Eastern and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have long understood the way our mental and spiritual bodies connect and manifest in our physical body. According to these ancient teachings, it is usually emotional causes that are behind physical ailments and health problems. The goal of TCM is to balance the life energy "Qi" in order to live healthy and happy. However, Western science has now also recognized the interplay between our emotions and our bodies: We know, for example, that our intestines act as a second brain, and that stress can be extremely toxic.

According to TCM, each organ is associated with one of the five basic elements (water, fire, metal, earth and wood) and certain emotions. So often the physical disorder is related to an emotional disorder. For example, if we have a stomach pain, stress and suppressed anger can also be the triggers - hence the name irritable stomach. Conversely, an imbalanced organ can also amplify a specific emotion. For example, a stomach that is out of balance due to certain foods can also promote stress and anger - a real vicious cycle!

Of course, straining emotions are unavoidable in our daily lives and also completely normal for the body. They are only pathological when they are suppressed or expressed particularly intensely, often, uncontrollably or out of context.

What emotion can cause bladder infections?

The emotion of fear, in particular, is associated with UTIs. Anxiety is the emotion of the kidneys and bladder - the organs associated with the water element. Anxiety is a normal feeling, but it can become chronic if we ignore it. In the case of major changes in life or unstable, uncertain life conditions that cause us anxiety, kidney problems can arise in this way. There's a reason why it's called "peeing your pants with fear."

Maybe you are not even aware of some fears. The following questions can help identify these fears:

Where am I holding myself back out of fear or anxiety?

Where in my life am I afraid of letting go?

Where do I hold onto old ideas and grudges?

Where do I feel frustrated or generally pissed off?

Do I feel taken advantage of in any area of my life?

What I am scared of losing in my life?

Where am I feeling stressed or overwhelmed, and how can I reduce this?

We're not suggesting that your bladder symptoms are entirely due to repressed anxiety. But it is important to look at and reflect on these areas of your life and uncover what might be harming you. You may also find it helpful to talk to a friend or a psychotherapist. This can be exhausting, but it is also a path to true healing.

Another way to deal with your anxiety is to look at your diet. For example, according to TCM, the following foods can help balance emotional imbalance: black beans, walnuts, black sesame, mushrooms, water chestnuts, seaweed, blackberries, black tea, psoralia root, lotus seed and stephania root. Also try calming herbal teas such as valerian, hops, chamomile and lemon balm. On the other hand, reduce dairy products, salt, meat, sugar, overly cooling foods, and caffeine (especially if you are very anxious. If you feel rather listless with anxiety, a cup of black or green tea may do you good).

In addition to anxiety, stress can also be an emotional cause of bladder infections. It's nothing new that stress and lack of sleep can do significant damage to the body. But how exactly can this happen? When the body experiences stress (physical or emotional) the renal cortex releases hormones that can trigger an inflammatory process and lead to a weakened immune system - increasing the likelihood of infection. So reducing stress is necessary to prevent inflammation and keep your immune system running smoothly. Even though we can't avoid stressful situations in life, however, we can always choose how we handle them. Remember, nothing can stress you out, you can only let it stress you out.

So you can also support your bladder health by paying attention to your feelings and avoiding stress to bring your body into a healthy balance. Your mind, body and spirit are all interconnected! If one is unbalanced it will throw everything off!