“If I had not forgiven I would have succumbed to the daily humiliations”. It is Natascha Kampush, the young Austrian woman kidnapped and abused for 8 years who says it. Forgiveness is a powerful way to withstand the ups and downs of life. On a daily basis it is also an excellent method to maintain good health. Moreover, recent scientific studies prove it. The reason ? Forgiveness erases resentment. However, this resentment leads to rumination, generates chronic stress, and disrupts the functioning of our body, explains Dr. Philippe Rodet, emergency doctor and business coach.
It soothes harmful biological reactions
“Resentment increases negative emotions, therefore promotes the release of cortisol, norepinephrine, adrenaline, aldosterone…”. Adrenaline increases the force of contraction of the heart and decreases the caliber of the vessels. Unsurprisingly, this affects blood pressure. Noradrenaline increases the phenomenon, while cortisol by retaining salt and water further increases blood mass. And so the tension. Have you been hurt? You swore to yourself that you would “never forgive”. Well know that you singularly increase your risk ofstroke… That’s a shame ! Resentment also promotes headaches, lower back pain and digestive disorders. According to Dr Rodet, emergency physician and business coach specializing in stress and psychosocial risks, it changes the intestinal flora, and plays on emotions. It’s a vicious circle: your negative emotions alter your flora. And the latter in turn, sends messages to the brain that reinforce anxiety and depression. We have thus been able to show changes in cerebral electrical activity under the effect of resentment. And since this emotion stimulates the same hormones as chronic stress, it is likely that in the long term it impacts the immune defenses.
It promotes well-being
And forgiveness in all this? It has exactly the opposite effect: it reduces anger, anxiety, depression. As a result, it regulates blood pressure, improves the quality of sleep, promotes general state of well-being. Better still, reminds Dr. Rodet, it boosts self-esteem. “After having forgiven, we have more self-confidence, in the future, we are more optimistic…”
Dr. Patrick Lemoine, doctor in neuroscience and psychiatrist, is also convinced of the effectiveness of forgiveness, in its dual function: to forgive and to BE forgiven. The psychiatrist uses it in particular to help with bereavement. “I ask the families to write to the deceased. Then to write the letter of response from the deceased. Most often, a request for forgiveness emerges from these exchanges. Sometimes, the first exchange is not enough. You have to continue the correspondence until loved ones manage to forgive the deceased for having abandoned them.” Forgiveness is both an aid to healing and a sign of this healing. ” In some particularly violent family stories, or in cases of post- traumatic, when forgiveness is manifested, it is the sign that the stress is under control, the suffering managed.
To read
–Happiness without a prescription (Eyrolles) 2015 by Dr Philippe Rodet. Optimism and gratitude as the key to happiness in the family as in the company, it is the bias of Dr. Rodet in a small book (140 p) rich in advice to tame stress and live happily.
–Heal your head without drugs, or almost… Dr. Patrick Lemoine (Robert Laffont). 2014. The book is based on the principle that the body has all the capacities for self-healing. It can make antibiotics, cancer drugs, antidepressants… Too many chemical treatments end up altering our capacity for self-healing…
See as well :
– Forgiveness frees
– Self-confidence: why it is necessary to know how to forgive
– Psycho: can you forgive everything in friendship?
