Realizing you’re ill…not just being visited by a virus or the flu but really ill, can be both terrifying and disorienting. Two years ago, I found myself in this unfamiliar and uncertain territory. The acute phase of a serious, yet to be diagnosed illness, thrusts you into our “dysfunctional” health care system, like it or not.
I am one of the lucky ones…I have health insurance (at least for now) and access to some of the best medicine has to offer. My journey with this illness involved trips to the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic. Diagnosing a rare disease is no easy task!! I’m also blessed to have a personal physician with not only a stellar reputation but he’s a compassionate human being as well. I remember someone saying, “You never know what kind of doctor you have until you become seriously ill”. How true!
lAlthough my symptoms were puzzling, my physician was narrowing in on the correct diagnosis. He welcomed second opinions and comprehensive evaluation. His openness and encouragement to explore every avenue helped me to “trust his judgment” and it reassured me that my care would come before worry about any bruising of his ego. He cooperated fully with the medical team at Johns Hopkins where the diagnosis was finally made….Churg-Strauss Syndrome-a very rare autoimmune disease which is a form of systemic vasculitis. This form of vasculitis can effect multiple organs…It is incurable, life threatening but treatable in most patients with the use of powerful medications including chemo, prednisone and immunosuppressants. Wow! Talk about your world being tipped upside down.
As with many difficult life journeys, there are surprising blessings….one of my many blessings is my developing relationship with my personal physician. Once it “settled in” that I had a chronic illness, I realized that I was going to be seeing a lot of my doctor and he would have to deal with me in the many ups and downs that occur with illness. Having been a psychotherapist for 35 years, I knew how crucial the healing relationship would be in the success of this journey to find a “new normal”.span /spanI hoped we were both up to the task!
Doctors are human beings….mere mortals like you and me. A healing partnership must be based on mutual respect. I’m was not looking for a doctor who feels the need to be the all-powerful Oz but rather a skilled human being that can connect with me in my state of dis-ease and help me remember that I, like Dorothy, already possess what I need to restore myself to a state of wholeness in mind, body and spirit. In that process, I also want to be apprised of any and all interventions that could be beneficial. Then, ideally, my expert guide will help me weigh the pros and cons of these interventions until we can mutually come to a plan of action. As doctor and patient travel this journey, the Healing Partnership is developing. For me this partnership is an emotional bond that must develop. It is a co-creation for which both partners are responsible.
For all too long, the fields of medicine and psychology have narrowly focused on illness, disease and dysfunction. In the last decade, Positive Psychology has been studying what is working rather than what is not….Studying those that are healthy rather unhealthy. Research scientist, Barbara Fredrickson’s work on positive emotion is particularly relevant when we are exploring health, wellness and human flourishing. The evidence is indisputable that positive emotion has a profoundly beneficial effect on health. Furthermore, when illness does occur, positivity is the one factor that most readily explains those that bounce-back and display resiliency in the face of difficult life events. Remaining hopeful and positive can be no easy task especially in the first stages of a serious illness. However, there is no more important time to have access to all one’s resources. Having a broadened mind set helps you make clearer decisions and see possibilities. Experiencing fear and anxiety is natural. It is during this time that the quality of the healing partnership is most important. The confidence and hopefulness of the physician is crucial to healing. Physicians with positive mindsets are most effective.
In fact, one fascinating study looked at how physicians functioned in making medical diagnoses. Researchers primed three groups of physicians…one was primed to be happy, one to be neutral and one primed by reading scientific journals before asking each group to make as many medical diagnoses as fast as they could. Interestingly, what they found was that the group primed to be happy out-performed the other two groups by 50%. And the happy group was three times more mentally flexible. Obviously, its preferable to find yourself a happy physician and in todays medical system that is quite a challenge. I was lucky….I not only found a happy, optimistic doctor but he is a natural Positive Psychologist to boot!
If we were to design the Positive Physician what characteristics or strengths would he or she possess? I would suggest realistic optimism, curiosity, open-mindedness, judgment/critical thinking, gratitude, zest/enthusiasm for life, kindness/compassion and most of all LOVE. What a tall order. Currently, I doubt that these coincide with the criteria used by many medical school admission boards. Perhaps it is time to bring back some of the art of medicine….rather than an over-reliance on drugs and technology. As we understand more and more scientifically what a powerful role emotion plays in health and healing, we will need to use this knowledge in our choice of future healers. As in many other professions, emotional intelligence may be the most important quality in creating the best healers. We need more physicians that understand the mind/spirit as well as the body. I was lucky to find such a person, and it has made all the difference for me!
You must log in to post a comment.