Language and Your Health

Human illness is not only a physical condition but a symbolic one as well. No animal "talks" itself into becoming sick, or hides symptoms of illness because it fears the diagnosis nor prolongs recovery because sometimes it gets rewarded by attention for being ill.

Human beings do all of these things. People frequently seek unnecessary treatment and avoid necessary health examinations. It is estimated that 25-50 percent of visits to a doctor are unnecessary and that about 15 percent of deaths are due to people avoiding seeking treatment. People suffer from the names of diseases, i.e. cancer, without knowing whether or not they have the disease.

Every health problem is in part a symbolic problem. There is little doubt that how people think about themselves (use language) can change their blood pressure, blood chemistry, and stress levels.

Take the phrase "you have a broken leg." To an elderly person this can mean a severe inability to move about making them more dependent on others, or can be a sign of aging. To the young person this "minor inconvenience" is usually compensated for by increased attention and special privileges at home and at school.

Many people can identify with the following: you feel a bit "under the weather" when you start to class but not really ill. Then someone says "you look awful today, are you sick?" Most people immediately start to feel worse than they did previously.

Words (language) have an effect on your health.

Back to the Homepage