It's encouraging to see conventional medicine may be finally starting to get a real clue about the vital link between emotions and a patient's physical health, especially with the raft of studies that have emerged lately. This most recent research links a feeling of insecurity among women in close relationships to signs of a weaker immune system.

Scientists analyzed the effect attachment security (a difficulty trusting depending on others or feeling uneasy about emotional intimacy) had on 61 women under age 60 with no major illnesses or histories of psychiatric problems in relation to their health by collecting blood samples and measuring their attachment styles using questionnaires.

No doubt, those with attachment security problems have a harder time processing their emotions and perceptions of the world around them. Thus, patients who felt the greatest amount of attachment problems were also lacking in the "natural killer" cells that impair their immune systems. By the way, other studies by the same research team have linked such insecurities to skin conditions (plaque psoriasis and alopecia aerata) too.

Negative emotions harm men AND women, so the sooner you deal with them the closer you are to optimizing your health.

The important thing to remember here is the goal: Not to eliminate stress and but to improve your body's ability to tolerate it. One of the best natural weapons at your disposal for handling your emotions better is the Emotional Freedom Technique, a tool used daily in my practice.