The Power of Positive Thinking
Posted on November 24, 2007
Filed Under Medical (MD, DO)
by Ivan Edwards, D.O., USAFR MC (CAPT)
Whzz . . . pop! The man clutched his chest and fell to the ground. Eerily, time seemed to
stand still. The armed rogue Ugandan soldier, eyes glaring, held his AK-47 as the half-dozen people ahead of me stood frozen in their steps. The air smelled of gun powder, and the dying man lay quivering on the ground, a pool of blood enlarging under him. The gunman, six to seven feet away, then turned to us.
We all bolted for cover. I was oblivious to the screams, dust, and chaos around me. I tripped and rolled, but do not know how I got up and propelled myself forward. It seemed like I was in slow motion.
Then, the adrenaline in my body seized my legs, and I ran like I had never run before. I heard another loud pop. But I did not stop or turn to look. After what seemed like an eternity, I stopped running. In the distance, more rogue soldiers had appeared on the scene. More innocent civilians were being roughed up. The man’s body still lay on the ground. I resumed running until I got home. All along the way, I kept saying to myself: I will survive.
It was 1985, shortly after a coup d’etat was staged in Kampala, Uganda, by General Tito Okello Lutwa to oust then-President Milton Obote. I was in Kampala when the coup began. Bands of rogue soldiers from a nearby military barracks took the occasion to rob fleeing civilians. I happened to be one of them. As we approached the Kibuye circle (a few miles from the city proper), we ran into one gunman who was demanding money and valuables from everyone who tried to get by him. The unfortunate man who got killed was a few feet ahead of me. When the gunman ordered us to empty our pockets and put all valuables onto the ground, the unfortunate guy appeared to hesitate — a move the gunman interpreted as resistance.
Such incidents of brutality were commonplace. Growing up in Uganda — a country seized by civil unrest, wars, and tyranny — I faced many trying circumstances. But these circumstances shaped me into a better person; they taught me to make the best of my life, even during the most difficult times. I learned that I had to have a positive mental attitude to survive. My family and, later, my Taekwondo training, helped me secure my bearings.
To some, a positive mental attitude is born of a will to live. One young National Guard man I met in the spinal chord injury unit at our local VA hospital couldn’t have said it better: “I might not be able to walk ever again, but I have something to live for … I have my mind and a will to live. My wife and my baby, they need me.”
I couldn’t look at him without crying. He was about 19, newly married, with a baby on the way. He had joined the National Guard for college money, went to boot camp, and was shortly deployed to Iraq. While on patrol on the streets of Baghdad, he got hit by a sniper in the neck, causing him to sustain a permanent C5-6 injury to his spine.
But we don’t have to be in war zones, experience disability, or even live in troubled areas of the world to experience turmoil. The stresses of life we face (relationships, family, finances, fear) can cause great anguish. From our experiences, whatever they are, we can benefit from nurturing a positive mental attitude.
For me, the experiences I’ve faced in the past and continue to face cause me to periodically examine my life: What is really important? How can I turn negative thoughts into positive ones?
“I cannot” must be changed to “I can,” “I won’t” had to be changed to “I will.” My mind had to wrap itself in a new outfit. I rehearsed to myself my sensei’s words of wisdom: “Thoughts nursed within the mind determine the course of one’s decisions and habits. Think right, and you will do right!” Simple as they sounded, those words resonated.
How does having a positive mental attitude help? Is there any science to support it? Well, some scientific thought bears credence to the notion that a positive attitude can promote certain favorable outcomes, both emotionally and physically. Barbara L. Fredrickson, in an article for American Scientist, relates how positive emotions can “undo” some of the adverse effects of heart rate, blood pressure, and peripheral vasoconstriction—and how these “undoings [could] explain the longevity of people who experience positive emotions more often.” (1)
Furthermore, as physicians, we ought to emphasize to our patients the importance of emotional wellness. Good emotional health, as we intuitively know, provides a foundation for good physical health. Yet, many times, we forget to remind our patients to take strides in this area.
The Mayo clinic, in its recognition of the power of positive thinking, says that a positive thought process underlies not only “a sense of well-being and improved health and an improved coping ability for women with high-risk pregnancies, but also a reduced risk of coronary artery disease and better coping skills during hardship.” (2)
In evaluating various sources for this article, I admit that I was unable to find many well-documented studies. One relevant study, authored by Dr. Toshihiko Maruta, followed 839 subjects over 30 years. It concluded that “like high cholesterol or obesity, pessimism [was] a risk factor for early death, even after other risk factors such as age and gender were factored out.” (3) The study suggested that the more pessimistic individuals had a higher risk of mortality. More studies, however, are still warranted in this area for one to be able to make justifiable correlations.
So, to get the ball rolling, here are three ways to develop a positive mental attitude in ourselves and our patients.
