There is No Mind-Body Connection????
By Tim Reynolds, MD
The myth that there is no mind-body connection tends to be perpetuated more than any other amongst physicians. Though if any one of us thought about it for awhile, I'm sure we would agree that the mind has a lot to do with a person's propensity to get sick and ability to heal.
We tend instead to focus on the biological cause of disease such as the bacteria, the virus, or the cancer. We rarely ask, "yes, but why was this person affected by the organism at this time in their life?" Certainly we are all exposed to cancer cells, viruses, and bacteria on a daily basis, so why do some of them affect us, but not all of them?
Could it be that things we do or think make us more susceptible?
The word disease could also be spelled dis-ease. When the body is at dis-ease, it is more susceptible to outside influences that make it sick. We all know of someone who has gotten sick after being stressed out -- or someone who just decided to give up and die after a spouse had died.
Our brain is constantly releasing modulating substances that help control our heart rate, breathing, cortisol levels, adrenaline, etc. It only makes sense that these substances can make us more immune or more susceptible to disease. Only now are we beginning to understand even the names of some of these modulating chemicals, let alone how they work or how they interact with each other.
But despite our lack of knowledge, we do know that a positive self image, good attitude, laughter, marriage (in most cases!), and a myriad of other "emotional" factors affect healing times and the ability to overcome disease.
Most heart attacks occur on Monday morning. Laughter has been shown to improve cancer survival. Loving a pet makes you live longer and happier. It would be naive to think the mind does not control the body. It turns out peace of mind may be as important to your health as anything else you can do.
Stress makes us sick. But what is stress?
Many patients tell me they are under "stress," yet their reasons don't seem stressful at all. People such as the President of the United States or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company would seem to be under stress all the time, but they don't seem "stressed out." What is the difference?
Stress is your internal reaction to external forces. It is not so much about what happens to you; it's your reaction to what happens to you. And you always have control over your reactions even if you don't have control over the outside event.
Here are some suggestions that will have a positive impact on your mind-body connection and help you to stay healthy. [list type=decimal][*]Take a walk once a day and use that time for thinking and working things out.[*]Have integrity in how you live. Make sure your actions exemplify your beliefs.[*]Have an hour of Power once a day -- that is an hour that belongs just to you to do what you want. Take time away from the stresses of life to read, write, or meditate.Make peace and forgive. Carrying those feelings of anger with you will not help you. The person you won't forgive is not being hurt by your anger, but you are. Let it go for your sake even if they don't deserve it.Develop an attitude of health. When people ask me why I never get sick, I often say it's against my religion or that I have a super-human immune system. The funny thing is that since I started saying these things, they've seemed to come true. I now believe them -- and so does my body.[/list type=decimal] Give this new way of thinking a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain -- starting with your good health.
Right I'm off to find the nearest meditation class!
Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx
By Tim Reynolds, MD
The myth that there is no mind-body connection tends to be perpetuated more than any other amongst physicians. Though if any one of us thought about it for awhile, I'm sure we would agree that the mind has a lot to do with a person's propensity to get sick and ability to heal.
We tend instead to focus on the biological cause of disease such as the bacteria, the virus, or the cancer. We rarely ask, "yes, but why was this person affected by the organism at this time in their life?" Certainly we are all exposed to cancer cells, viruses, and bacteria on a daily basis, so why do some of them affect us, but not all of them?
Could it be that things we do or think make us more susceptible?
The word disease could also be spelled dis-ease. When the body is at dis-ease, it is more susceptible to outside influences that make it sick. We all know of someone who has gotten sick after being stressed out -- or someone who just decided to give up and die after a spouse had died.
Our brain is constantly releasing modulating substances that help control our heart rate, breathing, cortisol levels, adrenaline, etc. It only makes sense that these substances can make us more immune or more susceptible to disease. Only now are we beginning to understand even the names of some of these modulating chemicals, let alone how they work or how they interact with each other.
But despite our lack of knowledge, we do know that a positive self image, good attitude, laughter, marriage (in most cases!), and a myriad of other "emotional" factors affect healing times and the ability to overcome disease.
Most heart attacks occur on Monday morning. Laughter has been shown to improve cancer survival. Loving a pet makes you live longer and happier. It would be naive to think the mind does not control the body. It turns out peace of mind may be as important to your health as anything else you can do.
Stress makes us sick. But what is stress?
Many patients tell me they are under "stress," yet their reasons don't seem stressful at all. People such as the President of the United States or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company would seem to be under stress all the time, but they don't seem "stressed out." What is the difference?
Stress is your internal reaction to external forces. It is not so much about what happens to you; it's your reaction to what happens to you. And you always have control over your reactions even if you don't have control over the outside event.
Here are some suggestions that will have a positive impact on your mind-body connection and help you to stay healthy. [list type=decimal][*]Take a walk once a day and use that time for thinking and working things out.[*]Have integrity in how you live. Make sure your actions exemplify your beliefs.[*]Have an hour of Power once a day -- that is an hour that belongs just to you to do what you want. Take time away from the stresses of life to read, write, or meditate.Make peace and forgive. Carrying those feelings of anger with you will not help you. The person you won't forgive is not being hurt by your anger, but you are. Let it go for your sake even if they don't deserve it.Develop an attitude of health. When people ask me why I never get sick, I often say it's against my religion or that I have a super-human immune system. The funny thing is that since I started saying these things, they've seemed to come true. I now believe them -- and so does my body.[/list type=decimal] Give this new way of thinking a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain -- starting with your good health.
Right I'm off to find the nearest meditation class!
Love and Happiness
Hippie
xx
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