Mind over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself

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When you give yourself this medicine, you turn off your stress responses, turn on your relaxation responses and allow the body to do one of the things it does best – heal. Supongo que en algún momento han escuchado de personas que se curan de la noche a la mañana de enfermedades complicadísimas (o tal vez no), pero apuesto que sí hemos oído hablar del efecto placebo. ¿Cómo es eso posible? ¿Cómo puedo tomarme una píldora de "mentiritas" y sanar? La repuesta es sencilla: creyeron que iban a sanar. Confiaron en que estarían bien. Esa convicción de que estarían de maravilla fue lo que les hizo sentirse mejor. Lamentablemente, también existe el opuesto: el efecto nocebo, donde las creencias negativas hacen de las suyas y terminamos enfermando. Personalmente, no tenía idea de que esto tuviera siquiera un nombre y mucho menos que pudieran escribirse capítulos de libros sobre ello, pero me ha interesado especialmente porque he tomado conciencia de actitudes que de una u otra manera —y sin haberlo deseado— me han hecho enfermar. This book is filled with scientific evidence of the incredible power of the mind. It's not just personal testimonies as some might think, it's actual research results; researches conducted by renowned physicians and professors all over America. Lissa talks about her own awakening, when she ignored the whispers of her body until the whispers became screams for help. She stepped away from her medical practice in San Diego and moved to a small town so she could reclaim her True Self. Now, she has started a health revolution that is likely to change the way many of us view healing and medicine.

What I liked about the quote is it confirms how doctors no longer practice or are even trained in the do no harm doctrine because they have now become drug dealers and drug pushers! Until doctors are trained in nutritional and botanical medicine, they will not be effective in treating patients.The book is divided into various disease states commonly afflicting patients worldwide (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux). Each chapter begins with a disastrous anecdote that is in no way representative of common medical practices or a balanced view into risks and benefits. In one chapter on high blood pressure, Dr. Weil recounts the story of a man taking four antihypertensives who experienced a ghastly episode of .... dizziness? He uses this anecdote to rail against the *appropriate* use of medications and instead suggests using Oriental herbs and meditation to bring blood pressure under control. I’ve always been an admirer of Dr. Weil and have several of his books. This one will be often referenced in the future as health issues arise. It’s a strong endorsement of alternative medicine. Dr. Weil makes a wonderful point that I, too, long for when he says that someday alternative medicine will no longer be called such as it will be the only medicine being used and there will be nothing alternative about it. Because Lissa had closed her integrative medical practice in 2010 to focus on her role in educating the public about the ways in which doctors don’t typically support optimal patient wellbeing, demand among patients was rising for doctors who share Lissa’s medical point of view and style of practice. To train medical doctors and therapists about what she had learned, Lissa founded the Whole Health Medicine Institute in 2012, a hybrid in-person/ online learning program that includes a team of luminary faculty physicians, therapists, and scientists and involves trauma healing for the students themselves, because so many health care providers are trauma survivors themselves.

When I saw Dr Weil's latest book on medications was available for request on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to educate both of us about the drugs that are frequently prescribed and their side effects. Great information for making informed choices! Many thanks to Dr Weil, the publisher and NetGalley for granting my request. Even the wrong medical provider can sabotage a good cure. It actually happened to me. In two separate occasions, when I didn't like the doctor I was seeing (not enough caring, no good rapport), my treatment didn't yield good results. When I had to seek for a second opinion and actually had a great interaction with the new doctor, the treatment was totally successful because I believed the doctor was capable enough to cure me, and I knew it was going to be alright. Lissa highlights several similar situations in her book, and also tells her own story.We also learn that our autonomic nervous system has two major operating systems — the sympathetic nervous system, which produces the body's stress response, also known as "fight or flight"; and the parasympathetic nervous system, which produces the body's relaxation response, also known as "rest and digest." This is our homeostatic state, when the body is in equilibrium. I felt the tone of the book shifted towards self-validation and promotion of the author's theory and to be honest I probably wouldn't have finished it if it weren't for the club. Owing to society's shifting preferences towards natural remedies and repudiation of pharmaceuticals, Dr. Weil uses "Mind Over Meds" in a misleading campaign to invoke fear and distrust in conventional medicines while providing unproven alternatives in their stead. I was not aware of how various drugs interact with each other, sometimes adversely. I always got upset when doctors asked what other medications I was on. Now I know why they do that. It turns out that the side effects from one drug can cause new symptoms and new drugs to treat that and the circle continues. Steroids: "Save these powerful drugs for serious medical conditions and try to wean off them once improvement occurs by instituting other measures to keep symptoms at bay."