Psyche, Stress, and Selye

The great Hungarian endocrinologist Hans Selye (b.1907) began his studies on rats. Ten years later, he turned his interest and  observations to humans, recognizing that general symptoms like fever and aches were common to many “sicknesses,” He surmised that the body responded to an irritant or illness in a similar manner, no matter what the cause, and that doctors, accordingly, tended to prescribe general treatments such as rest and good nutrition regardless of the diagnosis,

Although Dr. Selye focused on physiology and the body, he understood that his observations applied to encompass the psyche too. He said, “Find your own stress level-the speed at which you can run toward your own goal. ...Make sure that both the stress level and the goal are really your own, and not imposed upon you by society, for only you yourself can know what you want and how fast you can accomplish it.”

He elaborated, saying, ”There is no point in forcing a turtle to run like a race horse or in preventing a race horse from running faster than a turtle because of some ‘moral obligation.’ The same is true of people.”

Selye’s advice coincides with last week’s blog post (“Voices Outside and Inside our Heads”). Sorting out and heeding our inner voice(s) is essential to diminish the stress on our bodies. Living our authentic self (i.e., a turtle like a turtle and not a race horse) rewards us with energy and the joy of developing and sharing our unique talents.

Everyone copes with and confronts (his own authentic) obstacles along the way. Selye noted a surprising one. He said, ”If I had known more, I would never have asked myself questions.” Although we commonly assume that the more we know the better, Selye viewed knowledge as an obstacle. The point is that no matter what the obstacle(s), confronting it (them) is an important step of the journey.

Mr. A.’s obstacle was fear. He backed away from a promising career because he was afraid of failure, and then was afraid to tell his peers that he had given up his profession. He continued to withdraw from everyone and everything. And he suffered from one physical illness after the next.  His life remained on hold until he faced his fears.

As usual, the message is clear and easy to vociferate, but complex and tough to apply.

1.     Listen to the inner voice (the one that often speaks loudest in silent moments.)

2.     Face your obstacles with honesty.

Conclusion: Over 100 years ago, the great physiologist recognized the intimate connection between our body and our psyche. Our physical health depends on discovering who we are (our true self) beyond the expectations of cultural factors and other people. An authentic existence is vital to good physical health.

Dear Reader, Your comments are welcome. Jsimon145@gmail.com