Why I Stopped Ignoring My Symptoms—and What Happened Next

I Thought I Knew the Answers—But My Body Had Other Plans

Last week, I wrote about my experience experimenting with a new therapeutic approach—Reverse Therapy. As a GP, I was trained to view symptoms through a physiological lens. If something went wrong, like appendicitis, the process was straightforward: diagnose, treat, and resolve. But what about the cases where things weren’t so clear?

For years, I’d dealt with persistent symptoms—tinnitus, headaches, irritability, and fatigue. I tried all the usual things: exercising more, eating whole foods, getting enough sleep, and staying connected with friends. But despite ticking all the right boxes, I still felt… off. I was tired, flat, and constantly carrying this weight that wouldn’t lift.

Why Medicine Might Be Missing Something Important

In my GP practice, I saw this kind of unclear picture all the time. A patient comes in feeling constantly exhausted, low, and plagued by vague symptoms that don’t fit neatly into a diagnostic box. Blood tests come back normal, and when nothing obvious shows up, the next logical step is often antidepressants or talking therapy.

Here’s the problem: we’re not really figuring out why someone feels the way they do. We’re just trying to make the symptoms go away. Sometimes that works. But sometimes, the symptoms linger—because they’re trying to tell us something deeper.

My Big Shift: Listening Instead of Ignoring

That’s where Reverse Therapy completely shifted my perspective. I started looking at my symptoms differently. Instead of treating them as problems to fix, I began to see them as signals from my body—urging me to pay attention to something I was avoiding.

When I felt abdominal pain, I asked myself, “What emotion am I not expressing?” To my surprise, anger and frustration surfaced. And when I acknowledged those feelings, the pain eased. The same thing happened with my tinnitus and headaches. Expressing sadness and allowing myself to sit with it brought unexpected relief.

Why Ignoring Emotions Keeps You Stuck

This wasn’t easy for me at first. Like many men, I was used to ignoring discomfort. I thought if I just pushed through and kept going, these feelings would eventually disappear. But research shows that this approach actually backfires.

Studies by Gross (2015) highlight that suppressing emotions increases long-term stress, while research from Stanford University (Johnson et al., 2021) found that men who practice cognitive reappraisal—reframing their stressors—experience a 40% reduction in perceived anxiety. Suppressing emotions doesn’t eliminate them; it buries them deeper, where they quietly fuel chronic stress and inflammation.

The Real Cause: Chronic Stress Lurking Beneath the Surface

Despite making several big adjustments to my life—changing my routine, improving my diet, and prioritizing rest—there was still a semblance of chronic stress being experienced by my body. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something was off. It turns out that my body was still holding on to unexpressed emotions, and these emotions were continuing to generate stress signals that I had been unknowingly ignoring.

What I didn’t realize was that chronic stress was making me ill. These symptoms—headaches, tinnitus, fatigue—were my body’s way of sounding the alarm. The hypothalamus, the part of the brain that processes emotional memory, triggers the body’s stress response when it detects unresolved emotional threats. This process generates inflammation, which then shows up as physical symptoms.

The Turning Point: A Gradual Shift in How I Viewed My Symptoms

Once I stopped seeing my symptoms as something to “fix” and started asking what they were trying to tell me, things began to change—but it wasn’t an overnight transformation. This shift was slow and gradual, with small steps leading to subtle but noticeable improvements.

I started to notice that when I acknowledged and expressed emotions—whether it was frustration, sadness, or anxiety—my symptoms would ease slightly. It was a process of trial and error, and I’m still working on it. But over time, I began to feel lighter, calmer, and more in tune with what my body was telling me. The symptoms didn’t vanish overnight, but they became less intense, and I felt a sense of control returning.

How You Can Try This for Yourself

If this resonates with you, here’s how to start tuning into your own body’s messages:

✅ Map Out Your Symptoms: Sit quietly and draw a stick figure of yourself. Mark the areas where you feel discomfort, tension, or pain. Don’t analyze—just acknowledge what’s happening.

✅ Practice Self-Awareness: When you notice racing thoughts or feelings of stress, pause. Put your feet on the ground and slowly move your attention from your head down to your toes. What sensations do you notice? What might your body be telling you?

✅ Don’t Try to “Think” Your Way Out of It: Instead of analyzing your symptoms, simply observe them. Ask yourself, “What emotion might be connected to this sensation?” See if acknowledging that emotion changes how your body feels.

Curious to Explore This Further?
If you’re ready to dive deeper and explore how to listen to your body’s signals, I’d love to help. Click here for a free conversation to discuss what’s going on and how this approach might work for you.

Next Week: Why Balance Matters—And How Too Much (or Too Little) Can Make You Ill
Next time, I’ll be exploring how balance—whether it’s too much work or not enough fun—can affect your mental and physical health. Stay tuned!

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References:

• Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects. Psychological Inquiry, 26(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2014.940781
• Johnson, S. L., Moser, J. S., & Bradley, M. M. (2021). Reframing stress: Cognitive reappraisal reduces perceived anxiety and physiological stress responses. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 44(3), 456-468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00212-3
• Pennebaker, J. W., & Smyth, J. M. (2016). Opening up by writing it down: How expressive writing improves health and eases emotional pain. Guilford Publications.
• Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why zebras don’t get ulcers: The acclaimed guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping. Holt Paperbacks.
• Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.