Let me begin by saying this with full respect: your medical books are not wrong. They are brilliant repositories of information; the product of decades of study, research, and patient documentation. I truly respect and admire the sincere doctors, other medical personnel and their dedication. But, when I talk about the emotional root of lifestyle diseases or physical health, I am usually dismissed as someone who doesn’t know what he is talking about. Maybe the scientific method has lost what it worked on – the sense of wonder and curiosity!
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen eyes roll when I mention that lifestyle and dietary choices, which is believed to be the cause of diseases, are deeply influenced by emotions. And if I say that food cravings or substance abuse might be linked to inner child wounds, emotional neglect, or identity shame, then it’s like I’ve thrown a bomb!
Every time I speak of this link between emotions and diseases, or emotional root of lifestyle diseases, Some in the medical field respond with questions like:
“Where’s the evidence?”
“Are you saying cancer is caused by emotions?”
“Are you blaming the patient for their disease?”
Of course science believes in something that can be measured. So, we can measure hormones and other chemicals in the body but emotions – especially hidden emotions are another game. We can measure Cortisol or Serotonin, we can even synthesise these. but can we measure stress or self worth? And how do these emotions or lack of them affect us?
“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
This is what I and many of those who work in the space of emotional healing, Bach remedies, shadow work, and energy transformation believe in.
- People don't just eat junk food because they're lazy.
- They don’t stay addicted because they’re weak.
- They don’t avoid exercise because they love being tired or sick.
But, these are coping mechanisms, help them in numbing and they are trying to survive in the only way they know how.
Because while the diagnosis may be in the lab reports, the root of the dis-ease is usually buried deep in the emotional terrain.
“The body keeps the score. But emotions write the script.”
What I’m saying is that our bodies listen. Our cells are constantly eavesdropping on the stories we tell ourselves, the emotions we suppress, the traumas we haven’t named. And our choices around food, movement, sleep, even addictions — often stem from unacknowledged emotional needs. This may not be in your medical textbooks. But it’s in your patients. It’s in their eyes. Their voices. Their fatigue.
What I’ve Observed: The emotional root of lifestyle diseases
Addictions (Alcohol, Smoking, Porn, Drugs etc)
Emotionally linked to:
Abandonment
Sense of loneliness/ Emotional Void
Escapism from emotional pain
Inner Rage/ Rebellion against suppressed control
Lack of healthy mirrors
- Need to feel ‘alive’ or ‘numb’
Addiction is often not about pleasure but about unfelt pain.
What they say to themselves:
“I need something to hold me together… because I don’t feel safe in my own skin.” Or “I don’t know how else to numb this ache.”
Over or compulsive eating/ Junk Food Cravings
Emotionally linked to:
Inner emptiness / emotional hunger
Need for comfort and self-soothing
Suppressed grief
Shame from childhood body-related comments
Guilt over pleasure
- Lack of nurturance
The body becomes a buffer to shield from feeling too exposed.
What they say to themselves:
“I fill myself with food because I feel empty within/ was never nourished emotionally.”
Skipping Meals/ Restrictive Eating/ Orthorexia
Emotionally linked to:
Control issues
Perfectionism
Feeling undeserving of nourishment
Trauma linked to physical appearance
Fear of judgment
What they say to themselves:
“If I can control this one thing, maybe I’ll feel less helpless.” Or “I don’t deserve nourishment.” or “I’m not a priority.”
Sedentary Lifestyle/ Avoidance of Exercise
Emotionally linked to:
Disconnection from the body
Fear of being seen / fear of failure
Unworthiness of self care
Deep fatigue from emotional burnout
Lack of exercise is not about laziness but about self care and self importance.
What they say to themselves:
“What’s the point? I’m already failing everywhere else.”
Inconsistent Sleep Patterns / Insomnia
Emotionally linked to:
Unprocessed anxiety
Fear of being alone with thoughts
Overstimulation/ Hypervigilance from unexpressed feelings
Lack of safety/ Emotional Incompletion
Insomnia is about overactive mind that refuses to go into parasympathetic mode.
What they say to themselves:
“My body’s tired, but my heart is still carrying weight I haven’t dropped.” Or Ï don’t feel safe.”
