I wonder if anyone actually believes that positive thinking or stress reduction techniques can cure mind numbing pain or fatigue? Or is it just blind desire to think that every ailment has a cure?
My client (I’ll call her Sally) sent me this article in despair, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers ‘can overcome symptoms of ME with positive thinking and exercise‘ . She’d bumped into a former colleague whom she hadn’t seen in two years since she left the high powered, corporate law firm where they were employed. At that time, Sally hadn’t shared her reasons for leaving. So when asked why she’d left, Sally said the first thing that popped into her head, the truth. She explained that she’d been living with pain and fatigue for years and when she was finally diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME), she decided to try to take better care of herself, even if she wasn’t sure what that meant. She explained that she knew that she needed a more flexible schedule which is why she switched careers and became self employed.
“You have CFS? My friend had it until she took a year long meditation course and she’s fine now. Have you heard that research shows you can get yourself better with positive thinking and exercise?” her friend asked. And then she pulled up the above article on her phone to show Sally. Sally told me that she felt her heart sink when she read the headline. What could she say to such assertions? She’d been exercising regularly and tries to be positive but now it seemed that she was failing at curing herself.
In fact, when you read the article it’s clear that the headline is misleading. It seems that the researchers note found that many of the people in their study had found that their experience with exercise had made them feel worse, so they assumed it also made the disease worse. But when they participated in the study’s gradual program to build exercise tolerance, and they increased their capacity for exercise, they were more hopeful about living with this disease. Hence the ‘positive thinking’.
Headlines become sound bites that shape opinion and lead to all sorts of assumptions – some of which can do harm. Another pet peeve of mine is the commonly held idea that meditation cures illness. I’ve had personal experience with practices that soothe, calm and focus my brain for 40 years. Never a cure, they do manage to ease the physical and emotional pain that comes from living with debilitating disease. No doubt you can find research that supports both sides of these assertions and I’m sure there are those who disagree and will tell me so. But it seems to me that too often people want to cling to the idea that there is a cure for every problem rather than accept limits.
Sadly, the bottom line is that when you live with chronically debilitating health, the idea that you can easily ‘fix’ yourself can turn into a damaging source of unnecessary pain.
Do you want to read my ideas for living with difficult health? See my free article, Playing the Hand You’re Dealt #9 in my website’s Free Resources.
Ellen says
I work day in and day out to be positive, live a full life, be productive at work, exercise and eat well.
And then some days I want to scream and cry and kick my feet because I’m just too tired to keep up the image any more. And I want some people to walk in my shoes for a few days and before they give me advice.
Debra says
Most annoying is when your doctor tells you to meditate. I enjoy responding, “I would be interested in reviewing the literature on the long-term efficacy of meditation on chronic health problems. Can you tell me where I can find this?” The doctor, of course, has no idea, and will quickly drop the subject.
Rosalind says
Yup. But maybe the crying and kicking feet is a sign that we feel dis empowered when others make this kind of comment. How to take back the feeling that you ARE in charge ?
Rosalind says
That’s a great response since it seems to me that there’s nothing wrong in making suggestions but if someone is going to tell you to do something, then there should be evidence behind it.In fact, there have been studies showing this but as far as I can see, it’s not a cure but it can improve ‘overall health outcomes’. There is a difference.
Jennifer says
Thank you for posting this. I saw that article the other day and it made me so angry. It is very hurtful for people living with chronic illness and doing everything they can to feel better. And, yes, it is misleading. I think positive thinking can make any situation more tolerable, but it does not cure disease.
Rosalind says
Thank you for sharing this!