Discovery Health :: Rallying the Troops Inside Our Bodies part two of my comments

I commented on this article in an earlier post however I also wanted to focus on the portion of the article that talks about how the mind influences health Link: Discovery Health :: Rallying the Troops Inside Our Bodies.

Psychologist Robin Haller, Ph.D., hopes the heartening outlook she strives to inspire in her patients will help her overpower the malignancy she discovered in her breast.

Recovered from breast-cancer surgery, Haller says she feels strong and finds immense solace nurturing her young daughter and son. No one else is going to raise them, she says determinedly.

"I could spend all my time crying and worrying about what will happen to my kids," she said. "And I did do a little bit of that. But it's not helpful. I don't have a lot of energy to spare right now, so why waste it on that?"

Being upset and worried about your illness may  make things worse. it also can take away energy that could be used to more effectively cope with your health problem  I have learned this from experience when the pain would reach a six or seven. I would get tired and the pain would get worse  I would then become frustrated and exasperated which did not help at all It was a never-ending loop. However my pain management therapist through the use of CBT provided me with ways of thinking and behaving that helped me minimize and control the amount of pain I felt  i.e. focusing on relaxing when I am in pain instead of getting upset. it sounds simple but it takes practice.

According to three decades of research, Haller may be inoculating herself with some of human kind's most potent and as yet arcane medicine — a healthy state of mind. Psychologists and medical researchers are amassing dramatic — albeit incomplete — evidence that psychological factors influence the human body's ability to control the symptoms of — and even survive — life-threatening illnesses..

CBT is all about cultivating a healthy state of mind

  Here is another quote from an article about using CBT to treat anxiety

In behavioral therapy, people learn how to change behavior. You may have already heard of the most common behavioral techniques used in the treatment of anxiety disorders: desensitization, relaxation and breathing exercises.

Cognitive therapy focuses on thoughts, assumptions and beliefs.

With cognitive therapy, people may learn to recognize and change faulty or maladaptive thinking patterns. Cognitive therapy is not about "positive thinking" in the sense that you must always think happy thoughts. It's a way to gain control over racing, repetitive thoughts which often feed or trigger anxiety.

CBT is about what I would characterize as effective healthy thinking.  Using your thoughts and behavior to lessen the severity of your health problem

The two therapies often are used together because they are beneficial to each other. For example, in the midst of extreme anxiety, it may feel impossible to gain control over your thoughts and apply cognitive therapy techniques. Therefore, a behavioral technique such as deep breathing may help you calm down and focus on your thinking.

Comments

[spostareduro]

thanks again for the tips and resources rudy. cognitive restructuring is extremely useful in building tolerance to matters of the heart, body, and mind that may have once been far too overwhelming.