IMMUNE FOR LIFE: MELDING MIND AND BODY
“I am upset not by events, but rather by the way I view them.”
—Epiclitus
A young woman sat in my office and said, “Whatever I do turns out wrong. I’ve been on five or six diets, but I can’t lose any weight. I’ve gone to three colleges in seven years, and I’ll never graduate. All I can get are jobs as a clerk or waitress. Then I do a lousy job and get fired after a while. I make resolutions to study harder, to work harder, to get along with my boyfriend. Nothing ever goes right for me! I don’t even try anymore because I know I’m a loser.” Like millions of Americans, she is depressed and has a negative self-image. She “knows” she’s a loser. Her conviction becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as she fails at one thing after another.
These unhappy people often wind up in doctors’ offices, complaining of various aches and pains, if they’re lucky. The unlucky ones may have more serious problems, such as cancer. These people aren’t hypochondriacs suffering from imaginary diseases. Depression and unhappiness cause physical illnesses.
Other patients I see are angry, eager to take on the whole world, to get back at someone, to show everybody what’s what. Herb A. was like that; he couldn’t wait to make his old boss eat his words. -
“Dr. Fox, I’m going to make him so sorry he fired me!” Herb fumed. “He said I didn’t run my department the right way. Well, I’m going to get a job with a bigger firm, take over the whole company and run it my way. That’ll show him! I’m going to buy him out, too. Just so I can fire him!”
The only person Herb showed was himself. His constant state of anger drove his blood pressure higher and higher until he had a heart attack.
Unfortunately, these people aren’t alone in their gloomy thoughts. Tens of millions of Americans are depressed, angry, bitter and frustrated. Many of them turn to alcohol, tranquilizers and other prescription or illegal drugs. Thanks to the magic of chemistry, they lose themselves for a little while. But the real problems haven’t been solved; the depression, anger and self-doubt always return. Meanwhile, the drugs and alcohol are busy attacking their body, destroying their relationships, harming their ability to work, draining their bank accounts and deepening their anger and/or depression.
Many of the patients I’ve seen through the years have told me , that they can’t get through the day without a tranquilizer, a few drinks or some marijuana. When I ask them if the drugs and/or alcohol make them any happier, they shrug and say no, but at least they’re surviving. My goal for you isn’t merely survival; it’s living life to its fullest. Dimming the lights of thought and perception isn’t living.
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Tags: General health