Improved
6112 HealthChanged
3786 LivesSaved
3568 Lives0 lives impacted in the last 24 hrs Learn More
When you are sick, either from something minor like a cold or from a more serious health problem, have you ever noticed how your mental attitude can really contribute to the way you feel?
I can remember throwing myself some pretty good pity parties when I was bed-ridden with the flu or pneumonia or something. Along with feeling very sorry for myself, I would think things like, “I feel so sick.” “My fever is not going away.” “This is just horrible…I’m never going to get better.”
If we’re all being honest here, I think thoughts like these are pretty normal. It’s just the worst to be sick, stuck at home with all of the miserable symptoms that go along with being ill.
I also had a difficult time staying positive while I was recovering from my hysterectomy. I was so sick afterwards and feeling so miserable that my brain played along thinking negative things all day long about how awful I felt.
In the past few months, a few things happened that have really shown me how our thoughts and feelings can impact our health. First, I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine who is a huge believer in affirmations. As we were chatting over coffee, we got on the topic of positive thinking and she explained how ones body will often go along with what ones mind is thinking. So, if we are lying in bed telling ourselves how rotten we feel, our bodies will essentially obey these thoughts and continue to feel sick.
On the other hand, my friend explained, if we make an effort to think positive thoughts about our health and how we are feeling, our bodies will “listen” and respond accordingly. Examples she gave me included phrases like, “I am healthy.” “My body is healing every minute.” “I am well.”
Not too long after this conversation, I came home from work feeling headachy and tired. The next morning I woke up feeling stuffy and with a sore throat. As I reached for the Advil and orange juice, my friend’s advice came to me, and I decided what the heck, I’d give it a shot.
Instead of focusing on how crummy I felt, I repeated over and over to myself, "I’m healthy." "My body is very strong and healing." If I caught myself feeling sorry for myself, I replaced those thoughts with positive words.
And you know what? It worked. I got over my cold in record time.
So, I started to research the connection between our thoughts and our health, and if what my friend was saying and what I had just experienced was backed by science. It didn’t take long to find multiple websites devoted to this phenomenon, as well as a name for it: mind-body medicine.
Basically, this branch of medicine looks at the effect our thoughts can have on our immune systems and our health. Additionally, some studies have shown how our psychological health can impact our physical health.
I was happy to see that some medical facilities are even using this approach with their patients. For example, here is a website to an organization in the Boston area that teaches people about mind-body medicine:
www.mindbodymedicine.org
Cancer Treatment Centers of America also believes strongly in the mind-body connection. This is just so encouraging and amazing to me. I saw first-hand how it worked on my cold, and to think that staying positive can impact something as serious as cancer is incredible:
www.cancercenter.com/complementary-alternative-medicine/mind-body-medicine.cfm
And here is a center devoted to mind-body medicine. This one is in Washington, D.C:
www.cmbm.org
Have you had experience using mind-body medicine? What do you think about it? Do you think we can essentially will ourselves to be well, or do you think it’s just a coincidence when it happens? I am looking forward to reading what you have to say on this topic.
Add a Comment47 Comments
Hi Lee - I'm so happy to hear back from you. Please let me know the results of your blood tests, and no matter what they are we will be here to help you. I understand your being scared - I had blood tests six months ago and learned from them that I have leukemia. As frightening as that may sound I'm telling you because I want you to know that I am OK and doing well, even with leukemia. So, I'm not just...well...blowing smoke at you...I know at a gut level that no matter what news may come there will be ways to deal with it and move on. I certainly hope you don't have something serious, but until we know what you are dealing with it's very hard to take any kind of action.
February 24, 2010 - 5:59pmIt takes work to meet people in a new community, and when you don't feel well it can be hard to add those efforts to what's already on your plate. Have you been able to find any ways to meet other single women, perhaps women from your home country that are also in Australia? Are there any ties you have from home - maybe a school, a passion, a hobby - that might be part of a local club or MeetUp group? There are a lot of things that you can do to meet new people - what have you tried so far? Are you shy or is this easy for you? What's going to get you out and about and feeling good again?
Australia is a beautiful country and many people would absolutely love the opportunity to go there for a visit or to live. I hope we can help you to learn what you're dealing with and then take action to resolve any medical issues and be able to enjoy life in your adopted country.
Talk with you again soon, Pat
This Comment
Pat, I do not know how you can remain positive with a leukemia diagnosis. I hope you have family and friends to support you and that your treatments are working.
