Healing of Mind and Body

Alan Rosenberg’s son suffered from a seizure disorder. Rosenberg and his wife tried many different treat-
ments to help their son with the illness. Each time their son began a new treatment, “he would improve drastically for a short period of time, and then he would revert back,” recalls Rosenberg. Rosenberg found that the treatments themselves did not help control his son’s seizures. “It was just the mere idea of our hopes and trying something new,” says the couple.
More and more research studies are discovering that there is a definite healing process done through the patient’s outlook on their illness, as well has the care and encouragement they receive by others around them. There is an interplay between mind and body. At a recent convention of the esteemed National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, scientists spoke about hope, meaning and expectations of a patient—subjects not often discussed in the realm of scientific research. The conference speakers stated that patients need to believe that there is a chance they will feel better. They need hope and encouragement from a caring person. “This process of healing clearly extends beyond known science,” says conference co-chair Arthur Kleinman, professor of medical anthropology and psychiatry at Harvard Business School. A patient’s physiology can transform simply by the doctor’s bedside manner, such as his words, facial expressions and the distance they sit from their patients.
Howard Brody, a family-practice doctor at Michigan State University, emphasizes the role of the bedside manner between physicians and patients. Brody says, “The doctor owes the patient emotional support. The doctor owes the patient time and care. Physicians who think cures only come out of a bottle or out of an intravenous line or in surgery really underestimate the power of that exchange.”
There is great power in words of kindness, care and concern toward someone who is ill. In Proverbs 17:22 it says, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” People can die from a broken heart. Words of comfort and cheer can be bring healing for a sick or discouraged person. A physician is not the only one who can help patients in this manner. Friends and family can be a tremendous source of encouragement. Take time to call or visit someone who is need, sick or bedridden. Who knows, your words of hope and comfort can be just the treatment needed to turn an ill person towards recovery.
Ly Lan Nguyen