Mind/Body Connection

I am reading a great book about the mind body connection.  It is Love, Medicine and Miracles by Bernie Siegel.  Bernie is a surgeon in the US who became disillusioned with his work and discovered it was because he was not engaging with his patients on a personal level, understanding their feelings and fears etc.  He started doing this, going against the tide of his training and the profession and the more he did this the more he could see a connection between peoples feelings and beliefs and their recovery rate.  He nows runs a centre for cancer patients which utilizes the power of the mind/body connection. A group of London researchers under Ken Pettingale reported a 10 year survival rate of 75% among cancer patients who reacted to the diagnosis with a ‘fighting spirit’, compared to a 22% survival rate among those who responded with “stoic acceptance” or feelings of helplessness or hopelessness.  There is nothing new about the mind/body connection it has been known about and used for 1000's of years, it is only in the last few centuries and with the invention of penicillin and anti-biotics the medical profession has focused on the biological science of healing.  Very easy to read and hard to put down. 

Comments

[Shaheen Lakhan]

That's a great book! We at Brain Blogger published an article on this issue. While it has long been known that GAD can affect someone physically, new research is pointing to potential causes for GAD. One thought is that when a person is suffering a physical illness they are faced with increased worry and anxiety, triggering the development GAD.

I would like to hear your comments on our article. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Shaheen

[russell]

Hey, great site. I had never heard it called Biopsychosocial health before. I agree with the article. If the mind can effect the body there is a link - why wouldn't it be two way?