Modern Medicine has come a good distance in its shift from a strictly physiological view of patients to one that includes mental factors. Unquestionably, the mind-body connection has garnered the serious attention of many of today's researchers and medical professionals.
One highly respected physician who has been carefully observing the effects of a fearful mental state on the patient's well-being is Dr. Martin P. Solomon, who practices and teaches medicine here in Boston. In his recently published book, Don't Worry, Be Healthy, he talks about encounters with patients who fear the worst, and the negative effect this has had on their attitude, their energy, their freedom, and their health. Over the span of his more than twenty-year practice, Dr. Solomon has seen an increase in the fears people have that in spite of their best efforts to stay healthy, they still might acquire some dreadful disease. He attributes this fear of disease to the newspapers, television health programs, medical newsletters, and talk shows that suggest that even if you feel perfectly fine, a danger to your health could be lurking just around the corner.
Keeping a close watch on the kind of information we open ourselves up to is an important step in preventing fear and its effects on the body.
