Personality And Physical Health, Cause Or Consequence?

[Collden]

I'm isolating a couple of different schools of thought here

1) Metabolic health determines mental health, work to fix your physical health issues and your perceived personality flaws such as anxiety, depression, irritability, lack of self-confidence and self-absorption/narcissism will resolve themselves. A physically healthy person will automatically have strong, positive and pleasant personality

2) Mental health determines metabolic health, unresolved childhood trauma and insecure attachment leads to the development of chronic stress and muscular tensions due to your inability to set healthy boundaries, develop healthy relationships and fully deal with and resolve emotional stress, this stress and tension ultimately gives rise to physical disease. A person with a strong and positive personality based on a solid foundation of inner emotional security is very resilient to environmental stress of any kind

3) Certain personality flaws, such as narcissism, intimacy issues, and phobias, are independent of physical health, and no matter how physically healthy you become, such issues still need to be worked on with some manner of cognitive behaviour therapy.

For many years I believed pretty much entirely in #2, thought that many health issues were mental in origin and tried to resolve them through psychoanalysis, CBT, and meditation/spirituality. I'm now not so sure that any of that, except some CBT stuff, has really accomplished anything, in fact psychoanalysing my perceived mental issues only seemed to magnify them and make them worse.

Lately, I've been reading up on how certain entirely physical factors like Vitamin A poisoning and liver dysfunction can profoundly affect cognition, even produce alterations in consciousness, suicidal thoughts and frank psychosis, and now I'm leaning more towards the #1 camp here - that if you are metabolically healthy you will generally not feel any need to "work" on yourself but will just feel good and energetic and be too busy living life to focus on your mental health. I used to think my hypertension and muscular tension was due to chronic hidden emotional stress, but since I'm now finding them going away with just nutritional therapy it seems to not be the case.

Nevertheless maybe there is also something to #3, that even a person in perfect physical health can still have substantial mental issues that don't manifest in physical disease but only in unsatisfying relationships and general dissatisfaction with life. My impression is that there are plenty of (especially young) people who appear to be in good physical health yet are very unhappy due to their narcissism. In this case good physical health would still however greatly facilitate a persons efforts towards psychological growth by giving him the mental clarity to recognise his issues and the physical energy to do what he needs to do to resolve them.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

CBT does not work. 'CBT is a scam and a waste of money', says leading psychologist | Daily Mail Online

The idea that you can think yourself out of trauma is completely wrong. Emotions create thoughts, mostly to justify emotions. Psychonalysis is almost always a con, and most spirituality teaches you to escape your problems.

Other than that, physical and mental are not separate. The bodymind is one entity, and can be affected positively and negatively by thinking, feeling, nutrition, social relations etc. Improving physical health helps deal with emotions because it makes the bodymind stronger and thus dealing with it becomes easier. However all trauma healing requires dealing with the underlying emotional issue and the cognitive element is the least significant factor. Energy, emotion, embodied memory all are pathways to make actual changes.

 

[bromuda]

I don't think there's a clear correlation between metabolic health and overall life satisfaction. You need to have a good social life and fulfilling activities that you improve in. I can easily get depressed when laying on a beach with a drink in my hand doing jack **** even though it can be nice for an hour or two. I feel the best when I'm doing something and I can feel that I'm improving. I think for men this is especially true.

 

[Inspired]

All of the above are possible, but neither idea is more dominant than the other.

Some or a lot people put themselves into food comas 24/7. These people are sometimes "fat". But these people can sort of be........ anethesticized by their food consumption.

These people don't care how they look, and can even look really bad, and they appear or are actually "happy".

Vanity. If you care how you look, and you look good, you will feel good or feel good enough to at least able to partake in normal activities.

But vanity can also be crippling. If you care how you look, you probably don't want to be fat, so you're probably also under additional stress because you're always attempting to diet etc.

No matter if you start out good looking and worry free, or you are someone who started out not optimal and had to work for your eventual good looks, you will deal with the stress of vanity concerns.

