How does attitude influence the healing process of an illness? Can you maintain a positive attitude in the midst of a struggle? Top Doctors experts give the keys to work body-brain-mind.
Barcelona, March 19, 2018.- The positive attitude is the one we adopt to face everything that happens in the most beneficial way possible. Positive emotions act as a protective factor in situations of adversity, optimize health and well-being and help build personal resources*. In fact, experts say that the more serious the disease, the more important it is to have a positive approach and attitude towards it, both to achieve better tolerance to treatment and to achieve better therapeutic results.
On the Day of Happiness, Top Doctors.es®, an online platform for finding and contacting the best medical specialists in private healthcare, audited and certified by the most rigorous selection process of doctors in the world, wants to keep in mind all those patients who seek to have a positive attitude during treatment. With the help of its experts, it analyzes the role of optimism in the healing process and offers the keys to maintain a positive attitude.
How relevant is the role of positivity in the healing process? Could it be a decisive factor? Can it change the course of a disease? “It is not possible to be sure that attitude is a 100% determining factor in the course of the disease. However, there are more and more studies focused on the interrelationship between the mind, attitude and overcoming diseases that show that people who are more optimistic, self-efficient and eager to fight have a longer life expectancy. In this sense, we can say that the balance is leaning more and more towards confirming that a positive attitude and optimism are usually a sign of good prognosis”, explain the Institut Barcelona de Psicologia, Top Doctors’ center of excellence.
Good communication and a close relationship with the doctor and family members increases positivism.
The moment when the diagnosis of a disease is known is one of the most complex phases in the healing process. In order to try to assume the problem and face the moment that arises, it is important to trust the specialists and ask them to provide truthful and objective information about the treatment and the exact stage of the disease, as well as the real expectations of recovery. All this helps the patient to learn to manage and face the new stage, favoring the fight with a more positive state of mind.
Family support, social relationships or the emotional stability of the person are determining factors when it comes to working on a positive attitude. “Disinformation can lead to isolation of the patient, which hinders a positive attitude and therefore recovery. The optimistic person will pay more attention to his or her doctor’s advice and will face the disease with greater strength,” says Dr. Ignacio Peláez Fernandez, head of the Medical Oncology Unit at Begoña Hospital in Gijón and member of Top Doctors.
How to achieve a positive attitude in the face of an illness?
Emotions are relevant to the brain’s processing of information, since they provide the energy necessary for motivation, which is what can organize, amplify or attenuate our brain’s cognitive activity. The body-brain-mind unit has the main task of working in the pursuit of survival. “The person is happy not because of a set of circumstances, but because of a set of attitudes. When we can accept that life is not easy, then living is no longer such a costly process,” explains Dr. Neus García Guerra, clinical psychologist and member of Top Doctors.
Some guidelines that help the patient to maintain a positive attitude would be:
- Group therapy or attendance to support groups: one of the most helpful practices for patients fighting diseases such as cancer is to listen to the experiences of people who have gone through the same situation. This helps them to have a real vision in which to see themselves reflected, which also has an impact on their attitude during the healing process.
- To practice physical activities: within the possibilities of each one, it is important to work the body, so that this in turn strengthens the mind.
- Strengthen relationships: having the support of family, friends and loved ones is one of the main pillars to have a more optimistic outlook.
- Continue practicing our hobbies: suffering from an illness should not be a sign to paralyze life and stop doing what we like. Therefore, as far as possible, it is important to continue practicing and enjoying the hobbies we already had, to avoid entering into a loop of thoughts related to the pathology.
- Perform breathing and relaxation exercises. This type of activities help to work body-brain-mind at the same time, so it is very important to incorporate the practice of activities such as yoga or pilates. 6. See a professional psychologist. This point is key from the beginning of the treatment. Doctor and psychologist must go hand in hand throughout the process. “It is advisable for the doctor to explain to the patient from the beginning, the situation that he/she is facing from now on and to know the expectations of healing. From that point on, it is important to accompany the patient during the process from a medical and psychological point of view, so that the person can define his or her perspective and enhance the positive attitude that will help him or her to succeed,” advise the Institut Barcelona de Psicología.
The experts stress that the most important thing is to highlight the possibilities of success. “Those who have a positive attitude will fight more than those who feel defeat,” they conclude.
*Fredrickson, Cohn, Coffey, Finkel, Pek, 2008.
Dr. Neus García Guerra, psychologist specializing in clinical psychology.
Dr. Ignacio Peláez Fernández, head of the Medical Oncology Unit of the Begoña Hospital in Gijón.
Barcelona Institute of Psychology