Research has shown that there is a strong connection between mind and body. In 1961 the term "nocebo phenomenon" was identified. This is a "reverse placebo effect" that shows that a patient will become sicker after being informed of specifics about an illness just diagnosed. Dr. Robert Merton indicates that once a prophecy is predicted, events are set in motion that work together to bring it to happen. Cell biologist, Bruce Lipton, PhD, states that the current high rates of colon cancer are linked with the amount of information in the media that there is a high rate of colon cancer. On the other hand, research has also shown that positive mental imagery can enhance performance in athletes, when they use it to complement physical practice.

 

How can these factors be used to help an individual recently diagnosed with a chronic condition?

 

When a patient is diagnosed with a chronic condition, the language and the attitude of the doctor delivering the news, is extremely important.  Although the honesty of the treating physician regarding the progression of the illness is crucial for the patient and his family to know what to expect, it is also extremely important to let the patient know that not everybody's illness progresses at the same rate. These simple words can change the patient's outlook of his illness and could give him hope, not to "get rid" of his illness, or to get "cured" but hope to know that he might have some room to still enjoy a 'more or less normal life." When the patient is robbed of that psychological space, he might not make the necessary effort to take care of himself. The patient, who is not given room to have hope, might become depressed, because he will not find a reason to "fight" the illness. He might ask himself; "what is the point?"

 

Physicians are usually in a position of power. They are viewed by their patients as wise and knowledgeable. If the physician, who before their eyes is the expert, does not have hope for them, why would they have any?...they might wonder.

 

Besides symptoms of depression, the patient with a chronic illness might also develop symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety about the progression of the illness, anxiety about what will happen in the future, anxiety about what will happen to his family, anxiety about the finances, his job, the medical bills, etc.

 

The physician treating this patient should assess the intensity of these symptoms and take into consideration the possibility of referring the patient to a mental health counselor or to a psychologist with experience in this area. This professional will provide services that supplement the physician's services. Some goals of the psychological treatment might include:

 

 

All these coping mechanisms will empower the patient and will help develop his self confidence again.

 

With the diagnosis of a chronic illness, the patient may start seeing himself in a different way. He might not be able to do the things he did before, he might lose some confidence in himself, he might see himself as impaired or damaged. It is important that the people around him, who might also see him in a different way, don't define him as the illness he has –he's a diabetic— but just as a person having a chronic condition –he suffers from diabetes. Even though the patient needs to adjust to his new reality, he is still the same person with the same identity, but he needs to accept and get used to his new limitations that might require some adjustments and modifications.

 

Professionals treating this patient, need to understand that it takes time for the patient to adjust to this new reality, and that their role is vital in this adjustment. It is important to remember that the patient is a whole; his psychological wellbeing will definitely influence his body and although he cannot control the progression of his illness, he can control his attitude toward it.