Prescription for Living
by Bernie Siegel, MD
From Patient To Respant
U
nfortunately doctors and health professionals, in general, do not study success. We are far more likely to consider an unexpected recovery to be due to the treatment or a
spontaneous remission. However, I have learned from my experi- ence with patients and by asking them, “Why didn’t you die when you were supposed to?” that they always had a story to tell. I can recall, as an intern, realizing that the seniors, with hip fractures, who were noisy and demanding didn’t develop pneumonia and die while the submissive, quiet seniors who never raised their voice or caused a problem had a much higher mortality rate. By speaking up and becoming a character or problem patient
you become identified as a person and not by your room number or disease and, therefore, are far less likely to have a fatal or non- fatal medical error made while being cared for. The word patient derives its meaning from submissive sufferer. That is not a good thing to be when hospitalized or receiving medical treatment of any kind. You need to be a respant, or responsible participant if you want to heal and survive. We now know from studies how one’s emotions and person-
ality affect survival rates. I was criticized years ago for speaking about many things; no one had researched because no one be- lieved they made sense, which are now scientific. Simple things like laughter affecting the survival of cancer patients and loneli- ness affecting the genes which control immune function are now proven to be true by studies. The fact that women live longer than men and married men live longer than single men with the same cancers, is not about female hormones or sleeping with them, but about relationships and meaning in your life. Survival behavior and an immune competent personality are not an accident or luck.
Those in the mental health field are far more likely to be aware of this because of what they see happen to their patients.
When people have a sense of meaning in their life, express anger and emotions appropriately in defense of themselves, ask for help from family and friends, participate in their health care decisions, say no to what they choose not to do, find time to do what they enjoy and to play, use their feelings to help them to heal their lives and do not live a role but an authentic life they will always do better than expected. I would add that a spiritual faith and not seeing the disease as God punishing them also plays a role, as well as, their desire and intention to survive. Disease is a loss of health, not punishment, and your health is to be looked for as you would seek to find your lost car keys. I found a large part of the problem was that people were afraid
to take responsibility and participate because if they didn’t get well that would mean they were a failure. Decades ago I invited one hundred cancer patients to attend a support group and live a longer better life. I expected them to bring friends and family members and that I would have hundreds of people to deal with. Less than a dozen women showed up for the first meeting. I real- ized I did not know the people I was caring for and their will to live. If you do not grow up with parents who love you and give you mottoes to live by and teachers, clergy and other authority figures who love and respect you then you are into guilt, shame, blame, addictions and self destructive behavior. Those who showed up became labeled exceptional cancer
patients because they were a minority but what they reveal to us is our potential. Difficult patients do not die when they are supposed to. Statistics do not determine their outcome or results. Those with inspiration who transform their lives and rebirth them- selves give their bodies live messages and the body then does the best it can for them. Our bodies love us but if we do not love our life and bodies it sees illness and death as a way to be free of our afflictions. Monday morning supports that with more heart
Wisdom of the Ages presents
Dr. Bernie Siegel “The Art of Healing”
at Farmington Community/Senior Center for an afternoon workshop
June 6, 2010 1pm – 5pm
Bernie will be outlining survival behavior patterns. There will be discussions of love, humor, hope, spirituality, desire and intention and how it all has a role in our lives and our health. It will be a well rounded day with a slide presentation, as well as the opportunity to participate in drawing, guided imagery and answering thought provoking questions about life and its meaning. This workshop is open to all, whether you’re confronting mortality and life’s inevitable difficulties, a loved one is challenged, or you want to learn new ways to be a survivor. Sure to be a day filled with smiles!
Chair Massage available (.50 per minute) by Keith Siegel, LMT, as well as a wide selection of Bernie’s books and CDs for sale.
The Farmington Community Center, 321 New Britain Ave, Unionville, CT Cost: Pre-registered by May 8th ~ $35 (After 5/8, $40)
To register: Contact Jane and Keith Siegel at Wisdom of the Ages
1408 Hopmeadow St Simsbury, Ct (860) 651-1172
www.wisdomoftheages.biz
www.naturalnutmeg.com June 2010
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