Every little bit helps when dealing with illness. That may include visualization, a supportive therapy that has helped me and many other patients. A 1-page handout, The Power and Limits of Visualization, delves further into how visualization capitalizes on the mind-body connection. A key idea is that by focusing on a mental image, you may alter your reactions (physical and emotional) to what's happening or going to happen in positive ways. In other words, you regain some control.
What might visualization help with?
Calming anxiety.
Motivating you to act.
Boosting confidence.
Decreasing pain.
Strengthening hope.
How might visualization help your emotional recovery?
Tapping into the mind-body connection may preserve emotional reserves and build emotional resilience by...
Decreasing distress.
Facilitating restorative sleep.
Improving mood.
Fostering compassion.
Increasing a sense of control.
What’s the danger?
The great dangers are tied to believing the mistaken idea that the mind can control the body.
The mind only affects the body; it does not control the body.
Healthy Survivors…
Know they cannot “think” their diseases into remission.
Don’t feel obligated to visualize if it's not helping —or if they don't like doing it.
Don’t unfairly blame themselves if a setback occurs. Setbacks don't happen because a patient visualized “wrong” or not often enough.
Please consider giving visualization a try. This supportive therapy that may help in a small way may make a big difference in how you feel. The 1-page handout explains how to learn to visualize and offers resources on visualization.
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