What is Attitudinal Healing?
Attitudinal healing is exactly that, how our attitudes impact our ability to heal our bodies. This healing approach can target a psychological or physiological ailment. This is nothing new at all, in fact it has been around since the beginning man has walked this planet. We just have more terminology as well as measurable outcome studies to show the benefit. There are actually groups now to target and teach people how to change their attitude to heal. My first experience with this attitudinal health perspective was in the late seventies when I first learned meditation and breathing exercises which literally had physiologic outcome of slowing my heart rate down and lowering my respiratory rate. The message was driven home even stronger in the early nineties by Dr. Carl Hammerschlag who introduced me to psycho-neuro-immunology. Simply put, it is not the illness, the cancer, the death, the divorce the negative self perception that causes the stress but how we approach the stress that makes the difference. Some individuals are more adept at handling life trauma than others. Why? Of course there are a variety of reasons, from support networks, the ability to compartmentalize the problem at hand and then there is the ability to learn how to approach it. Coming to it with calmness, no hysteria and realizing you can only control what you can control is very helpful. Combine that with recognizing your limitations and how negative inner thoughts only complicate the resolution phase one can than begin to reach attitudinal healing. We know with measurable data that petting dogs, raising a pet, will unequivocally lower blood pressure, lower pulse rates and bring a degree of happiness. It is not just the stroking of the animal but the connectedness of the entire experience. Whether you call it prayer, meditation, re-framing the negative thoughts, psycho-neuro-immunology or a mental switch in gears it can be done with positive measurable outcome.
How does one let go of fear in Attitudinal Healing?
One of the first steps in healing, whether it is cancer, relationship conflict, personal growth, or a visit to the physician one MUST RECOGNIZE WHAT THEY ARE AFRAID OF AND LET GO OF THE FEAR.
How? Fear is a normal emotion that we experience with many life traumas and even medical diagnoses. It can be debilitating. When that happens we need to take action. We need to go to war with ourselves. For myself, I learned it is appropriate to ask for help. I used to never do this. I ask my best friend for support, I get mad and confront my fear head on, I ask myself, “Self, why am I letting this emotion kick my ass?” I recognize how my thoughts can freeze me in my steps. Once I recognize this I can move. Not all the time but many times, with support, with confronting myself, and changing my thought pattern I have been able to kick fear.
The next step: Reflection. For myself my next step is looking how I mis-handled trauma, fear and life experience problems in the past. I look at my failures, and then I realize I do not want or I WILL NOT repeat that same pattern. My fear of the dentist, I force myself to go with the support of my best friend knowing I want her to have healthy teeth, knowing it is important for my health. I push past the irrationality. Relationships: I was frightened to risk, frightened to trust, I recognized my past was fraught with bad choices, but I wanted to be happy. That want and drive outweighed my fear and I handled it different than my past behavior. Summation, do it differently, change your attitude from your past behavior, even though your past behavior is comfortable because that is what you are used to. CHANGE IT! The same behavior will give you the same result.
Three: Recognize negative thoughts produce negative emotions which produce negative behavior which produce negative outcome. Our thoughts possess us, they can be all encompassing. One MUST recognize a negative thought. This can be difficult for we are used to it. I cannot change jobs. I am not good at communicating. I cannot save money. I do not know how to show love. These DO NOT produce positive outcomes. They only solidify our feet in concrete of negativity. Positive thoughts and specifically laughter increase endorphins and bolsters the immune system. Again measurable outcome. Laughter is now used on oncology wards across the country with positive outcomes. I am always trying to get my patients to laugh, some times I fall short. I have been told by a few to stick to my day job. that in itself makes the patient and I laugh.
Four: Be open to new experiences, new treatment modalities and new ventures. Cancer patients, try many different approaches. Continue with the standard chemotherapy or radiation because it has been shown to have positive outcome but do not close your eyes to other modalities. it is your body, you are the consumer, and be open to all possibilities.
Five: Put it into action. Reading this or any advice can be helpful; however it is meaningless if it is not implemented. Do not try, DO IT!! You will falter, forget and then do it again. We are notorious as humans to be non-compliant. Not a problem. Recognize the non-compliance and do it again. It can be weight loss, relationship conflict, cancer, a death in the family or any life trauma. Attitudinal healing is helpful and is measurable.
It does not matter if you follow these steps or someone else’s. There are many journeys that end with the same result. What is important is to recognize a change in attitude is helpful and can help you reach a healthier state. If you find a mainstream physician that disagrees with this concept, find a new one. It is your body, you are the consumer. Use all treatment modalities at your disposal. Why not, maybe that doc needs an attitude adjustment also.