I got my blood tests on Thursday, Except for a past showing of Whooping cough, I was clear. This still shocks me as everything I am reading on line suggests a malignancy somewhere, I have been refereed on to an Infectious Specialist at a hosital for a March 10th appt. Maybe he can trace this fever. I showed no signs of an infection or sme diseases such as Ross River, Glandular, basic cancer (raised white blood cells) but I hear many cancers are not diagnosed by blood tests.
In the mean time, it is my ritual of evening and all thru the night low grade fever and needing to be in bed 12+ hours. Something is wrong.
How are you managing your leukemia? How did you get diagnosed?
I have made some contacts within my home community but it isn't easy, Most are married to Aussies and I am single, divorced a long time, No one seems to want to make new friends at this age (I'll be 57 in March) and no one wants a third wheel.
Life is not happy.
I am sorry you are ill.
Lee
February 26, 2010 - 9:09pmThis Comment
Hi Michelle! I'm so happy to see that you wrote about this topic for EmpowHer readers! I feel like this information is not very well known, but extremely helpful, prevalent for everyone and effective.
January 27, 2010 - 8:37amThis Comment
I am a FULL believer!!! Basically it is the Law of Attraction at work. In science it is called Quantum Physics. We attract whatever it is we are thinking about. I know we all have the capacity to change our thoughts and create our own health. I practice it daily by meditating and throughout the day by affirming health, happiness, well being, etc.
January 27, 2010 - 7:01amThis Comment
Right because some pregnant mother really wanted her unborn child to have cancer. You know, the kid she was so excited and happy about, really she wanted it to have cancer. Subconsciously. Clearly this woman's failure to affirm her health is at fault.
January 8, 2010 - 3:26pmIt's all bullshit.
This Comment
Sometimes I feel a passing nausea, or pang of headache, and I allow it to do just that- pass. That's why I am always surprised to hear a friend say, "I am going to be sick." I always shoot back, "what are you, a psychic?" I am convinced that you may spiral into a prolonged sickness by submitting to a sensation that would otherwise drift past.
I am seldom sick, and attribute it partly to this "positive" attitude. However, if my healthy constitution is purely physiological, I certainly lose nothing in maintaining an optimistic outlook.
November 19, 2009 - 5:18pmThis Comment
When I was 13 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was discovered late due to basic negligence on the doctor's behalf and had spread all the way down her ribs as well as under her arm. Between the time of the discovery and the time of her operation, my mother not only applied positive thinking, as she has throughout her whole life, but she also gave a meditative outlet to her positive thoughts. She played an old computer game called Worms where little worm figures blow each other up and each time she attacked the computer she imagined it was actually the cancer she was attacking. By the time her operation came about the doctor's were surprised to learn that not only had the cancer not spread - it had shrunk. She had her left breast removed and a few glands under her arms, but she was saved from a lot of pain that she would have met with had the cancer stayed the same size or grown, as is usual. It's been almost ten years and she's been cancer free the whole time. I'm not saying it's going to cure cancer or heal someone with a terminal illness, but it can change the outcome enough to dramatically change your life, especially when you believe in it as wholeheartedly as my mum did and still does.
November 13, 2009 - 7:53amThis Comment
The idea of "positive thinking" is dangerous - those of us who cannot will ourselves better are left thinking we are weak and depressive. When my mother was dying of cancer, one of my professors dismissed my request for time off school. She said that anyone can cure themselves, it was simply a question of "mind over matter". When my mother passed away ten days later, I was given to believe, by this professor, that she had been a weak-minded woman. Now my daughter has a terrible medical condition, far more painful than cancers are, and we are told that it is incurable. Are we being told now that this also is a matter of positive thinking? No. The message today is that we must accept god's will that she suffer. What the hell kind of messages are these for people and families in need of real medical help? Are we weak-minded faithless morons who deserve to suffer?
November 12, 2009 - 8:22amThis Comment
Hi Judysh - How terrible to have lost your mom to cancer and to now be caring for a child with a serious medical condition. You've certainly had your share of trying times testing your strength. From what you've written you don't strike me as someone who's a "weak-minded faithless moron" but as a concerned mother wanting the best for herself and her family. Is there anything we can do to assist you? Research some information, or try to locate some support resources? Please let me know if there's something I can do to help you and your family.
November 13, 2009 - 5:40pmTake good care,
Pat
This Comment
Thanks for the blog spot share Phil. In negative times, positivity tends to be the only chance for an outcome that we want. Cheers, to the thought that positive thinking will produce positive things.
October 31, 2009 - 8:32amThis Comment