Sickness and suffering are both unnatural and natural phenomena that human beings—and animals—must endure. They are unnatural because we resist them. We do not want pain, weakness, or limitation; we hate them. Yet they are natural because they are woven into the experience of being alive. We may not always be able to prevent sickness, but perhaps we can learn how to understand it better—and sometimes, how to lessen its hold on us.
As a child, I suffered from what I would describe as severe asthma, often complicated by recurring flu-like illnesses. This continued until about the age of thirteen. Growing up, the pain was intense. My entire body ached, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. Even when I was hungry, I could not eat because my throat was swollen. I was also accident-prone, frequently injuring myself with wounds that took months to heal.
Naturally, I asked myself: Why? Why did I suffer then, and why do I still suffer now? Why does anyone have to suffer at all?
Strangely, no clear or universal answer is ever given. We are often left to speculate. Some believe suffering is repayment for actions from a previous life. Others believe it exists to make us stronger. Some imagine a cruel force behind it all, while others believe suffering is a test that will eventually be rewarded. Perhaps none of these explanations fully capture the truth—or perhaps each contains a fragment of it.
What has always fascinated me is the possibility that physical suffering may have an invisible connection—an emotional or spiritual dimension that the body and rational mind alone cannot fully explain. I say this because many things seem not to make sense. Why are some illnesses so resistant to treatment? Why do some people appear to do everything “right”—eating well, exercising, thinking positively—yet remain chronically ill? Why do our bodies sometimes feel as though they have minds of their own, acting without our consent? Heart disease, tumors, migraines, arthritis, diabetes, skin conditions, and countless other ailments often arise uninvited, leaving us confused and frustrated.
Over time, I have come to believe that before healing can begin, it may be worth asking a deeper question: Why am I suffering in the first place? And alongside that: Is there anything in my life—physical, emotional, or mental—that needs to change? Sometimes the answer may be practical: diet, environment, stress, or exposure to harmful substances. But sometimes it may go deeper.
For instance, could unresolved anger, resentment, or emotional pain play a role in how illness develops or persists? Could long-held hatred—toward others or toward oneself—place an unseen burden on the body? While this may not explain every illness, it may be a meaningful factor for some.
Many people have shared stories of experiencing significant improvements in their health after emotional breakthroughs, such as forgiving someone or releasing long-standing resentment. These accounts do not replace medical science, nor do they guarantee healing, but they do suggest that the inner world and the physical body are more connected than we often acknowledge.
For this reason, when facing illness—especially chronic or debilitating illness—it may be helpful not only to seek physical treatment, but also to explore emotional, mental, and spiritual healing. This does not mean abandoning medicine or blaming oneself for being sick. Rather, it means caring for the whole person. Learning to forgive, to let go of self-hatred, and to cultivate compassion for oneself and others may ease an internal burden, even if it does not cure the disease outright.
Perhaps healing is not always about erasing illness, but about restoring balance, peace, and self-understanding. And perhaps love—for oneself and for others—plays a greater role in well-being than we have yet fully understood. Could it be that part of the path to health begins not only in the body, but in the quiet work of the heart?