Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist, turned the clock back for a group of elderly men. Converting a hotel to appear as if it were 20 years prior, the 70 and 80 something year old men were told, to live as if it were 20 years ago and not reminisce about the past. After one week, as compared to a match control group, no intervention, these men had more flexibility, increased mental acuity and improved gait and posture. Those that saw pictures of the men, thought they were considerably younger than their matched controls.
Langer has continued to run experiments along similar lines and continues to show that there is a strong link between self-perception and health. She discusses her findings in “Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.” We are all victims of our own stereotypes about aging and health. Without thinking, we are continually bombarded with messages that make us feel older and less healthy. The more mindless we are in our approach to life, the more we are impacted by these cues that we are not well, old or sick.
Living with a chronic disease, there can be many reminders of health issues-medications, medical supplies, people asking if we’re okay etc.. According to Langer signals also lock all of us—regardless of age—into pigeonholes for disease. We are too quick to accept diagnostic categories like cancer and depression, and let them define us. Doing so preempts the possibility of a healthful future.
That’s not to say that we won’t encounter illness or bad moods—or that dressing like a teenager—will eliminate those things completely. But if we’re open to the idea that the common beliefs we hold don’t have to be correct, and begin exercising the control we have over our health, we just might feel as healthy as we did when we were younger.
Langer suggests the following strategies for self- healing : First, we should take medical information about our health with a grain of salt. Medicine is not an exact science and only tells us what may be true for most people under the tested conditions, and may not be true for any of us individually—none of us is the norm. Second, realize that nothing stays the same. Even if we think we have some symptom—an ache, depression, etc.—all the time, sometimes it’s less than at other times and sometimes it’s not there at all. We need to become aware of when it changes and ask why now and not then. Third, we need to recognize that full health is possible and take small steps towards that healthy goal rather than accept helplessness. Fourth, while we are doing each of these we should recognize that we are not our diseases, they don’t define us and they shouldn’t limit our potential. http://www.ellenlanger.com/blog/107/do-we-need-to-stay-sick-until-congress-saves-us
If we remove our negative mindsets regarding health and presumed limits we may create all sorts of possibilities for ourselves.
While I would agree with most of what Langer has written, I would not tell people to take medical information with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed way too many patients that did just that and ended up in a world of hurt. I would suggest that you be first and foremost mindful of the source of information, particularly that which your medical provider gives you after completing tests etc. You are the captain of your healthcare team and the medical provider is an important crew member. How you use the information they are providing is up to you.
Information obtained from the internet can be very helpful. But as I have written before, there are a lot of snake oil salesmen on line, so buyer be ware. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
Since we mindlessly accept cultural cues that we are our diagnosis, the key is to identify what those cues might be for you and either eliminate them or try to reduce their impact.
Several months ago, I spent the night as a patient. I was horrified by all the subtle cues that were making me feel worse rather than better. Staring at me was a pain sign-how much pain do you have? It ranged from a happy face (0) to someone looking pretty darn miserable (10). I wasn’t feeling pain, but seeing the sign reminded me that pain was a definite possibility. The sign was there for the convenience of the hospital staff. It wasn’t there to help me or other patients feel better.
What are some cues that you might be experiencing? How might you deal with them?
Next week we will be discussing the fact that our biology is only part of the picture and that how you think impacts how your brain changes.
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