Research shows that your body's ability to heal itself is more powerful than you think.
This principle is what health coaches use to help overcome illness and maintain health. Your body is always looking for homoeostasis. (The maintenance of metabolic equilibrium.) Given a chance, your body will heal itself, if you give it what it needs. Determining what it needs is the trick. Sometimes it means eliminating or adding something to our diet. The health benefits of making these types of changes can be truly amazing.
Recognizing that healing runs two ways, from the outside and within, opens you up to possibilities that go far beyond medication.
Placebos are substances or treatments that improve symptoms in non specific ways. It's worth noting that situations can trigger the placebo effect just as much as fake treatments. The mere site of a doctor's white coat and stethoscope, the authority and knowledge that these symbols convey, can trigger a healing response. When patients anticipate something beneficial will occur, dopamine transmitters spring into action, doling out pleasure in the form of natural painkillers.
People today are, finally, more open to using the mind body connection and not just wanting a pill to ease their ills. Alternative medicine is gaining new respect and we are beginning to have a sense of the biological power of the bedside manner, listening skills, and the environment. This includes the caregivers tone of voice, how long she spends with you, how reassuring the healing environment is, all these variables promote healing. A friendly manner, active listening, empathy, confidence, and positive expectations all effect the outcome of healing. Why is it that natural healers have the the devoted clientele that they do? The attributes above are what give the patient a feeling of confidence that they are being considered as a whole person and listened to. They, therefore, remain loyal to the caregiver.
So how can we attempt to use the healing power of the placebo effect in our own journey to health? Start by using positive thinking and eliminating the need for an authority figure. You have heard this before, but positive thinking will actually make you think more positively. It works. It's like smiling before you answer the phone, once you smile, it makes you happier. Move to being able to use your own confidence for healing. Use whatever it takes, breathing, meditation, reading, bio-feedback. Find what works for you.
Illness can be a lonely place. If you can use both your own powers of healing and the work of your doctor you will find the right solution and feel good about the process. Educate yourself on what ails you and map out your own strategy.
Harness the power of the placebo effect to lift yourself out of sickness without drugs. If you have trouble accomplishing this on your own, reach out to a health coach, as we are trained to guide you through this process.
