The Power of Positive Thinking - Can We Literally Will Ourselves to Become Well?
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.
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Hi,
This what the Bible teach us about... Utter positive words. The life and death is in the control of the tongue... I really love reading this article...
Cheers,
Phil.
http://health2live.blogspot.com
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.
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?
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.
Take good care,
Pat
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.