I think it is also culture dependent. Western, specifically US culture, shifts a lot of energy towards vanity.

 

[LUH 3417]

All of the above are possible, but neither idea is more dominant than the other.

Some or a lot people put themselves into food comas 24/7. These people are sometimes "fat". But these people can sort of be........ anethesticized by their food consumption.

These people don't care how they look, and can even look really bad, and they appear or are actually "happy".

Vanity. If you care how you look, and you look good, you will feel good or feel good enough to at least able to partake in normal activities.

But vanity can also be crippling. If you care how you look, you probably don't want to be fat, so you're probably also under additional stress because you're always attempting to diet etc.

No matter if you start out good looking and worry free, or you are someone who started out not optimal and had to work for your eventual good looks, you will deal with the stress of vanity concerns.

I think it is also culture dependent. Western, specifically US culture, shifts a lot of energy towards vanity.

The time also dictates what is beautiful. It’s no doubt that fuller women were considered more attractive maybe 100 years ago.

I think western culture is obsessed with vanity because we’re the least healthy. If you’ve ever seen documentaries or videos of people living in small secluded villages there tends to not be as much variation in looks. But when one person ends up really attractive and everyone else is average in comparison that’s when lookism becomes an obsession, I think. I would imagine classism, lack of access to good food for most people, and stress due to inequality is directly correlated with being obsessed with looks.

Check out these beauty pageant contestants from the 1900s. If you’ve watched a modern beauty contest everyone looks basically the same in terms of what features are considered attractive. Same with these women, they all pretty much have the same shape of face, although if argue specific features had greater variety then they do on beauty contests today.

 

[Cirion]

I can easily get depressed when laying on a beach with a drink in my hand doing jack **** even though it can be nice for an hour or two.

Lol speak for yourself man, that's pretty much my ideal life =P

Everyone is different. Some people probably do need to always be doing something, but not me, I love a low stress lifestyle. Possibly in part because I'm still healing from metabolic disorders which necessitates avoiding all stressors, but even when I was healthy, I've always been a fan of the low stress lifestyle.

 

[Inspired]

The time also dictates what is beautiful. It’s no doubt that fuller women were considered more attractive maybe 100 years ago.

I think western culture is obsessed with vanity because we’re the least healthy. If you’ve ever seen documentaries or videos of people living in small secluded villages there tends to not be as much variation in looks. But when one person ends up really attractive and everyone else is average in comparison that’s when lookism becomes an obsession, I think. I would imagine classism, lack of access to good food for most people, and stress due to inequality is directly correlated with being obsessed with looks.

Check out these beauty pageant contestants from the 1900s. If you’ve watched a modern beauty contest everyone looks basically the same in terms of what features are considered attractive. Same with these women, they all pretty much have the same shape of face, although if argue specific features had greater variety then they do on beauty contests today.

I think men or people, have always loved all kinds of women, including full figured and overweight women. Women are beautiful, atleast in some ways, usually. I think other women generally decide what is considered attractive at the moment, and not men.

Full figured women are just as hot or attractive as ever.

Current Western culture, especially the US, is unhealthy. It helps to have a good supportive family too. That's lacking in the US, very often. You have a lot of unloved people who have to find love some way, whether from themselves or others. And sometimes good looks is one big way that people feel like they can get that love etc.

You also have to have the time to be able to care about looks. It is kind of a luxury.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

nvm

 

[Cirion]

Current Western culture, especially the US, is unhealthy. It helps to have a good supportive family too. That's lacking in the US, very often. You have a lot of unloved people who have to find love some way, whether from themselves or others. And sometimes good looks is one big way that people feel like they can get that love etc.

