High blood pressure

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of the arteries, which are the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Arterial hypertension, commonly called “high blood pressure,” is a condition in which the arterial blood pressure is elevated.

According to Western medicine, the chronic condition of high blood pressure has been mainly associated with a stressful lifestyle and unhealthy food consumption. One can debate the generality of this assessment by observing the amount of people who eat unhealthy food, smoke, and lead a sedentary life and yet experience no high blood pressure or cardiovascular diseases.

It’s normal to have variations in blood pressure throughout the day or based on momentary stress. However, when this condition becomes chronic, the underlying cause can be directly connected to unresolved emotional issues. Our emotional struggles translate into our biology and tell a story about particular stresses, whether acute or chronic, that have not been resolved. And whether our conflicts are real, imaginary, or virtual, they will be transcribed by our subconscious into our biology as if they were real.

Investigating one’s emotional relationships and territory-related struggles is key to helping someone with cardiovascular issues. As the human species evolved on the planet, holding on to and defending the territory became vital in order to preserve the lineage. When a person fights to keep their territory–which could be a house, a job, a partner, a car, a friend, and so on–it awakens a biological survival response that can involve the heart, the coronary arteries, and the veins. When a person fights to keep or regain their lost territory, more oxygenated blood must be distributed to the muscles to provide the power needed for combat.

In the particular case of high blood pressure, the emotional distress is related to far territorial issues, meaning conflicts with someone or something at a distance. For instance, recently a client of mine named Judy who has two houses (one in Los Angeles and the other in San Francisco) has been allowing her sister to stay at the San Francisco house for a few months until her financial situation improves. While a part of her was in agreement with helping her sister, another part became very conflicted right after her sister invited her new boyfriend to move in as well. This triggered a territorial issue for Judy, as she could not protect her distant territory and felt forced to share her territory with a stranger.

High blood pressure can also be linked to tension with a member of the family where one feels dominated and forced to do something (this applies to the above example as well). The conflict may involve submission and an inability to express anger—a person has to accept an order or rule, even though they would like to push back.

At a more symbolic level, high blood pressure can be associated with a person’s need to close their heart (arteries) and not feel love in order to avoid emotional attachment and the pain of losing a loved one. Hypertension can also occur when one feels they must apply “more pressure” to succeed.

What about low blood pressure?

 Conversely, hypotension, also called “low blood pressure,” occurs when blood pressure during and after each heartbeat is much lower than is usual or normal for an individual. As a result, certain parts of the body do not get enough blood, particularly the heart and brain.

At the emotional level, low blood pressure can be triggered by a sense of powerlessness related to losing distant territory when one feels too weak to fight. This condition may also correspond to the recovery phase after one’s fight to preserve their territory.

 Orthostatic hypotension is connected to a feeling of not wanting to confront reality and instead staying in a horizontal position (i.e., staying in bed). At a more subtle level, hypotension may be linked to the decreased activity of the adrenal cortex, which relates to a feeling of powerlessness when it comes to staying on track, following a path that is too hard, and trying to achieve objectives that seem unattainable.

As with other health conditions and states of dis-ease, blood pressure issues remind us that our bodies are continually in an intimate conversation with us, whispering about unresolved or unmet needs. When we listen to the whispers—investigating and exploring what our symptoms are telling us—balance and ease begin to be restored.