The Relaxation Response and your Doctor

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Because of the intimate link between the mind and the body, a disciplined use of the relaxation response can alleviate many of the bodily illnesses and pains associated with anxiety and stress.  Stress can weaken the immune system, rendering the body susceptible to colds and other infections, and anxiety can cause muscle tension that can lead to extremely painful tightness in the joints or back.  By using relaxation techniques, wear on the immune system can be repaired and joint and muscle pains can be eliminated, allowing an individual to prevent illnesses or to cure chronic stress-related injuries.

But just as the barn door isn’t useful once the chickens have already escaped, no amount of prevention will help once the body becomes seriously ill.  The relaxation response is meant as a treatment, not a cure-all for diseases; no amount of confidence and calm can, on its own, cure serious diseases like influenza or cancer.  And even in the case of less serious illnesses, it’s not advisable to rely exclusively on relaxation techniques in the face of severe symptoms or extreme pain.  Do what you can with the relaxation response, but don’t leave doctors out of the equation.

The reverse is also true, though: don’t leave the relaxation response out of your dealings with your doctor.  Herbert Benson, M.D., a pioneer of relaxation therapy, writes a great deal about doctors in his book, “Beyond the Relaxation Response”.  Specifically, he writes about a lesson on Tibetan medical practice, given to him by the Dalai Lama himself.  According to Tibetan Buddhist, three principles underlie all of medicine: the doctor’s beliefs, the patient’s beliefs, and the karma between the two.  In short, as the saying goes, it takes two to tango: if your doctor isn’t sympathetic to your use of the relaxation response, his lack of belief will eliminate much of the benefit of your dealing with him, and if you don’t trust your doctor, you’ll do exactly the same.

In order to build the trust in your doctor that you need, first make sure that your doctor is the kind of person you can feel comfortable with.  This may not be the doctor you’ve used for much of your adult life.  Getting into medical school doesn’t automatically make someone a warm and caring person, and some doctors find it easier to remain distant and let their tests and instruments do the talking for them.  

Much better, at least in terms of compatibility with the Tibetan medical theory, is a doctor who takes the time to get to know his or her patients, who talks to them, shows honest concern for their feelings, and is willing to listen and respond to patient reactions and requests.  If you don’t feel that your doctor fits this profile, look around and find someone who will.  A cold doctor may be able to get the job done in terms of surgeries and pills, but the mind-body link means that much of the same job could be done equally well through earnest questions and a good bedside manner–and with much less pain and cost, to boot.

Also, it’s important to find a doctor who isn’t committed to prescribing medicine in order to treat absolutely every problem.  According to Dr. Benson, one in every eight prescriptions from doctors are ultimately placebos, drugs that have no effect other than the mental effect of making the patient feel like treatment is being done.  Although the placebo effect can be a powerful tool for relieving stress and anxiety, in the form of prescription drugs it can also be a costly one.  That’s not just in terms of money: prescription drugs, even placebos, can have nasty side effects, which can in some cases be worse than the original illness you went to the doctor to get rid of.  

Doctors have a number of reasons for prescribing drugs, but chief among these is the belief that patients won’t be satisfied with a visit to the doctor unless those patients walk away with a prescription in hand.  Strangely, this is actually a means for doctors to try and build their patients’ trust in them: by fulfilling patient expectations, doctors believe that patients will trust them more and come back for future visits.  A far better way to build trust, however, is to engage in a real relationship with your doctor, and to ask frank questions about exactly what effects his or her prescriptions will have.  In some cases, you may find out that you can save a little bit of money; in others, you may find out that relaxation techniques can do much of the work for you.  And in the process, you’ll build a closer relationship with your doctor, which makes for more effective treatments when something does come up that’s serious enough to require drugs or surgery.

The relaxation response isn’t everything: sometimes, you do need to take a trip to the doctor.  But by keeping in mind some of the mind-body theory behind the relaxation response, you can make those trips more effective overall, and develop a strong, rewarding relationship in the process.

The 4th R is a resource and training center for learning how to relax based in South West London. It was founded by Charles Moore, whose health flourished under his own innovative application of relaxation techniques based upon the MythoSelf® Process.

For more articles or information visit
www.the4thr.co.uk
info@the4thr.co.uk

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