The Relationship Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Negative Emotions

Rheumatoid arthritis, or arthritis, is a disease that affects all the joints in the human body. It causes very unpleasant symptoms such as persistent pain, inflammation, loss of mobility and stiffness in the affected areas. Until now, no one knows what causes it. However, some studies have established a relationship between the evolution of rheumatoid arthritis and negative emotions.

Psychology became important in the study of this disease in the early 20th century. But people did not begin to take it seriously until the year 1950. That year, rheumatoid arthritis was classified as one of the most important psychosomatic disorders. From that moment on, a lot of research was started on this topic.

In this article, we talk about everything that is known about the existing relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and negative emotions. We will also dive deeper into the main features of this disease. In addition, we will give some advice on how to better coexist with the disease.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

The symptoms appear in the main joints of the body, where the most affected are the fingers and wrists. However, the symptoms can appear in any part of the body where two or more legs sit together.

It is possible to find symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in the following areas:

• Elbows
• Knees
• Shoulders
• Neck
• Jaw
• Ankles
• Feet
• Hips

The symptoms of this disease can vary depending on the person suffering from it. Nevertheless, the most common symptoms are swelling, lack of mobility, burning sensations, hypersensitivity and pain. Let’s study each of these symptoms.

1. Swelling

The first symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is often swelling in the affected joints. It can get worse depending on the severity of each case. When the disease is not so severe, the swelling can go away on its own. However, it is usually accompanied by pain in more severe cases.

2. Lack of mobility

In general, it is more difficult to move our joints when they are increased in size. When this symptom becomes severe, the person may encounter severe difficulties in carrying out certain activities.

Burning sensation

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are often accompanied by an unpleasant burning sensation in the affected areas. In most cases, this represents only a small inconvenience. But when it is added to the rest of the symptoms, it can become an obstacle in everyday life.

4. Hypersensitivity

In addition to the other symptoms we have discussed, people with rheumatoid arthritis also suffer from increased sensitivity in the affected joints. This also causes more pain.

5. severe pain

The worst symptom that people affected by this disease usually describe is severe pain every time they make certain movements. They can also feel pain even if they only get a small blow to the affected joints. The thing about this type of pain is that it is so severe that on some occasions it can keep people from living a normal life.

The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and negative emotions

We have discussed what this disease is about and its characteristics, but what is its relationship to negative emotions? Recent research has shown that certain emotional states can aggravate the most problematic symptoms of this disease and even make the person more prone to suffer from it in the first place.

Of all the emotions that we are able to try out, the ones that most relate to this disease are depression, anxiety and anger. On the contrary, characteristics such as effectiveness or resilience usually correlate with less severe symptoms.

The reality is that there is no known cause for this disease. However, the relationship to negative emotions is well documented. Therefore, many physicians believe that working with patients on an emotional and psychological level is the best treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Doctors say that when patients with rheumatoid arthritis work to improve their emotional expression and understanding, their symptoms improve. Although the symptoms do not go away most of the time, many patients have found that exercising their emotions and being more self-aware has significantly improved their quality of life.

Therefore, it is important to have the right management mechanisms to deal with this disease. If you suffer from the symptoms we discussed in this article, or if you know someone who does, do not hesitate to contact a mental health professional. A good therapist can help you fight even the most acute symptoms of this disease.