Hostility leaking out of you? You've got guts to change

In one game of the 1997 NBA finals, Michael Jordan scored 38 points-all in a day's work for the superstar, you might say. Not quite. Jordan had the flu and was vomiting right up to game time. But he was determined that his leaky gut wouldn't harm his team's chance for victory. That ability to avoid damaging the team he loved, well that's just plain gutsy!

But a fighting spirit isn't always a good thing, especially when it turns to hostility between married folks. Then it can cause a leaky gut that will keep you out of the game.

Researchers from Ohio State University have found that couples who are actively hostile to one another cause bacteria in their gut to move through the intestinal wall-leaky gut-into their bloodstream, where the microbes trigger inflammation and disease. (No wonder couples may tell each other: "You're bugging me!") And when a hostile spouse is also depressed, health risks escalate.

Luckily, there are ways to defuse hostility and protect your health. The Cleveland Clinic's Anger Management and Treatment Program suggests you:

  •  Seek treatment from a professional who's trained to teach anger management and assertiveness skills. Assertiveness lets you express feelings calmly and directly.
  •  Use deep breathing and positive self-talk to interrupt your cycle of hostility. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm; slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as "relax" or "take it easy."
  •  Practice good listening skills. Listening can facilitate trusting feelings between people. Trust can help you deal with hostile emotions.

 

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

 

(c) 2018 Michael Roizen, M.D.

and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Upcoming Events