Does positive thinking help combat illness?

[chrisd]

fingers crossed all goes well Chris

Many thanks Chris. Nice to have that from someone who's been there too. I just wish everyone knew about prostate cancer as ii kills far too many men every week

 

[SocketRocket]

I'll let you know on Monday after my consultant has ripped out my cancerous prostate with his bare hands.

Hope it works out well for you Chris.

 

[Ethan]

My thoughts. Positive attitude can certainly help you to respond better to the illness, make the most of life etc. Does it change the course of the condition? Depends, may do so for mental health problems, but won't a fix a broken leg, most other conditions are somewhere in between. It is unlikely to change the biology of the condition much, though. If your positive attitude makes you change your diet, get more exercise etc, that can help.

When I was a junior hospital doctor, there was a local GP who was famous for calling people's time. If someone had a mortal condition, he would tell them that had 6 months or whatever, and sure enough, he was usually not far wrong. Of course, he didn't really know, but people believed in him so much they conformed to the prediction. And the more he was "right", the more people believed in him.

Sounds like you are doing well, and need not worry too much about this. A lot of prostate cancers don't cause their owners too many problems, many never even know they have one and it is only discovered after they are stabbed by a jealous husband at the age of 83. The cure rate is also pretty good.

You often hear people saying that so and so fought bravely. I have never liked that expression, as it (a) suggests that people who do not last long were not brave and (b) I don't think you "fight it" anyway. A lot of people bear their illness with courage and stoicism. That is different.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'll let you know on Monday after my consultant has ripped out my cancerous prostate with his bare hands.

Best of luck

 

[Hobbit]

I'll let you know on Monday after my consultant has ripped out my cancerous prostate with his bare hands.

Hope he has gloves on!

You’ll be fine Chris, you’re as hard as nails.

 

[fundy]

My thoughts. Positive attitude can certainly help you to respond better to the illness, make the most of life etc. Does it change the course of the condition? Depends, may do so for mental health problems, but won't a fix a broken leg, most other conditions are somewhere in between. It is unlikely to change the biology of the condition much, though. If your positive attitude makes you change your diet, get more exercise etc, that can help.

When I was a junior hospital doctor, there was a local GP who was famous for calling people's time. If someone had a mortal condition, he would tell them that had 6 months or whatever, and sure enough, he was usually not far wrong. Of course, he didn't really know, but people believed in him so much they conformed to the prediction. And the more he was "right", the more people believed in him.

Sounds like you are doing well, and need not worry too much about this. A lot of prostate cancers don't cause their owners too many problems, many never even know they have one and it is only discovered after they are stabbed by a jealous husband at the age of 83. The cure rate is also pretty good.

You often hear people saying that so and so fought bravely. I have never liked that expression, as it (a) suggests that people who do not last long were not brave and (b) I don't think you "fight it" anyway. A lot of people bear their illness with courage and stoicism. That is different.

have you done any research in this area Ethan or read any of the research there is?

 

[IanM]

Keep scrapping... keeping positive has to be good.

If your brain is focused on good things, it leaves less room for other things!

 

[ColchesterFC]

I'll let you know on Monday after my consultant has ripped out my cancerous prostate with his bare hands.

Good luck and I hope everything goes well for you.

Just remember that if he's examining your prostate and he's got both his hands on your shoulders then you should start to worry.

 

[chrisd]

Hope it works out well for you Chris.

Many thanks

 

[chrisd]

Best of luck

Thanks Homer

 

[chrisd]

Hope he has gloves on!

You’ll be fine Chris, you’re as hard as nails.

Only because of the amount of cobalt and titanium I'm carrying - cheers Brian

 

[chrisd]

Good luck and I hope everything goes well for you.

Just remember that if he's examining your prostate and he's got both his hands on your shoulders then you should start to worry.

When he did the finger job he said not to worry, but it's not unusual to get a little excited . I told him that I'm not likely to get excited, he said he meant him not me! ??

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I'll let you know on Monday after my consultant has ripped out my cancerous prostate with his bare hands.

Good luck Chris and look after yourself.

 

[Golfmmad]

Only because of the amount of cobalt and titanium I'm carrying - cheers Brian

See you on the other side Chris. Do let us know how you get on. ?

 

[chrisd]

Good luck Chris and look after yourself.

Thanks Paul, I will

 

[chrisd]

See you on the other side Chris. Do let us know how you get on. ?

Will do Chris

 

[Doon frae Troon]

You often hear people saying that so and so fought bravely. I have never liked that expression, as it (a) suggests that people who do not last long were not brave and (b) I don't think you "fight it" anyway. A lot of people bear their illness with courage and stoicism. That is different.

Spot on........and the worst thing you can say to someone with cancer is 'I hope they have caught it in time'.
Stoic is a word I really like.... describes both my wife and my mother

 

[Ethan]

have you done any research in this area Ethan or read any of the research there is?

By research, do you mean proper research, or read about it on Facebook research?

No to the former, but I am well aware and have observed the effect of the mind on different conditions. It works better on some than others, the "harder" the pathology, the less well it works.

I have no problem with people adopting a positive attitude that they are going to beat this, better than the opposite.

Not a huge fan of the American idea that you can achieve anything if you just want it badly enough. You usually can't.

 

[Rooter]

Like a few have said, I think having a positive mindset and outlook allows everything else to either stay in place or get in place. So good habits, sleep, low stress, good diet, low/no alcohol, exercise. All of which would be much harder during a bout of depression (or maybe not as deep as depression, but not positive!)

I have a (currently) incurable bowel disease which is caused by being immunosuppressed. Have I let it affect me? after the initial 'i can't see a fix' and the first few months of ignoring all symptoms, I have not let it affect me.

Don't get me wrong, It has not cured it, it's still there, but I am in the best shape of my life! I have 2 monthly infusions in hospital for a drug that messes about with my white blood cells which I think to stop my insides from eating themselves basically!

So I am a big believer in the glass is half full! (well it's actually better than that, glasses are refillable!!)

 

[GB72]

My thoughts. Positive attitude can certainly help you to respond better to the illness, make the most of life etc. Does it change the course of the condition? Depends, may do so for mental health problems, but won't a fix a broken leg, most other conditions are somewhere in between. It is unlikely to change the biology of the condition much, though. If your positive attitude makes you change your diet, get more exercise etc, that can help.

When I was a junior hospital doctor, there was a local GP who was famous for calling people's time. If someone had a mortal condition, he would tell them that had 6 months or whatever, and sure enough, he was usually not far wrong. Of course, he didn't really know, but people believed in him so much they conformed to the prediction. And the more he was "right", the more people believed in him.

Sounds like you are doing well, and need not worry too much about this. A lot of prostate cancers don't cause their owners too many problems, many never even know they have one and it is only discovered after they are stabbed by a jealous husband at the age of 83. The cure rate is also pretty good.

You often hear people saying that so and so fought bravely. I have never liked that expression, as it (a) suggests that people who do not last long were not brave and (b) I don't think you "fight it" anyway. A lot of people bear their illness with courage and stoicism. That is different.

Thank you for those last 2 lines. When my Dad passed he was diagnosed on 16th December and was gone on 1st February. The doctor actually commented that he took all of the bad news with hsi usual stoic good humour. That does not mean he did not fight, what he did do was accept that this was one that he could not win and so he put his affairs in order and faced the inevitable with as little suffering as possible to himself and his family. The thought that some may see that as not 'fighting bravely' or in some way as being weak annoyed and still annoys the hell out of me.