Compulsive Gyming/ Overtraining
Emotionally linked to:
External validation
Suppressed anger
Identity crisis (especially in midlife)
Desire to “earn” love through appearance
Avoidance of inner stillness
What they say to themselves:
“If I look strong, maybe I won’t feel so broken inside.” Or “People will like me when I look good.”
Social Media/ Digital Addiction
Emotionally linked to:
Need for attention/ validation
Loneliness
Avoidance of real-life emotional pain
Identity comparison wounds
What they say to themselves:
“If I can get likes out there, maybe I’ll feel liked in here.”
Chronic Digestive Issues (Acidity, IBS etc)
Emotionally linked to:
Anxiety
Hyper-control
Repressed Fear
When life feels overwhelming, unsafe or ‘undigestible’, the stomach becomes the battlefield.
What they say to themselves:
“If I can get likes out there, maybe I’ll feel liked in here.”
Low Libido or Sexual Health Challenges
Emotionally linked to:
Shame regarding sexuality
Performance Pressure
Guilt about ‘dirty thoughts’
Emotional Disconnect
Societal narratives about sexuality cause deep-rooted splits between desire and worthiness.
What they say to themselves:
“If I can get likes out there, maybe I’ll feel liked in here.”
Let’s Stop the Binary, And learn to question:
It’s not Science versus ‘Non Science’. Just because something cannot be measured, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. When we bridge the two, that is when the magic happens. And this is why I speak openly about the body-emotion connection—because no amount of healthy eating or exercising or medicines can truly heal what the heart is still suppressing. You have to address the emotional root of lifestyle diseases!
This doesn’t mean we reject science. It means we expand it. We weave in psycho-emotional intelligence, energy healing, and psycho-somatic medicines so that people can stop punishing their bodies for carrying pain they were never taught to express.
A Gentle Invitation
To those in the medical profession who feel curious but skeptical; I invite you to lean in with an open heart. Let’s not dismiss what we don’t yet understand. Let’s ask better questions. Because maybe…
That migraine isn’t just neurological.
That acidity isn’t just because of bad food habits.
That cigarette isn’t just an addiction.
It’s not about discipline, but about compassion.
Maybe, just maybe, emotions are speaking. And it’s time we start listening.
If this stirred something in you, drop a comment or message me. Let’s start a conversation that bridges healing, science, and soul.
Would you like to read more? You can go through this list of Mental emotional causes of Diseases Or Emotional Causes of Cancer.
Beautifully explained. Great insight. And the absolute truth.
Thankyou Namrata.
Wat an insight!……wonderfully explained. We must work on root cause rather than just curing the symptoms & suppressing the illness which will only make it worst. Thank you for this informative article
Thankyou Simran. Of course working on the root cause will cure the symptoms and not just manage them!
Very well written Abhinav!
I think medical fraternity knows it as to some extent emotions can be measured in terms of cortisol ,the stress hormone, neurotransmitters like dopamine, GABA etc.also the EEG can reflect activity of amygdala in the brain. But since they’re trained only in diagnosis and pharmacology, all they can do is prescribe medicines. Some of them do advice on lifestyle and stress reduction. Psychosomatic illnesses aren’t new today, and psychoeducation is the key.
Keep it up!
Thankyou Veena. Emotions or rather their effects on the physical body can be measured but as you said that the medical fraternity is only trained in diagnosis. Maybe it is time that we go beyond medications?
I can’t tell how much every single word in this article resonates with me. I’m a nutritionist who has tried and followed every diet out there. Don’t even talk about the calorie counting….I’ve done it like crazy for almost 20 years. All this only to attract clients because I thought if I’m not slim , people don’t trust me as a nutritionist. I’m now a different person after I found out that it was perfection that I was running after. I am the best example for a wounded healer.
On other thing that resonates deeply with me is that my husband is a Doctor and we have endless conversations about this and it never ends cordially. We run a hospital and it is also very difficult to convince people that they need some inner healing rather than antacids and all other medicines to cure them.
Thank you so much for bringing this up
Thanks Nandini. Aren’t we all wounded healers in our own way? And most people do believe that only medicine works and rest is all hogwash. Do keep at it and avoid trying to convince your husband – rather just keep working on yourself. As the saying goes – Be the change that you want to see!