Almost no one is living their ideal life in the US. This is one of the main contributors besides diet to un-health IMO I now think. This is such a huge problem here. So many people are workaholics either because they're addicted to paychecks, or because they have to be to make ends meet. People are also obsessed with "keeping up with the Joneses" which means they have tons of debt which means they have to work even harder/longer. Average joe marries a woman who is a liability (when I say liability, I mean financially, before any ladies here take offense to this, she may be super hot and the nicest lady ever, so I don't mean liability to his mental state necessarily) financially because she is a stay at home mom or for other reasons like she spends a lot shopping or whatever. Many women also will demand a couple buy a very expensive house in a top school district (This was the case for my ex). My ex wanted to buy a house 2-3x price wise that I did, which would have devastated my ability to invest. They have a couple (or more kids) which is a further liability financially, he ends up upgrading the house which is yet another liability, has to buy a couple more cars for his teenagers which is two more liabilities, and the list goes on and on. Before long, he's completely unable to retire until 65-70+.

Let's be honest. How many people would quit their job tomorrow if they could? There's always something better to do than your 9-5 job, even if you love it (a way to prove that's the case, even the people who claim they love their 9-5, would they work their 9-5 for free? I highly doubt it.)

I finally came to be honest with myself regarding this, and now I'm actively doing all I can to make financial freedom a reality for myself. I don't hate my 9-5, the work can actually be nice sometimes, but being shackled to a cubicle 8+ hrs a day, business travel that I don't wanna do, commute times, sitting in front of artificial (flourescant) lighting, no sunlight, waking up to an alarm etc, these are all things I will not miss at all.

I'm done working for money. I am going to start making money work for me. Still gonna need a few more yrs at my cubicle prison (until age 40 or so), but I'll escape this prison far sooner than the average joe because at least I'm not shackled with endless debts. At least I reduced my prison sentence from life to 7-8 yrs. Not too bad.

 

[Inspired]

Beauty queens always were about BMI 19. I remember 15 years ago here fat people were rare or at leat 40. Now the average 20 year old looks like our parents did back then. Stress makes men less picky about weight, so I would guess there has never been a time when it was better to be full figured.

Where are you talking about?

There was a time when a guy would be judged if they had a woman who wasn't a stick figure. Some guys cared, and some didn't. I'm saying it's ok to be obese either though.

 

[Inspired]

Almost no one is living their ideal life in the US. This is one of the main contributors besides diet to un-health IMO I now think. This is such a huge problem here. So many people are workaholics either because they're addicted to paychecks, or because they have to be to make ends meet. People are also obsessed with "keeping up with the Joneses" which means they have tons of debt which means they have to work even harder/longer. Average joe marries a woman who is a liability (when I say liability, I mean financially, before any ladies here take offense to this, she may be super hot and the nicest lady ever, so I don't mean liability to his mental state necessarily) financially because she is a stay at home mom. They have a couple (or more kids) which is a further liability financially, he ends up upgrading the house which is yet another liability, has to buy a couple more cars for his teenagers which is two more liabilities, and the list goes on and on. Before long, he's completely unable to retire until 65-70+.

Let's be honest. How many people would quit their job tomorrow if they could? There's always something better to do than your 9-5 job, even if you love it (a way to prove that's the case, even the people who claim they love their 9-5, would they work their 9-5 for free? I highly doubt it.)

I finally came to be honest with myself regarding this, and now I'm actively doing all I can to make financial freedom a reality for myself. I don't hate my 9-5, the work can actually be nice sometimes, but being shackled to a cubicle 8+ hrs a day, business travel that I don't wanna do, commute times, sitting in front of artificial (flourescant) lighting, no sunlight, waking up to an alarm etc, these are all things I will not miss at all.

I'm done working for money. I am going to start making money work for me. Still gonna need a few more yrs at my cubicle prison (until age 40 or so), but I'll escape this prison far sooner than the average joe because at least I'm not shackled with endless debts.

Hahaha. Good for you dude. You see the light. And this is possible to accomplish. But, remember the grass is always greener in the other side. If you don't have to work, you better have your social life and hobbies really set up, otherwise you can get really bored.

 

[Cirion]

Hahaha. Good for you dude. You see the light. And this is possible to accomplish. But, remember the grass is always greener in the other side. If you don't have to work, you better have your social life and hobbies really set up, otherwise you can get really bored.

