We focus a lot on diet, therapies, and a wide range of alternative natural treatments for cancer, but one area that doesn’t often get the attention it deserves is the state of our relationships with those closest to us. But the data is in. Research proves that our social relationships directly influence our physical health — for better or for worse.
Toxic relationships, in particular, don’t just affect our self-esteem, they can also kill us. The emotional carcinogens of a destructive relationship can be just as damaging as other more commonly recognized causal factors.
Your Body Knows
It could be a relationship with a spouse, family member, or even your circle of friends that is causing more harm than good – and your body responds accordingly. According to research conducted at UCLA’s School of Medicine, negative social interactions are linked to increased inflammation, a known root cause of a range of illnesses. The proinflammatory cytokine activity produced, specifically, cytokines IL-6 and TNF-a, have been linked to heart disease, depression, diabetes, and some cancers.
In the above mentioned study, researchers monitored a group of 122 healthy men and women, tracking the stressful events and emotions as portrayed in their diaries and comparing these incidents to the results of a cheek swab. Those participants who indicated stress-inducing, negative situations just before the swab was taken, had a higher number of the proteins produced by the body that are conditional for an increased risk of disease.
Their findings indicated that those who are more socially integrated “live longer and are less likely to experience specific disease outcomes.”
Interestingly, it’s not only our current relationships that can be destructive, past childhood experience may also play a factor in the development of disease. For example, researchers cited an “early family cold and conflict-ridden environment” tied to elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in adulthood. CRP is a byproduct of IL-6 and a known diagnostic marker of cancer. Researchers defined this type of chronic relationship stress as being characterized by “conflict, mistrust, and instability.”
Change Can Be Healthy
Back when I had cancer (over 35 years ago), I didn’t know the science behind toxic relationships. But I knew instinctively that I needed to be around positive people with a like mindset. And that’s exactly what I did. The time I spent at the Kushi Institute in New England took me out of my Texas comfort zone and propelled me into a new world full of hope and encouragement, teaching and training. The relationships I made while there were life-changing. You can read more about it in Chapter 5 of my book, I Used to Have Cancer.
Let’s face it. Stress is inevitable. And sometimes we find ourselves in situations and relationships that aren’t helping us. When you’re facing a cancer diagnosis, it’s not selfish to disengage from those toxic relationships and surround yourself instead with positive, likeminded people. It just may be the impetus that changes your body’s chemical reactions, alleviating the chronic stress you may be under and elevating you to a more healthy reaction to the stressors life brings your way.
References available upon request.