First, we have to erase the negative script in our minds. Simply put: erase and let go. A good script leads us in the right direction, while a bad, or corrupted, script can lead us down the wrong path. Now, before we can delete a negative or corrupt script, we have to recognize it for what it is: a poison to the mind and to our lives. “My relationships will never work out … I am a poor exam taker … I cannot do this any more … I am not bright,” etc.
I vividly remember a young man (who I will call John for purposes of confidentiality) that I met while completing an elective 2-week rotation in the Hem-Oncology department in Phoenix, AZ. I was then a senior medical student. John was one of the patients on my morning rounds. He was only 20, and had been diagnosed with a rare familial pancreatic cancer. He had been given a few months to live, and had been placed on palliative care.
I admit that I had some discomfort facing John each morning on that rotation. Why? It wasn’t because John was depressed and grieving. Rather, it was because John’s vibrancy put me to shame. This young man enjoyed every moment of life — even in the face of death. Conversely, I was stressed and not living my life well as I should have been — in the face of a few relatively minor hassles.
On that memorable morning, a few days before he died, John asked me, “Why are you looking down today? Are you okay?” I shook my head, answering, “No.” He pressed on, saying: “Go outside and smell the roses today. Erase those thought patterns that bring you down.” His wise words still echo in my mind.
Second, we have to plant positive thoughts to create a positive script. That is, after erasing and letting go, we have to turn the page to a new chapter. “I will succeed in college to get into medical school … I will do well on my MCAT, no matter what people say or think … I will do well on my board exams … I will survive internship … I can do it.”
Third, we have to continue growing. It is not enough for us to erase an old script and then create a new one. As part of the healing profession, we have to sustain individual growth to become better health providers that can effectively reach out to a “broken” populace. Turning the page to a new chapter requires us to progressively grow in that newness.
We must strive to grow into a better person every minute, each day.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Edwards was born in Uganda and immigrated to the U.S. in 1988. Before embarking on a career in medicine, he was ordained as a non-denominational minister. Dr. Edwards attended Midwestern University’s Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, then accepted a commission in the United States Air Force Reserve as a Medical Corps officer. He completed an internship at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and is now a senior PM&R resident at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Edwards is married with 2 teenagers and 1 pre-teen.
Citations
1. Fredrickson, Barbara L. (2003). The value of positive emotions. American
Scientist, 91, 330-335.
2. The Mayo Clinic. “Positive Thinking: Practice this stress management skill.” 31 May 2007. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009>
3. Maruta, M. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Feb 2000; 75(2): 133-4.
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13 Responses to “The Power of Positive Thinking”
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The power of positive thinking is indeed something that needs to be recognized. Reality is perceptual. Change your negative perceptions and your reality will become much more positive. Great article, great stories. I look forward to more.
- Chris “cbrons” Bronson
I agree that a good attitude is important in recovering from an illness. It’s interesting however, that they found positive attitudes had no affect on cancer survival rates. Check this out: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTON30402020071023
Does a positive attitude give you a lesser chance of getting cancer in the first place, though?
I believe in the power of positive thinking, but a family friend who recently survived breast cancer warned me about the negative side of this technique. For very ill patients, they may feel like others are thinking “if only she would be more positive and try harder, she would get better”, as if it were that patient’s fault for not improving, for not being good enough. That being said I think that avoiding pessimism is good for the mind and body, and we should keep in mind how to delicately apply this technique in order to harness its benefits while avoiding putting pressure on a patient.
My sidenote aside, this was an incredible and moving article!
Nice article.
Great article by Dr. Edwards. I have worked with him for several years in our residency, and I can truly say that he lives by these words.
Dr Edwards has writen a great article - I feel that these are words that can truly change your life. I have for years lived by the ideals set forth by Dr Edwards and can tell you that they are the reason I had been able to enter and succeed in Medical School and Residency.
I think positive thinking people do and try out more new ideas and things. Because they do try more, they tend to succeed more. It is just a pure math, I think. What are the chance of success if you try one time versus trying 100 times. Thus, you can say positive thinking people are successful people. I think everyone wants to be successful in their lives. So what are we waiting for? Let’s all start on positive thinking.
You rock Ivan!
Mr. DO,
positive thinking = herbal remdies and OMM.
sincerely
sasuce
Such a great article!!!!!!!!
Positive thinking and attitude to everything in life means 100% enjoyment of a complete life.
Positive thinking & positive actions=Success/Happiness
Sincerely,
ramjay
Great article. Words to live by.
Also, like when in high school, The ACT, the only section, you had to know to do good was the math part. The other sections you couldn’t really study a lot for.
same way, what courses should i put a lot of emphasis in so that i can do excellent on the MCAT?
what courses do i have to have before taking it? hope someone can help.