recognize that the condition has to be managed but cannot be completely cured. Nonetheless, it is possible to achieve a self-healing state of mind when there is a good match between the activities they like to do and those they are doing.
People who achieve a balance between what they like to do and what they have to do tend to maintain better health than those who are frustrated by not being able to enjoy their exercise and nutrition choices. Someone who works and commutes long hours for five or six days a week may be too exhausted to exercise. This, in turn, can lead to the type of cumulative stress that floods the body with stress hormones that can lead to depression and anxiety which can overwhelm the immune system.
The Self-Healing Triad
Dr. Friedman’s research shows that the most important characteristic of a self-healing personality is integration at social, biological and cognitive levels. People who are strong in self-healing traits tend to have strong social support in their personal and networking relationships.
They tend to participate in clubs, churches, or volunteer activities that allows them to engage with others in positive ways. “You can’t underestimate the value of having a supportive relationship with a significant other,” said Dr. Michael Dempsey, a sports medicine specialist in Manhattan. (Dr. Dempsey recently died from respiratory complications due to his volunteer work at Ground Zero.)
In his work with thousands of patients, he observed that when a patient brought their partner into a medical office and examination room, “both of them would hear the same story and weigh different treatment options so that the patient’s partner could become a coach to support the self-healing process.”
Biological integration is equally important. This means combining nutrition, exercise and relaxation programs designed to meet a patient’s individual needs. As someone who swims an hour a day because I love being in the water, I am sometimes surprised to see someone pushing through her laps with clenched teeth because “it’s supposed to be good exercise.”
But forcing themselves to endure an exercise that they hate causes stress hormones to surge. This, in turn, probably does more harm than good. “A lot of people get out there and jog or run because they think they have to, and they really hate it,” Dr. Friedman observed in an interview for Men’s Fitness. “That’s wrong for your body. You have to find the exercise that’s best for you.”
Cognitive integration, the third component in self-healing, is feeling at peace with the world and believing that your life has meaning. “People with self-healing personalities have a healthy sense of creativity and play,” he says. “Joy, fulfillment and playfulness are key aspects.” Celebrities like Betty White, Dan Rather and Jane Fonda who exude joie de vivre demonstrate that happiness is important for health, healing and longevity.
But if happiness and a positive mental attitude were the ONLY characteristics needed to heal, then happy people would never develop serious illnesses and only depressed people would get sick and die. There are plenty of hostile, depressed individuals who never develop migraines, ulcers or heart disease despite studies that link anger and depression with these health issues.
A positive belief system will make it easier to cope with a serious illness or injury; however, it is important to stay realistic and get medical attention when needed. People who believe in self-healing stereotypes often avoid going to a doctor because they think they can cure anything with positive thinking alone. An intelligent approach to self-healing integrates social, biological, and cognitive components with conventional, complementary, and alternative care. The key is balance.