Psychosomatics of Pneumonia and Lung Inflammation According to Psychologists

One of the main reasons for the development and exacerbation of pneumonia is psychosomatics. In psychosomatic medicine, any respiratory organ pathologies are considered an indicator that a person cannot ‘breathe fully.’ This means in life, their needs and desires are suppressed, someone or something is pressing on them, hindering the achievement of goals. But let’s consider specific cases of diseases and their causes, as well as the views of several authoritative contemporary psychosomatists.

Psychosomatics of Bronchitis and Pneumonia

Bronchitis in adults indicates dissatisfaction. This could involve hidden resentments or suppressed desires, the machinations of acquaintances (‘they don’t let me breathe peacefully’).

Psychosomatics of Lung Inflammation – a Sign of Despair According to psychosomatic theory, the lungs and other respiratory organs are involved in the energy exchange between the individual and the world. When there’s too much negativity, the lungs become clogged.

Psychosomatic Causes

Thus, the psychosomatic causes of bronchitis and pneumonia include:

• Excess of negative emotions, frequent contact with negative energy;
• Victim mentality, self-sacrifice, deliberate refusal of life’s pleasures;
• Inability to change life for the better;
• Fatigue, psychophysiological exhaustion;
• Tendency to self-analysis, self-punishment, self-blame;
• Grief and state of despair;
• Dwelling on negative memories and experiences.

Personality traits that predispose to these diseases include:

• Low self-esteem;
• Insecurity;
• Increased self-control and excessive self-criticism;
• Hypertrophied sense of duty, decency, correctness.

Interesting Fact! Pneumonia more often affects goal-oriented people. In pursuit of goals, they forget about basic needs, get overworked and exhausted, leading to illness.

Pneumonia According to Louise Hay

According to Louise Hay, lung diseases result from unexpressed feelings and emotions, unspoken words and opinions. They also indicate tiredness of life, despair, unhealed emotional wounds. She recommends combating the disease with affirmations: ‘I freely inhale divine ideas, filled with the breath and intellect of life. This is a new beginning.’

Pneumonia According to Vladimir Zhikarentsev

Vladimir Zhikarentsev cites the same reasons as Louise Hay and suggests a similar affirmation: ‘I easily accept divine ideas, filled with the breath and intellect of life. This is a new moment in my life.’

Pneumonia According to Liz Burbo

According to Liz Burbo’s theory, the cause of pneumonia and bronchitis is the severe experience of a situation perceived as life-threatening. The person feels cornered, the situation hopeless, or experiences such heaviness and pressure that they can’t ‘breathe.’ Sometimes pneumonia develops against the backdrop of depression and deep disappointment or fear of living life to the fullest.

For correction, one must realize that only they can suppress and corner themselves. It’s not someone else, but you, possibly through others, allowing such treatment. It’s essential to allow yourself to live and enjoy life. Remember your desires, fulfill them. Learn to enjoy life, appreciate and love it; see opportunities and perspectives in every situation. For complete healing, it’s useful to combine mental work with breathing exercises.

Pneumonia According to Valery Sinelnikov

Valery Sinelnikov names unhealed emotional wounds and chronic fatigue as causes of pneumonia. The solution is changing your lifestyle, learning self-care, and working through traumas.

Psychosomatics of Lung Inflammation and Bronchitis in Children

The main psychosomatic cause of bronchitis and lung inflammation in children is an unfavorable family environment. Reasons why children get sick:

• Parental quarrels;
• Conflicts between children and parents;
• Offenses and misunderstandings;
• Authoritarian parenting style (‘not allowed to breathe freely,’ ‘can’t breathe without their permission’);
• Overprotective parenting style (‘smothered’ with excessive care);
• Low social status of the family;
• Parents’ asocial lifestyle;
• Ignoring the child’s opinion;
• Humiliation, psychological pressure.

There could be many specific precursors, but the main reason is family distress.

Furthermore, the psychosomatics of pneumonia in children are linked to self-confidence. Often, insecure and intimidated children get sick, typically from authoritarian families. In these families, parents convince the child of their worthlessness, uselessness, and redundancy. Often, children are subjected to violence and cruel treatment. All this causes irreparable harm to the child’s psyche. The child’s worries, anxieties, and fears turn into coughs, bronchitis, and lung inflammation.

Interesting Fact! Sometimes parents’ good intentions have the same detrimental effect as authoritarianism. For example, forcing a child to share everything, concede, help, or hide their real emotions and desires. This lowers the child’s self-esteem, forms a victim mentality, and teaches putting their interests below others. Over time, chronic dissatisfaction builds up, provoking respiratory diseases.

Solving the Situation

To resolve the problem, one should lower demands on themselves, allow relaxation and enjoyment. It’s beneficial to find an ‘outlet,’ such as a hobby or passion. It’s also necessary to reevaluate life values, beliefs, and priorities. Important to let go of sorrowful memories from the past and focus on the present.

What to Do if a Child is Sick:

1. Change the atmosphere in the family. Listen to the child’s opinion, consider their interests, needs, and desires.
2. Avoid shouting at the child or each other in their presence. Resolve contradictions peacefully.
3. Avoid criticizing the child’s personality. Calmly express dissatisfaction with their behavior (specific actions), share your feelings and experiences, explain your position.
4. No orders or claims. Only requests and wishes.
5. Praise and support the child. Avoid comparing them to other children, especially negatively. Constructive criticism is appropriate, but only in a calm tone with detailed explanations and suggestions for improvement. Overall, there should always be more praise than criticism.
6. Allow freedom in development. Avoid raising the child in your own image, realizing your ideas and dreams in them.
7. Minimum pressure, maximum support.

The main condition for eliminating and preventing all psychosomatic diseases is harmony of the individual with themselves and the world.

Important! If a medical cause of the disease (virus, infection) is found, comprehensive treatment is necessary: psychotherapy + medication.

Preventive Measures

For prevention, it’s necessary to develop self-confidence. It allows expressing and defending opinions, stating needs. Self-confident people are adequate in demands and expectations of others, thus not getting offended or angry. They are adequate in self-demands, avoiding disappointment and overwork.

Love and support, positive thinking – another important condition for preventing respiratory diseases. Pay attention to meditation and other relaxation methods. Don’t forget about proper nutrition, massage, physical and social activity, adequate rest. Try to spend more time in nature. It’s beneficial for both physical and mental health.

Important! Sometimes people can’t independently see the problem’s cause. They think they live a normal life, while overwork and workaholism are just modern world costs. In such cases, it’s necessary to consult a psychologist or psychotherapist. A specialist will help recognize the irrationality of habitual behavior.”