Message in a Bottle and Physical Effects of Emotional Despair

“Message in a Bottle” is a 1979 hit song by Sting and The Police. The song was composed by Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (a.k.a. “Sting”) and was The Police's first number one hit in the United Kingdom. The song is about a castaway that is stranded on an island, who sends out message in a bottle to ask for help. After a year, of sending messages in a bottle, he was surprised to see “a hundred billion bottles” washed upon the shore. This made the castaway realize that he was not alone in his loneliness. In fact, he realized that so many people were actually suffering from despair. Like him, so many people were sending messages in bottles too.
Almost 30 years after the release of “Message in a Bottle,” its legacy still lives on. Critics believe that it touched the lives of many people and made them realize the importance of communication. Almost everyone can relate to the feeling of pain, loneliness, stress, and anxiety of being left by a loved one or in being alone. In every part of the world, there are people longing to loved and give love. There are so many people wanting to be rescued from emotional despair.
Many health specialists claim that stress, depression, and emotional despair can have effects on physical health. In fact, emotions are basically connected to many aspects of physical health. Eating disorders and sleep disturbances brought by emotional despair may lead to low energy, chronic pain, and sexual dysfunction. In addition, ordinary physical symptoms like stomach ache, headache, and lower back pain may be traced to painful memories or experiences that caused a deep emotional, physical, and psychological strain.

Experts claim that these physical illnesses are general effects of stress which stimulates the release of adrenals to produce adrenaline and cortisol. Sustained levels of these substances may lead to destructive effects in the body like weight gain, high cholesterol, suppression of the immune system, and aging. Unresolved emotional issues may lead to chronic inflammation which causes imbalance in the components of the major systems in the body: endocrine, digestive, cardiovascular, and respiratory. Medical research show that such imbalance may lead to several diseases like cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. In a healthy body, these systems communicate and respond properly.
In the song, “Message in a Bottle,” the lonely castaway threw messages out to the sea to deal with his emotional dilemma caused by loneliness and isolation. In reality, emotional problems can be treated using different methods. Depending on the nature of the problem and state of development, psychotherapies might advise depressed individuals to undergo traditional therapies that include the following:
· Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which involves changing one's thoughts and actions, and includes systematic desensitization to reduce reactivity to a traumatic stressor
· Relaxation/stress reduction techniques, such as biofeedback and breathwork
· Hypnosis to deal with reactions often below the level of conscious awareness

Maintaining emotional wellness, positive attitude, and high self-esteem are critical factors in achieving healthy bodies. People should bear in mind that these factors are the most important components of a healthy lifestyle.