Is optimism the key to good health? - psychoendoneuroimmunology

[Guest guest]

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3481605.stm

 

Published: 2005/01/02 01:38:54 GMT

 

Is optimism the key to good health?

By Pat Hagan

 

When disease strikes, our first reaction is often to pop a pill or seek a

doctor's advice.

 

But is it possible that having a positive outlook on life could not only

reduce the risk of illness but even aid the recovery process?

 

The idea that the power of positive thinking has the capacity to combat ill

health is one that has fascinated researchers for more than 100 years.

 

Countless studies have analysed the impact that a patient's frame of mind

can have on their chances of surviving killer conditions such as heart

disease and cancer.

 

Yet for all its efforts, the scientific community remains as divided as ever.

 

The most recent investigation, published this month, revealed cancer

sufferers who remained optimistic during treatment had no more chance of

surviving the ordeal than those who felt burdened by their illness.

 

Experts at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia,

examined 170 patients and found having a dogged fighting spirit was no

guarantee the disease would not result in death.

 

Despite the gloomy findings some experts hailed the five-year study as a

welcome relief for patients who feel unable to put on a brave face when

battling a killer disease.

 

Professor Amanda Ramirez, from the charity Cancer Research UK, said: " This

study tells people it's OK to grieve after a diagnosis of cancer.

 

" The patients I worry about are those who have no reaction and go straight

into fighting spirit mode because that's not realistic. "

 

Different findings

 

But the Melbourne study, published in the journal Cancer, focused on lung

cancer - one of the most deadly forms of the disease, with a poor survival

rate.

 

Other cancer research provides conflicting evidence. In the early 1990s,

scientists reported on the health of women who had a mastectomy for breast

cancer.

 

They had measured their psychological response three months after the

surgery and then checked their health at five, 10 and 15 years.

 

What they found was that the mental attitude of the patient was a better

predictor of their chances of surviving than the size of the tumour, its

severity or the patient's age.

 

And a 1999 study showed women who felt helpless after breast cancer were

more likely to die or relapse within five years of diagnosis.

 

If looking on the bright side of things really does keep you healthy, it

may do so by influencing the release of certain hormones in the body.

 

So if there are fewer stress hormones, for example, the risk of heart

disease may be lowered.

 

One Canadian study showed heart attack victims who remained upbeat about

their future were three times less likely to suffer a second attack within

a year.

 

But the exact nature of this relationship between positive thoughts and

health remains a mystery.

 

Possible key

 

Psychologist Oakley Ray, from the Vanderbilt University in the US, has

reviewed 100 years of research and believes the secret may lie in

psychoendoneuroimmunology, or PENI for short.

 

This is the interaction between the mind and the endocrine, nervous and

immune systems.

 

" There are pathogens that can live in equilibrium with us - like

tuberculosis - with only a small percentage developing symptoms and

exhibiting illness,' said Dr Ray.

 

" Those who don't get sick probably have a well functioning PENI system. "

 

According to Professor Ramirez, although optimism may not directly affect

the outcome of cancer, it can be an important coping mechanism - providing

the patient is not in denial about their condition.

 

" Having hope and being optimistic is very important from quality of life

point of view, rather than a quantity of life point of view. "

 

Professor Cary Cooper, an expert in psychology and health at Lancaster

University, says a key factor may be how patients define positive thinking.

 

Bottling up emotions and putting on a smile is not likely to help but

expressing feelings and talking to friends and relatives could.

 

" Will that reduce the size of a tumour? The answer is I don't know but I do

know that these strategies may enable the kind of treatments these patients

are having to be more successful. "

[Guest guest]

Are these top scientists so stupid they don't even see the obvious in

thier own words?

Positive thinking and an upbeat long term view of life are very

different things. One is a superficial happy thought on top of whatever

deeper or even unconscious attitudes about life they hold. The long

term view means their deep views of life and self are at peace and are a

part of the person, not superficial.

 

As the one researcher said, people who are truly in touch with their

emotions do best. Face the fear and negativity, and work through their

own issues, realisticaly and not in denial or ignoring the truth.

