The Influence of Personality Type on Human Health - Essay Example

Running Head: Personality Influence Disease Personality Influence Disease [Institute’s Personality Influence Disease According to some psychologists, personality can influence certain diseases in at various stages of an individual’s life. The extent to which this is true is debatable and research is underway to carry out certain hypothesis regarding the influence of personality on various diseases and illnesses. Certain personality characteristics may exhibit some common diseases, however there is no definitive answer regarding most of these personality related diseases. Personality includes the various characteristics that an individual exhibits in his dynamic behavior. This may include his perception of different events or his cognitive behavior, his motivations regarding certain aspects and his response to certain behavior (John, 2008). One such disease attributed to personality factors includes eating disorders. Studies indicate the eating disorders affect individuals at every socio-economic level. In most industrialized western economies, a common eating disorder is that many children perceive themselves as obese when they are actually slim. The result is malnutrition as they continue their attempt to lose weight. Many such cases reveal their issues during diagnoses while hospitalized. Empirical evidence suggests that forty percent girls in US age under ten are already attempting to lose weight. Moreover, females with more serious syndromes can even attempt suicides at later stages (Freeman, 1979). It has not yet been possible to establish the causality between the eating and personality disorders. However, psychologists believe that individuals who perceive themselves from others view points are more likely to have such disorders. Thus, the psychological problems are often intensified during adolescence when societal expectations regarding an individual’s looks gain importance. Early studies evidenced that the Parkinson’s disease may be due to personality disorders. Psychologists speculated that the disease was akin certain personality characteristics. Recent studies have failed to establish any linkage between the Parkinson disease and an individual’s personality. The researchers of movement disorder society attempted to predict the Parkinson’s disease in certain individuals at later stages, but they concluded that it is not possible to determine the personality characteristics that might develop this disease (Schein, 2003). This study was conducted on thousands of individuals over forty years and the results were non-conclusive. Psychologists have conducted studies to find out the mortality rates in elderly people and their personality characteristics. The idea was to determine the personality characteristics of six thousand individuals above the age of sixty-five. A follow-up with patients over the next five years revealed that around forty percent of those randomly chosen individuals died. Mortality was highest for individuals with a personality identified by a low level of extraversion (Hunt, 2007). However, all these studies are debatable and have contradictions as revealed by another similar study that could not prove the relationship of mortality rates to an extroversive personality. According to latest research, personality determines the reaction and perception of individuals to chronic diseases (Taylor, 2002). After the onslaught of a chronic disease, an individual has to handle his own health and dietary habits. Research regarding the five characteristics of agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, and neuroticism of individuals suffering from chronic diseases, revealed that neuroticism and openness increased anxiety and therefore chances of the disease to recur. Recent literature also reveals that hostility and negativity in personality can significantly increase the chances of heart disease (Sutton, 2004). This includes an increase in the blood pressure of individual or coronary diseases such as blockage of blood vessels and may increase the chances of heart attacks. This indicates that individuals with negative personality characteristics are in higher risk to heart diseases. The multifactor model of personality influence on diseases assumes that personality is one of the factors that can increase or decrease the chances of certain diseases (Freidman, 1990). It is possible, that psychological factors such as extreme anxiety will result in the weakness of the immune system of an individual. Such weaknesses can result in higher chances of certain other diseases. Thus, a positive personality is better able to maintain the guards of its immune system. This implies that not all diseases are a result of genetic inheritance and physical weaknesses; thereby personality can influence disease to some extent. If an individual’s personality is more susceptible to stress and anxiety he is more prone to muscular pain or headaches (Rhodewalt, 2008). These illnesses are result of personality related factors that affect an individual. If an individual fails to control, his stress levels this could result into a more serious disease called the general adaptation syndrome. This is where an individual’s body undergoes various physical changes due to his high stress situation. Many muscles contract leading to a high-tension build-up on the muscles and can result in severe pain at different points on the individual’s body. Empirical evidence has linked migraine headaches to this stress related factor. Just as personality may influence certain disease, in a similar fashion certain diseases can also influence personalities. Studies indicate that individuals with high blood pressure may indicate excessive anger on non-issues even if they have exceptional control over anger. Similarly, pregnant women are prone to mood swings and cannot control their anger or mood at certain times. Research is not yet conclusive if these factors directly influence an individual’s personality or if it is other way around. Some studies indicate that personality characteristics may result in the development of diabetes in individuals. Personality disorders are not specifically an illness, but they may have a significant impact on the wellbeing and the health of an individual (Gormley, 1989). They do not influence the emotional or intellectual capacity of an individual but may cause the patients to lack positivity in their activity and a general lack to desire to achieve potential. The best method to treat personality disorders is to let an individual develop the desire and willingness to solve his issues. If stress is as an illness on its own, it understood by psychologists that certain personality traits are more prone to stress. Studies indicate that stress causes certain hormones to be release in our brain that then wash out throughout our organs. However, when these hormones exceed a certain threshold they may cause our organs to suffer from other diseases and malfunctions over a period. The body generally treats stress as any other injury and releases certain hormones to protect the immune system. Extroverts are better able to manage stressful situations and therefore survive longer (Hullrock, 1976). Studies indicate that extroverts have three important characteristics that make them less affected by stress. Firstly, they have a tendency to be happy and this keeps stress levels low, secondly, they are more social and can therefore better share their emotions and reduce stress levels and finally they are more engaging and open to a more open and enjoyable life compared to introverts. In conclusion, various studies have indicated that personality traits influence certain diseases directly or indirectly. The direct affect would be the case where blood pressure increases due to consistently angry personality of an individual and an indirect influence will come from stress related loss of immunity of the human body. It is clear that personality can influence diseases in many instances and maintaining a healthy attitude towards life and other individuals is the best way to control the personality related diseases. References Freeman, H. (1979). Handbook of medical sociology. Prentice Hall. Friedman, H. (1990). Personality and disease. John Wiley & Sons. Gormley, M. (1989). Family diseases: Are you at risk. Genealogical Publishing. Hullrock, E. (1976). Personality development. McGraw Hill. Hunt, M. (2007). Personality and behavior disorders. Brunner-Routledge. John, O. (2008). Handbook of personality. Gulf press publishing. Rhodewalt, F. (2008). Personality and social behavior. Taylor & Francis group. Schein, L. (2003). Psychological treatment for medical conditions. Brunner-Routledge. Sutton, S. (2004). The sage handbook of health psychology. University of Pittsburg. Taylor, E. (2002). Child and adolescent psychiatry. Blackwell Publishing. Read More