The Impact of Chronic Self-Silencing on Development of Autoimmune and Psychosomatic Disease: An Integrative

Description of the problem to be solved The core focus of our research is the intricate interplay between suppressed emotions and the development of physical and mental health issues. In this research project we aim to investigate the role of anger suppression. Specifically we wish to focus on self-silencing in response to boundary violations or blocked personal goals, in the emergence of autoimmune and psychosomatic diseases. Recognizing language as both a reflection and a shaper of reality (Searle, 1969), we will utilize linguistic analysis alongside psychophysiological measures to explore the cognitive and behavioral processes underlying anger suppression. By examining how healthy and chronically ill individuals express, and manage anger within social contexts, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between emotions, social interactions, and health outcomes.
Objectives Research question 1: The primary aim of this project is to investigate whether chronic health problems, particularly autoimmune and psychosomatic diseases, which Western medicine often struggles to explain, can be predicted by a tendency to suppress anger. This suppression is thought to stem from prioritizing social harmony and the needs of others over authenticity and self-expression.
Research question 2: Understanding the physiological and neuronal dynamics of healthy anger expression vs anger suppression during a full anger cycle - from arousal trigger to wind down.
Literature:
1. Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge University Press.
2. Brod, S., Rattazzi, L., Piras, G., & D’Acquisto, F. (2014). ‘As above, so below’ examining the interplay between emotion and the immune system. Immunology, 143(3), 311–318.https:/doi.org/10.1111/imm.12341
3. Alia-Klein, N., Gan, G., Gilam, G., Bezek, J., Bruno, A., Denson, T. F., Hendler, T., Lowe, L., Mariotti, V., Muscatello, M. R., Palumbo, S., Pellegrini, S., Pietrini, P., Rizzo, A., & Verona,E. (2020). The feeling of anger: From brain networks to linguistic expressions. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 108, 480–497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.002