To ask if people can cause illness?

[Chuggachuggatoottoot]

First of all I want to point out that in no way am I looking to offend anyone and also that this is not a belief of mine, I obviously don't know but wondered if there was anything in the possibility of it?

I do think mental states can lower your resistance to ill health or increase your resistance. I have seen people die very quickly because they give up and resist death because they are not ready for it. our minds and our /bodies are interconnected.

'You can't give yourself cancer by not loving yourself. Nor can you cure yourself by doing so. Absolute tosh and very insulting to people who have terminal cancer.'

This. FFS

Stress alone lowers the immune system, which lessons our ability to fight any infection/disease.

It does lots of other things to our body/brain, as well.

On the BBC program "how to stay young", one Woman's issue was just stress. It put 25 years on her body age. After using techniques to prevent stress, her body age came down to five years younger than she was.

As we age, we become more susceptible to disease, so lowering our body age, by reducing what we can, prevents us from getting ill.

mental health can affect u in many ways but not cancer no

thats like saying my mum didnt love herself enough to cure her cancer

OP you should consider looking at a book called Smile by Barbara Ehrenreich, she wrote it after she developed breast cancer and came up against the 'positive thinking' brigade, which she dismisses very convincingly.

For what it's worth three women I know have died recently from cancer-related illness, all well under 50. All of them healthy, happy people before becoming ill. One a runner and health-food obsessive, another didn't drink, ate healthy food, the third ate healthily didn't drink and cycled everywhere. None of them smoked, all were in happy relationships, all of them healthy weights. I know several stressed-out people, heavy drinkers and/or smokers with terrible diets who have already outlived all of these friends by years. It's much more of a lottery than it seems.

Silver, yes it has.

Which is why evidence based alternative therapies became available on the NHS and massage etc is offered in Cancer hospitals etc.

Hello! Cancer survivor here. Got diagnosed at 27 at my mental and physical peak. Felt entirely negative as chemotherapy after chemotherapy failed. Somehow managed to live - perhaps due to the treatment provided rather than mental state.
As a PP said, snake oil. You knew this would offend and upset people so why ask the question?

I know that the idea "negative thinking causes illness" is big in the new age / law of attraction communities (clue: not mumsnet) but it's demonstrably not true. Think about the most negative, toxic, unpleasant people you know. Now think of the people you know who've struggled with chronic illnesses. I will bet money that there is little to no crossover!

An idea that I think DOES have merit is that unresolved emotional issue can build up to create illnesses. Many of the sweet and lovely people I know who have battle the likes of cancer, kidney failure, ME, MS etc have also been very put upon people who never put themselves first, have had unhappy childhoods etc. I think all that angst has got to come out somewhere.

I lost a parent to cancer. I don't understand why these things happen. I read a book and I'm trying to make sense of everything. I'm sorry to anyone if I have offended with questioning.

Stress and depression can lower immune system, predisposing you to illness, minor or serious, but not directly causing it. Some people more likely to get particular illnesses for genetic or lifestyle reasons. So stands to reason that difficult relationships, poor coping strategies, poverty etc do not enhance well being

Within reason I think mental health can affect our physical health but I don't think it can cause cancer.

Its also been proven that severe or ongoing anxiety can cause heart disease. Also long term depression/isolation.

There's also been studies done around Meditation to Buddhist levels, we know that regular meditation improves mental and physical health.

X post OP.

As much as I've said, I don't think you can cause Cancer.

I think there is more to be discovered about the workings of the mind/body connection.

But I think the idea that negative thinking causes cancer is way too simplistic, and could easily cause offence.

My (incurable) cancer is being kept in check (currently barely detectable) because of the state-of-the-art drug I take daily. Not because of any part of personal/emotional aspects that go hand in hand with it.

@Chuggachuggatoottoot because life's a bitch. I get it..I really do. When dad died we blamed his job,we blamed a certain radio active accident etc. It might've been his very limited smoking. We researched and went down an Internet black hole. Mum retreated (during his illness too) in religion,and prayer,and holistic treatments and herbal stuff and what not. I read medical journals and forums and looked at treatments in other countries etc. In the end it didn't matter..the route we took or what caused it.

Life just fucking sucks sometimes.

to anybody suffering with illness

Don't believe what you read in her book. I've come across people who believe a lack of faith causes illness! Rubbish. Everyone will be ill at some time or another and we're all going to die - just not yet.

Whatever happens do not let this woman's rubbish stick in your mind - she could easily make you ill!