Chapter 2
What's in It for You?
Reasons to Change Your Mind about Health
Medically at-risk women who have optimistic attitudes are more likely to deliver healthy babies, according to a recent State University of New York study. A thriving social life is a major predictor of whether people will live to be 100, reports the 1998 New England Centenarian Study. Back pain from physical tasks is more likely in women who feel stressed by work, says a 2001 Ohio State University study. Additionally, scientific evidence shows that use of mind-body approaches to health speeds recovery from illness, diminishes side effects from chemotherapy, decreases use of pain medication, reduces length of hospital stays, increases patient satisfaction, and cuts down on doctor visits.
These studies make a strong case for choosing an approach to health that requires more—and delivers more—than just taking medicine and following "doctor's orders." There are substantial benefits to be gained for those who decide to upgrade their mind-body skill set from "Mind-Body Lite" to the full-featured version of the mind-body approach—from "think positive, be peaceful, don't get stressed out" to a robust competence at consciously using the power of the mind for health. And there’s no doubt that using the attitudes and skills of the mind-body approach in any medical situation provides advantages that can improve health outcomes without interfering with conventional treatment.
Topics in this chapter:
Build strong beliefs and healthy attitudes six ways!
Mind-body approaches yield excellent results for all stress-related symptoms (the cause of 60 – 90 percent of doctor visits) at low risk and relatively low cost.
Chronic symptoms, on the rise and not treated successfully by conventional medicine, respond well to mind-body therapies.
Cognitive therapy—learning to change how you think about problems—is highly effective in treating pain, one of the most common reasons for doctor visits.
Hypnosis often provides solutions to previously intractable common, chronic conditions, like IBS, migraine, and pain.
Biofeedback permits alteration of bodily functions assumed to be out of conscious control.
Since you’re already using the mind-body approach without awareness, you ought to learn to use it consciously for best results.
Requires more but gives you more
Learn to question authority to develop a health-boosting independent attitude.
Teach yourself to cultivate a health-promoting positive outlook.
Develop the mental strength and flexibility of emotional resilience.
Master the ability to feel more in control of your life.
Discover how to feel challenged rather than defeated by problems.
Icing on the health cake
More interesting than the "just fix it" approach to health.
Complements and improves the effectiveness of any other treatment modality without interfering.
Saves time, money, and energy now wasted uselessly pursuing health from the outside in.
Develops skills that can be used to improve all areas of life.
Excellent for spiritual growth and development.