Is it true that holding anger causes autoimmune diseases in women? This is the explanation of experts

Women hold their anger (Photo: Freepik/Freepik)

JAKARTA - Autoimmune diseases are increasingly talked about in recent years, especially because most sufferers are women. This condition occurs when the immune system that should protect it actually attacks the body's own tissues.

But an interesting question arises, is the habit of holding emotions, especially anger, also a factor in increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases in women?

A number of studies show that women are much more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than men. It is estimated that about 80 percent of autoimmune diseases occur in women.

In addition, women also have a higher level of psychological disorders, such as anxiety, PTSD, to eating disorders. This makes researchers begin to look at the possibility of a relationship between emotional health and physical health, especially the immune system.

In many cultures, women are often taught to be patient, to take care of other people's feelings, and to avoid conflict. Unwittingly, this makes many women accustomed to suppressing their own feelings, especially anger.

In fact, anger is a normal and human emotion. When this emotion is never expressed or processed healthily, some experts believe it can affect the health of the body.

Psychologist Dana Jack discovered a pattern that she called self-silencing, namely the tendency for women to silence themselves, suppress personal needs, and always try to please others. She said this behavior is related to an increased risk of depression.

A number of studies have also found that suppressed emotions can trigger prolonged stress in the body. Chronic stress itself is known to have a major impact on the immune system.

Naturopathic endocrinologist Dr. Jolene Brighten explains that suppressing emotions can affect the body's balance.

"Suppressing emotions, especially anger, has been linked to increased stress, impaired immune system function, and chronic inflammation that can contribute to the development or worsening of autoimmune diseases," said Dr. Jolene, quoted from The Independent website.

According to him, unprocessed emotions can activate the body's stress response system continuously. This is related to the work of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) which regulates stress hormones such as cortisol.

If cortisol continues to be high in the long term, the immune system can become imbalanced. In some cases, this can worsen autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or thyroid disorders.

Even so, experts emphasize that the relationship between suppressed emotions and autoimmune diseases has not been fully proven directly. Autoimmune diseases are complex and influenced by many factors, ranging from genetics, hormones, the environment, to lifestyle.

Health psychologist Dr. Sula Windgassen emphasized that human health is influenced by various aspects at once.

"Health is basically biopsychosocial in nature and is influenced by biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Therefore, we cannot see the disease from only one factor," said Dr. Sula.

He added that research on the suppression of emotions and the immune system is still evolving, although the field of psychoneuroimmunology has shown that psychological conditions can indeed affect the immune system.

Instead of continuing to hold emotions, experts suggest that women start learning to recognize and express their feelings in a healthy way. This way is not only good for mental health, but can also help maintain body balance.

Some of the recommended ways include:

- Writing a journal to express feelings

- Talk to a therapist or counselor

- Doing physical activities such as sports or dancing

- Breathing and mindfulness exercises

- Build a more assertive and healthy communication

Managing emotions does not mean venting anger without control, but giving space for feelings to be processed in a healthy way.

In the end, although controlling emotions is not the only cause of autoimmune diseases, more and more studies show that emotional health and physical health are closely related.

Listening to the body and giving space to emotions can be an important step to maintain overall health.