I don't disagree, but that's a problem I'd love to have. I am sure I'd figure out things to do. Retiring isn't necessarily about quitting work (although for many people it is), but it's more about buying your freedom to do anything you want, and sometimes people do like to find some small bit of work after retirement, but now it's truly in something they WOULD be willing to do for free because they love it that much.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

Where are you talking about?

There was a time when a guy would be judged if they had a woman who wasn't a stick figure. Some guys cared, and some didn't. I'm saying it's ok to be obese either though.

I deleted this for a reason. But that time it was mostly about breasts, and a short woman with bmi 19 is no stick figure. There is actually one model of beauty, with minor variation. There is a reason why all the supermodels and movie stars look the same:

 

[lampofred]

I think it's both. Someone who constantly ruminates and hyperventilates will have poor metabolic health, and someone with poor metabolic health will more easily start ruminating and hyperventilating in response to any stress. I also think looks are a reflection of your thoughts.

I don't think caring about how you look should be judged as vain at all (unless you are consciously trying to use your looks for a bad purpose, like manipulating others for selfish gain) because looks are a powerful reflection of mental health and metabolic health. I think the way someone looks is a reflection of their emotional well-being, it is the summation of their thoughts. That's why people of all sizes, all skin colors, all sorts of facial features can be attractive, good metabolic health and low nitric oxide/prolactin/serotonin over time are what make people attractive by giving them a kind of "glow" and proportionality, regardless of the variety of facial features and body types that exist.

 

[intotheether]

Strong metabolic energy component, because a healthy functioning body engenders exploring the environment, having meaningful connections, and engaging in stimulating activities and hobbies.

Repetition of this creates operant conditioning which stores new, healthy behaviours in the brain.

As such, in low metabolic energy, we have a sluggish brain which cannot engage effectively with the world and read the data to such that our brain creates a stressful/dangerous perception of the world.

Ultimately, these two aspects are linked - heal your body, and then take action, go travel, pick up hobbies and develop new behaviours. This is the way to a great personality.

Without physically going into the world and developing new behaviours which you need to repeat over and over (neural-plasticity), you won't escape the dark, stressed personality configuration. But for this you need a good level of energy and a receptive brain....

R

 

[bromuda]

Lol speak for yourself man, that's pretty much my ideal life =P

Everyone is different. Some people probably do need to always be doing something, but not me, I love a low stress lifestyle. Possibly in part because I'm still healing from metabolic disorders which necessitates avoiding all stressors, but even when I was healthy, I've always been a fan of the low stress lifestyle.

Haha well I also prefer a low stress environment. But not working or studying just leaves my mind racing after a while and I need to do something. A lot of retired people where I'm from actually return to work a few days week just to get the social aspect back (that usually menas it's a good job though). I guess we're all different but I think as a man it's built in us to show what we're made of in a sense. If you've accomplished something I think you could retire on a tropical island with more peace of mind than if you've just inherited a bunch of money.

 

[milkboi]

Lol speak for yourself man, that's pretty much my ideal life =P

Everyone is different. Some people probably do need to always be doing something, but not me, I love a low stress lifestyle. Possibly in part because I'm still healing from metabolic disorders which necessitates avoiding all stressors, but even when I was healthy, I've always been a fan of the low stress lifestyle.

Agreed and same for me, made myself unnecessarily depressed about my preference for not doing much at all because I thought working a lot was a prerequisite for being a good human being. Now I realize I just need to work hard and smart for a relatively short timeframe to be able to be lazy without remorse.

 

[kyle]

A happy and healthy person is just that until they stub their toe.

 

[Cirion]

Agreed and same for me, made myself unnecessarily depressed about my preference for not doing much at all because I thought working a lot was a prerequisite for being a good human being. Now I realize I just need to work hard and smart for a relatively short timeframe to be able to be lazy without remorse.

I certainly will hold no remorse a decade or two down the road when my investments are earning me more money for 0 hrs of work a week than I was earning 40+ hrs a week in the workforce =P

Working smart beats working "hard" any day.

 

[kyle]

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