Physiology of Reichian Repression: the role of Nitric Oxide (NO) in Mental Illness Etiology

Abstract

Nicola Petrogalli

Wilhelm Reich thought that the mechanism of repression of emotions involved the contraction of muscles which formed an armour in the psychiatric patient. This paper identifies such an armour with Myofascial Syndrome, a pathology determined by alterations of Nitric Oxide, considered as the sexual agent about Feud and Reich speculated about. The paper explains the physiology of repression taking into account the cortical and subcortical structures involved, which belong to the Emotional Motor System. Finally is shown how Myofascial Syndrome and the alteration of Nitric Oxide determine the alteration of the main neurotransmitters involved in mental illness due to physiological, biomechanical and social stress