Repressing The Real You Makes You Sick (For Real)

By Lissa Rankin, MD

Guest writer for Wake Up World

I write a lot about authenticity, being unapologetically YOU, and letting your freak flag fly. In my TEDx talk (see below), I spoke about the importance of tapping into your Inner Pilot Light and living in alignment with what’s true for you as a means of both preventative medicine and medical treatment. And in my book Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself, I make the assertion that caring for your body is the least important part of your health and that expressing your true self in all aspects of your life is the most important part.

But you might not believe me. How can authenticity and disease be linked?

As research for my next book, I’m reading the book Consciousness & Healing. In a chapter co-written by the phenomenal Candace Pert, a study was referenced that blew me away.

Authenticity & Disease Progression

Steve Cole and his colleagues at UCLA investigated HIV-positive gay men to determine whether how “out” vs. “closeted” they were with their homosexuality affected disease progression. Study participants were asked to rate themselves as “definitely in the closet,” “in the closet most the time,” “half in and half out,” “out most of the time,” or “completely out of the closet.” Researchers then followed the course of their disease.

What did they find?

CONTINUE READING:

Recommended reading from Lissa Rankin:

• Relationships on the Spiritual Path
• The “Space Between Stories”
• How to Make Your Body Ripe for Miracles
• Are You “Spiritual But Not Religious?”
• A Lesson In Empathy
• 9 Practical Tips to Help You Find Your Calling
• 10 Fun Ways to Reduce Your Cortisol Levels
• 6 Stories To Make You Believe In The Power Of The Mind To Heal You
• 7 Tips For Finding Your Tribe
• 10 Surprising Things That Trigger “Fight-Or-Flight”
• 8 Steps to Turn Conflict Into Spiritual Gold: A Practice

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