The mind, interpersonal relationships, and personal growth are a fascinating topic. Dr. Tertulien. Ph.D.; M.P.H.; M.S.
Yet, many of us are more concerned with how psychology impacts our daily lives. We wonder about how our background impacts our thinking, how our childhood affects how we see others, how the country in which we were raised relates to what we think is culturally appropriate or inappropriate. Furthermore, we want to succeed in life, and yet we wonder what true success is, is it money, fame, a career, or is it the ability to stand by principles such as morality, honesty, having a happy family.
The dichotomy of mind and brain has been a subject of interest for centuries. Is it serotonin and dopamine, or my personality? How can I control my emotions? How can I be less angry and milder? How can I trust and not be jealous? How can I express how I feel and avoid being passive aggressive? How can I control my negative thoughts that make me sad and have positive thoughts that make me happy?
It is no longer a question whether our psychology affects our physiology, or vice versa. The mind-brain-body connection has been well established in literature and medicine itself. “Mental and physical health are undeniably linked. Research consistently demonstrates connections between psychosocial constructs (e.g., stress, anxiety, adversity) and physical health (neurocognitive development, chronic medical conditions)” (American Psychological Association, 2022). Burg and Pickering (2011) state that the cognitive and emotional stress negatively modifies our physiology, increasing our blood pressure, along with an increase in cardiac output (CO), sympathetic nervous system activity, and total peripheral resistance (TPR).
Hence, if we better understand psychodynamics, if we better understand our mind and how to manage deleterious thoughts, feelings, and behavior, then we will be happier and healthier. It is a “bidirectional and mechanistic relationship between mental and physical health” (APA, 2022). I hope that some of your questions can be answered here.