By Prof. Mulazim Hussain Bukhari
An insightful webinar on “The Impact of Negative Mindset on Human Health” was organized in the charter of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA). The session was chaired by Prof. Mulazim Hussain Bukhari, presented by Prof Salma Kundi, and had esteemed psychiatrist Prof. Mowadat Rana as the guest speaker. The webinar brought together insights from medicine, psychology, and social sciences to highlight the imperative necessity to resolve the issue of negativity as a public health problem.
Prof. Mulazim Hussain Bukhari
The Neurobiology of Negativity
Current neuroscience demonstrates that negative thinking is not “just in the head.” It engages the amygdala—the center of fear in the brain—eliciting what professionals refer to as amygdaloid hijacking or “limbic eclipse,” when emotion dominates rational thought. This accounts for the fact that patients complain most frequently of brain fog, indecisiveness, and irritability.
Chronic negativity also provokes neuroinflammation, destroying neural pathways, compromising executive functions, and disrupting decision-making. Researchers term this condition a “paralysis of action,” in which people are aware of what needs to be done but find they cannot act.
Health Consequences
Chronic negative cognition reconfigures body systems by activating chronic stress:
• Psychological Effects: Anxiety, depression, mistrust, and decreased self-esteem.
- Physical Effects: Increased blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, hormonal imbalance, dampened immunity, and increased risk of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.
- Neurological Effects: Decreased memory and focus, disintegration of allostasis (stress management), and premature aging.
Negativity, in summary, undermines the body’s resilience while enhancing vulnerability to disease.
Psychosocial
and National Impact
The collateral of negativity goes beyond the clinic. - Individuals lose morale, confidence, and emotional control.
- Organizations experience scapegoating, paranoia, decreasing efficiency, and job satisfaction.
• Nations face collective pessimism, distrust, and reduced productivity.
Sociologists warn that emotional contagion—the spread of negativity through groups—can fuel mob psychology, propaganda-driven violence, and social breakdown.
Digital Age Triggers
Social media, although helpful, tends to spread negativity in the form of comparison, misinformation, and poisonous debate. Experts say one should not give up technology but be judicious about time and decision-making. Families also need to change their strategy—instead of fighting against each other, fight for one another. Healthy family relationships, such as the roots of a tree that grow deep, are stable and resilient over the years.
Pathways to Healing
Dealing with negative thoughts demands an interdisciplinary approach:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Change negative thoughts by asking:
• What is the evidence for or against this belief?
• What is the worst-case scenario—and can I handle it?
• What other explanations are there?
• What would I tell a loved one in the same predicament?
Spiritual Anchoring: Sustained practices such as prayer (namaz), mindfulness, and meditation give one stability, minimize anxiety, and remind one of purpose.
Positive Cognition: Gratitude exercises, affirmations, and service to others create optimism.
Policy and Social Measures: National campaigns on mental health, school curricula in resilience and decision-making, and guidelines for positive messaging through media.
Symbolic Practices: Symbolic acts like tree planting or maintaining intergenerational relationships remind people that resilience and growth are not individual, but communal.
Conclusion
Negative thinking is not merely an individual failing—it is a medical, psychological, and social condition. Chronic negativity reconditions the brain, undermines immunity, and destabilizes communities. The future calls for combining science and spirituality, medicine and mind, individual recovery and shared responsibility.
As doctors, psychologists, and citizens attested: the strongest medicine does not always lie in the pill, but in a positive change of heart—healing ourselves by healing others, and turning fear into resilience.
*The Webinar was hosted by: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and hosted by Dr. Salma Kundi.
Excellent