchial asthma. These childhood diseases today are the lot of developed and developing countries, in which most of the children live in cities, in comfortable apartments, surrounded by asphalt and the Internet.
Why does it appear in adults?
The main reason the development of allergies in adulthood should also be considered a conflict with the world, but now it develops a little differently. In most cases, negative attitudes towards the environment are highly personal, based on unpleasant experiences.
The woman was betrayed, deceived, and it is good, if only once. If there were several such men in her life, she may well form a negative opinion about the representatives of the opposite sex, and in their presence (at work, for example), if a rather close contact is necessary, she may well worsen dermatitis on her hands, on her face, manifest hives. A woman, of course, will look for the cause in pollen, dust, but gradually she will begin to notice that in the women's team, even in May, when everything is blooming, she has no itching, no rash, no runny nose.
Another example: a person is forced to communicate with a certain unpleasant person. And this communication is long-term (for example, at work, in the family). As irritation accumulates, which cannot be expressed for fear of being fired, kicked out or misunderstood, skin forms of allergy develop.
If a person senses and says that he literally "does not digest" someone or something, then a food allergy is likely to develop., which, moreover, will have completely physiological signs of food indigestion.
The subconscious is designed in such a way that everything that is presented and supported by a strong emotion may well come true, and exactly as it was intended, that is, literally (do not digest someone? - get indigestion and a rash).
The psychology of diseases is based precisely on the identification of the root cause, which launched the pathological processes at the physiological level.
If you find it correctly, you will not have to be observed by an allergist for many years, absorb tons of drugs. With the correct psychocorrection, there will be no trace of allergies.
Psychological portrait of an allergic person
Who is most at risk of becoming allergic? This issue requires separate clarification, since certain preconditions in temperament and personality type also determine the development of allergies.
So, a potential (or already existing) allergy sufferer:
- Often annoyed by trifles, can make a scandal from scratch.
- He is prone to violent manifestations of anger, anger, often evaluating negatively judges neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, government, etc.
- He is afraid of everything new and unfamiliar, with apprehension and suspicion of people, proposals, prospects.
- He is very suspicious, he often thinks that someone is conspiring behind his back, something is plotting.
- Afraid of the future, does not like to make plans, does not trust people around.
- With ecstasy, he once again digs up his past experiences, resentments, can talk for hours about how he was treated unfairly, treated.
- Very pedantic, often picky about others.
- I am absolutely convinced of stereotypes.
- Not confident in his abilities, has low self-esteem.
- He wants to be the best always and in everything.
- Sometimes, despite his inner emotionality, he is very restrained internally, tries not to show his true emotions.
- He blames anyone or anything for his troubles, but not himself - the weather, adopted laws, evil people, circumstances interfered. Taking responsibility and changing something in your life is usually hesitant.
- He is dissatisfied with his life, even if everything in it is going the way he wanted, he does not know how to enjoy the little things.
Allergy sufferers (both children and adults) are very touchy. They may be offended by a typical childish resentment not even at unpleasant words or actions addressed to them, but at reasons that they have invented due to their increased suspiciousness.
There are many allergy sufferers who have experienced severe stress during childhood., for example, was pretty frightened by a huge spider thrown into his backpack. Subsequently, a negative reaction of the body will be generated every time you see or mention arthropods.
The subconscious mind does not specify, it is able to associate the fear or dislike felt towards something with completely unrelated objects from the outside world.
Example: a child eats a pear, at this moment he sees on TV a scary monster in a movie that scares him. If the fear was very strong, then it is possible that at the psychosomatic level the connection between the release of the stress hormone and the pear that the child was eating at that moment will be fixed. This is how a pear allergy is born. Every time a child is given this fruit, he will develop a rash on his face, hands, or even a food allergy to the product.
Reasons from the point of view of different researchers
Researchers in the field of psychosomatic medicine and psychology often, for the convenience of readers, compile tables of diseases with justification of the most likely causes of their occurrence. Those who decide to look for an answer in these tables may encounter some discrepancies. They are related to the fact that each researcher made conclusions based on his own experience and the experience of his patients. Here are several points of view of recognized figures in the field of psychosomatics:
By Liz Burbo
Liz Burbo believes that any manifestations of allergy, whether it be atopic dermatitis or allergic rhinitis, are associated with aversion to reality, irritability. In her opinion, an allergic person forbids himself to live and breathe deeply, to enjoy life only because from childhood he is convinced that any well-being and pleasure must be earned.
This attitude is usually formed in childhood, when parents praise and approve of the child only for good grades and success in sports. If he stumbles, he is scolded. On the emotional level, the allergic sufferer has obvious blockages of the release of emotions, fears, resentments.
According to Valery Sinelnikov
The therapist and psychotherapist Valery Sinelnikov believes that the cause of allergies is a violation of the exchange of emotions with the world... In other words, a person does not know how to express his feelings, they accumulate. If enough "dirty" thoughts accumulate, then a rash, dermatitis, urticaria appears.
Children's allergies, according to Dr. Sinelnikov, often occur as a way to attract the attention of adults., to draw their attention to the fact that they have accumulated quite a lot of "dirty" emotions. So, in families where parents often quarrel, a small child who cannot influence the situation in any other way expresses his irritation from the scandals of two dear people with allergic attacks.
By Louise Hay
Louise Hay saw the deep roots of an allergic reaction are in self-doubt, in the inability to cope with that irritationthat is caused by someone or something in a person's environment.
She recommended to remove the negative attitude with new affirmations, which should gradually replace the hostile perception of the world and people around and create a more supportive background.
New statements should be based on the principles of their own safety, a person must convince himself that there is nothing dangerous or hostile around him, that he is safe.
Treatment based on psychosomatic causes
Treating allergies with traditional remedies, as we have seen, is about fighting the symptoms.Considering that it is they who bother you, it is clearly not worth refusing to use pills, ointments and injections prescribed by a doctor. But the allergy will come back again if the cause is not found or eliminated.
Knowing that the reason is within us, we should analyze the situation. If it is difficult to do this on your own, it is worth contacting a psychologist or psychotherapist. Allergies need to be treated with awareness of the problem, and methods that will allow you to achieve a greater disposition towards the environment and people.
Trainings to increase confidence, to eliminate negative children's attitudes, to forgive offenders, as well as relaxation methods, art therapy (for children and adults) - will certainly give results. The more tolerant and benevolent the world becomes for a person, the less often allergic inclinations will appear.
To cure a baby, parents should pay attention not only to the list of medications prescribed by the pediatrician, but also to their relationships, and the attitude of each of the spouses to the world outside the doorstep.
For more information on the psychosomatic causes of allergies, see the following video.