Enough other studies have shown that those who achieve long lasting

remission from almost any disorder are those who have made a deep long

lasting lifestyle and consciousness change. They have taken

responsibility for themselves.

 

These guys don't have to believe it, but at least be clear about what

they are researching so their results are consistent. Don't compare

apples and oranges they say fruit doesn't work.

 

Rachel

 

 

 

David Elfstrom wrote:

 

>

>Story from BBC NEWS:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3481605.stm

>

>Published: 2005/01/02 01:38:54 GMT

>

>Is optimism the key to good health?

>By Pat Hagan

>

>When disease strikes, our first reaction is often to pop a pill or seek a

>doctor's advice.

>

>But is it possible that having a positive outlook on life could not only

>reduce the risk of illness but even aid the recovery process?

>

>The idea that the power of positive thinking has the capacity to combat ill

>health is one that has fascinated researchers for more than 100 years.

>

>Countless studies have analysed the impact that a patient's frame of mind

>can have on their chances of surviving killer conditions such as heart

>disease and cancer.

>

>Yet for all its efforts, the scientific community remains as divided as ever.

>

>The most recent investigation, published this month, revealed cancer

>sufferers who remained optimistic during treatment had no more chance of

>surviving the ordeal than those who felt burdened by their illness.

>

>Experts at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia,

>examined 170 patients and found having a dogged fighting spirit was no

>guarantee the disease would not result in death.

>

>Despite the gloomy findings some experts hailed the five-year study as a

>welcome relief for patients who feel unable to put on a brave face when

>battling a killer disease.

>

>Professor Amanda Ramirez, from the charity Cancer Research UK, said: " This

>study tells people it's OK to grieve after a diagnosis of cancer.

>

> " The patients I worry about are those who have no reaction and go straight

>into fighting spirit mode because that's not realistic. "

>

>Different findings

>

>But the Melbourne study, published in the journal Cancer, focused on lung

>cancer - one of the most deadly forms of the disease, with a poor survival

>rate.

>

>Other cancer research provides conflicting evidence. In the early 1990s,

>scientists reported on the health of women who had a mastectomy for breast

>cancer.

>

>They had measured their psychological response three months after the

>surgery and then checked their health at five, 10 and 15 years.

>

>What they found was that the mental attitude of the patient was a better

>predictor of their chances of surviving than the size of the tumour, its

>severity or the patient's age.

>

>And a 1999 study showed women who felt helpless after breast cancer were

>more likely to die or relapse within five years of diagnosis.

>

>If looking on the bright side of things really does keep you healthy, it

>may do so by influencing the release of certain hormones in the body.

>

>So if there are fewer stress hormones, for example, the risk of heart

>disease may be lowered.

>

>One Canadian study showed heart attack victims who remained upbeat about

>their future were three times less likely to suffer a second attack within

>a year.

>

>But the exact nature of this relationship between positive thoughts and

>health remains a mystery.

>

>Possible key

>

>Psychologist Oakley Ray, from the Vanderbilt University in the US, has

>reviewed 100 years of research and believes the secret may lie in

>psychoendoneuroimmunology, or PENI for short.

>

>This is the interaction between the mind and the endocrine, nervous and

>immune systems.

>

> " There are pathogens that can live in equilibrium with us - like

>tuberculosis - with only a small percentage developing symptoms and

>exhibiting illness,' said Dr Ray.

>

> " Those who don't get sick probably have a well functioning PENI system. "

>

>According to Professor Ramirez, although optimism may not directly affect

>the outcome of cancer, it can be an important coping mechanism - providing

>the patient is not in denial about their condition.

>

> " Having hope and being optimistic is very important from quality of life

>point of view, rather than a quantity of life point of view. "

>

>Professor Cary Cooper, an expert in psychology and health at Lancaster

>University, says a key factor may be how patients define positive thinking.

>

>Bottling up emotions and putting on a smile is not likely to help but

>expressing feelings and talking to friends and relatives could.

>

> " Will that reduce the size of a tumour? The answer is I don't know but I do

>know that these strategies may enable the kind of treatments these patients

>are having to be more successful. "