Trauma professional says ‘very good individuals’ extra prone to get autoimmune ailments

Dr Gabor Mate stated “very nice people” are likely to get sick with autoimmune ailments – the place the immune system assaults the physique as a substitute of defending it – as a result of “personality traits” of being selfless.

And he said girls usually tend to be affected as they repress their anger and are anticipated to be agreeable.

The Canadian stated going together with a “socially determined role” of placing others earlier than themselves and repressing anger results in producing stress unconsciously and this “invites” sickness.

Of the hundreds of thousands who are suffering from autoimmune ailments – which embody lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid illness – 4 fifths are girls.

Dr Mate, 79, who has written on psychological well being points plus the bodily impression of stress and trauma, was explaining his findings on the How To Fail podcast. He stated: “There are certain inescapable patterns in the people that got sick with chronic illness.

“The patterns included the repression of healthy anger. These are very nice people.

“They are always giving, always there for everybody except themselves. Certain personality traits were putting people at risk of chronic illness.

“Others were putting people’s emotional needs ahead of themselves, repressing healthy anger, had the belief they were responsible for other people’s feelings, never disappointing anybody.

“These patterns lead to illness. When you identify with your socially determined role and responsibilities rather than the needs of the self, you are creating stress for yourself.

“These patterns are not conscious, deliberate, culpable. They’re trauma responses.

“Once they are ingrained in the personality, they invite illness because of stress they generate. This explains why it is mostly women who get autoimmune disease.”