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Piano5
29 Posts |
 Posted - 10/20/2009 : 20:59:22
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Hey everyone. I just caught tonight's episode of the "Daily Show" of Comedy Central. The guest tonight was a woman Barbara Ehrenreich and her new book is titled "Bright Side", in which she lambasts the idea that positive thinking is good for the immune system. She survived breast cancer 8 years ago and expressed her inability to listen to doctors and friends say: "look on the bright side, this will make you stronger".
I suppose she's entitled to her opinion. But that kind of pisses me off that she's making claims that positive thinking can't affect the immune system. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have a reliable source to back this up. I think we're all living proof that knowledge and an understanding of our brains and consciousnesses can lead to a better life. |
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pan
United Kingdom
173 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2009 : 00:53:19
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I have to say that there does seem to be increasing evidence that positive thinking does not actually have an impact on organic illness. Yes, there does seem to be a general concensus that positive thinking can improve the quality of life with illness (though not always the case) but the idea that it actually affects the illness in some way is now being strongly challenged.
I don't think that this impacts on the vailidty of TMS or any somatic illness as this is not relating to an organic causality and therefore it is perfectly logical that thoughts, emotions and thinking should define the symptoms.
edit: Interesting article here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2418629.stm |
Edited by - pan on 10/21/2009 01:01:41 |
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Hilary
United Kingdom
191 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2009 : 07:03:33
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But TMS is not about positive thinking - it's about understanding how repressed emotions can trigger physical symptoms, which is something quite different.
I think you could look at what Ehrenreich says here from the opposite perspective, which is that she identified her friends' insistance that she "had to look on the bright side" as something which was potentially rage-inducing for her and decided not to take that path. And to be honest I can understand why!
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Edited by - Hilary on 10/21/2009 07:05:42 |
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Garth
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 10/21/2009 : 09:43:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Piano5
I think we're all living proof that knowledge and an understanding of our brains and consciousnesses can lead to a better life.
Are we talking about positive thinking..... or accurate thinking ..... there's a difference. Understanding requires accurate thinking.
Positive thinking ....... to most this means whistling dixie while walking down a dark alley in the middle of night and hoping a monster doesn't eat us. Accurate thinking sees it for what it is.... a belief we bought into that monsters are there to do us harm. |
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stefan
56 Posts |
Posted - 10/24/2009 : 23:47:36
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Garth, i couldn't say it any better! In fact i don't even like to use the phrase positive thinking, it is so over-used and cheap. Accurate thinking, accurate knowledge, yes.
Ars Longa Vita Brevis |
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hottm8oh
USA
141 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2009 : 08:50:27
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Barbara Ehrenreich wrote an essay a few years ago prior to writing this book echoing the same sentiments. I read the essay, and I agreed with many of her points.
In the essay, she criticized the notion of "positive thinking" in situations in which people are not feeling positive. She was advised to find some spiritual peace from having cancer, as opposed to educating herself about the disease, treatments and prognosis and as opposed to accepting her real feelings about her diagnosis. Her chief complaints were that her concerns, her anger, her pain weren't taken seriously. In truth, she actually supports the concepts behind TMS without even consciously doing so. Battling TMS is about recognizing YOUR truth. Her truth was that she was angry about having cancer, and all the advice she was receiving about thinking positively was actually an attempt to suppress her true feelings in order to make other people comfortable about the diagnosis.
She brutally attacked the cancer charities industry and how much money they spend on pink ribbons and CEO salaries. Most money donated to those organizations do not go to cancer research. They go to merchandising, marketing, and salaries. If you really want that dollar to go to cancer research, give it right to the lab. Don't buy the pink bracelet.
I found her article very eye-opening and very much in support of TMS theories. |
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njoy
Canada
188 Posts |
Posted - 11/02/2009 : 19:08:08
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My husband had colon cancer (he has been okay for 10 years, now) and his oncologist told him, "It's the ones who say 'I'll do whatever you say, doctor' who scare me. The ones who say, 'Why should I? Prove it to me and I'll decide for myself' do much better in treatment".
Or something like that. |
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Anger at Daily Show guest and her new book
