“Sticks and stone may break our bones but words will never hurt me”, actually may not be as true as we think it is. Research shows that patient outcomes are improved when the clinician is positive and reassuring about their health and prospects.
A recent piece of research into the outcomes of those who were having allergy responses, showed that those told reassuringly that from that point onwards their symptoms would subside quickly actually had that happen. there was a difference of 4 minutes with the symptoms subsiding between the reassured group and the control group who were told nothing about their outcome. This is clearly something significant with health outcomes, but also other messages that we are getting from those around us who are influencing our lives.
The researchers also pointed out that environment mattered as does the person delivering the information, not only is what they are saying important to your health, so is how they are dressed. We have an expectation on how a doctor is meant to look, and this is part of their positive and authoritative effect.
Bruce Lipton and Candace Pert both have outlined how what you think affects your health, both scientists show how biochemical changes happen with what you are telling yourself. We all know how we feel when people put us down, threaten us, or humiliate us, we all love our favourite songs and know how they make us feel. What are you telling yourself? We are often our own biggest critics, often putting ourselves down far more than others do. Are you telling yourself that you can’t get well, or can’t do something because of a specific reason? Because if that is the case, you are more than likely going to fulfil that outcome!
I’m bothered about how many children I’m now seeing who are addicted to using their phones, and I’m seeing this through disrupted sleeping patterns. Why is this important, well would you let a stranger into your children’s bedroom, I can’t imagine it, but you are letting a highly influential media outlet in every day and more often than not you as the adult have no control over the content of the material they are seeing or hearing. This matters if you want to be the main influencer in your children’s life and to help them improve and be the best they can be. But if doctors can influence the outcome of someone’s health prospects by what they are saying, it’s clear that this can be anyone in our lives that could do this. It’s clear that often the internet and social media isn’t positive in its messages, in fact it’s down right detrimental to them and their mental health and children are some of the biggest users, and they are like sponges we all know that, they soak up everything. The ability for them to be influenced is high, that is why advertisers love them so much but it’s much more than advertising that our children are seeing, and this should worry you because I’m seeing the effects and to be honest I think we all should be concerned about their future.
