Positive Thinking and Health - Research Paper Example

Positive Thinking and Health War, death, disease and destruction have been the nemesis of mankind since the beginning of time; the mere mention of these words evokes a plethora of negative emotions and brings to mind a state of helplessness, confusion and pessimism. In this day and age where perplexity often prevails, human beings actively seek ways to extricate themselves from the negativity of life. After all, it is human nature to search for prosperity, wellbeing and contentment. Guiding the path towards happiness is positive thinking - advocated by practitioners of positive psychology, idealists and according to Barbara Ehrenreich’s book Bright- Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America, the American culture itself. The purpose of this research paper is to determine the association between positive thinking and its impact on physical and psychological health by examining the scholarly works of researchers on the topic under consideration, with regards to the argument presented by Ehrenreich in her book Bright- Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America. Describing her experience as a breast cancer patient, Ehrenreich castigates the elaborate positivity that is associated with the pink ribbon culture observing that the “cheerfulness of breast cancer culture goes beyond mere absence of anger to what looks, all too often, like a positive embrace of the disease” (6). Even though, testimonies provided in books such as The First Year of the Rest of Your Life may assert otherwise, by highlighting the understandably life altering powers of cancer that can possibly act as a source of redemption or even a bridge between an individual and the divine, Ehrenreich’s claims regarding the futility of positive thinking on physical health are echoed in the research conducted by Petticrew et al. who declare that aspects related to positive thinking such as fighting spirit, willpower and hopefulness do not have a noteworthy or significant impact on the recurrence and survival rates for cancer as reflected by the examinations of 10 cases of patients who coped with cancer by maintaining a fighting spirit and 12 patients who approached the disease with hopefulness, additionally, the findings postulate that the role of positive factors and aspects in combating diseases has been exaggerated by psychologists thereby, discrediting findings that have established a correlation between the strengthening of the immune system through positive thinking techniques (1066). However, a study conducted at the Ben-Gurion University of Negev in Israel which questioned a sample size of 255 breast cancer patients and 367 physically fit females regarding their life experiences concluded that women who face traumatic, negative and hurtful experiences carry a higher risk of being victimized by breast cancer (Smith). This research aids the assertion that positive thinking can indeed enhance an individual’s ability of maintaining a healthy physical state and combating the occurrence of diseases such as cancer. Wilkinson and Kitzinger note that the foundations of prior literatures regarding the beneficial effects of positive thinking on cancer mortality rates and the psychological state of patients are largely dependent upon self-report data which hampers the validity and objectivity of the available evidence, this view postulates that the subjectivity of perceptions, conversational devices and the contextual meaning of positive thinking diminish the accuracy of patients’ internal cognitive statuses thereby, leading to the generation of biased data on the helpful effects of positive thinking on cancer patients (797-811). Fredrickson’s arguments in favor of the merits of positive thinking however, are not based upon self-report data whose objectivity has been questioned by Wilkinson and Kitzinger with regards to the studies conducted on cancer patients. Empirical data gathered by Fredrickson claims that the broaden-and-build theory of positive psychology is imperative to the enhancement of a human being’s physical and psychological resources. In an experiment conducted by the researcher, volunteers were requested to participate in an activity which asked them to present a speech which was to be judged by their peers after a minute of prior preparation, this activity intended to stir up a feeling of anxiety and the physical response of an increased heart rate. This activity was followed by the viewing of four separate movies which intended to evoke the feeling of amusement, satisfaction, sadness and no emotion at all. Research findings concluded that the volunteer who viewed the film that stirred up feelings of delight, pleasure and amusement recorded the fastest time for cardiovascular recovery compared with the slowest time for the volunteer who viewed a sad movie. An analysis of the experiment is essentially reflective of the fundamental role that positive emotions and thinking play in enhancing the longevity of optimistic individuals in comparison with those who experience negative emotions that have been found to exacerbate heart diseases (Fredrickson 334). Ehrenreich’s account of the breast cancer culture in America indicates the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon which extends to the marketing of cosmetics, teddy bears, books and even the ‘language’ of breast cancer, in describing this observation the author references the use of specific words when she claims that “those who are in the midst of their treatments are described as “battling” or “fighting,” sometimes intensified with “bravely” or “fiercely” (4). The author is critical of this approach and even goes on to question why the thousands who have lost their life to breast cancer are not bestowed with a noun, possibly seeking to explore the meaning behind this aspect of the pink ribbon culture and its impact on patients. The meaning behind the ‘language’ of the breast cancer culture is answered by Pennebaker through the conclusions drawn from his research which state that the written expression of positive thinking and positive emotion word usage is positively correlated to improvements in physical health. Even though, the researcher does not ascertain the specificity of his research application on particular diseases it is understood that facing up to personal challenges by the means of a positive written expression can boost physical health and also contribute towards emotional well-being (Pennebaker 162). This understanding asserts that the language of the breast cancer culture is primarily a means of providing the much needed strength that is required by the patient however, it must be stated that recent empirical data contradicts Pennebaker’s initial findings. Exploring the popular notion of positive thinking in the breast cancer culture, Ehrenreich’s notes that “In the most extreme characterization, breast cancer is not a problem at all, not even an annoyance—it is a “gift,” deserving of the most heartfelt gratitude”. Rittenberg states that by pleading to patients to adopt a more positive attitude towards the disease, “…healthcare professionals are not allowing patients to face reality” (37). Not letting patients grieve and plan the future on their own terms is burdening and can lead to emotional disaster rather than assisting the patient’s recovery as is intended by family members and medical professionals who insist on developing a positive mental attitude. The author notes that rather than forcing positive thinking paraphernalia onto patients, with the onset of symptoms of distress that begin to emerge during the period of diagnosis, healthcare professionals should adopt an approach whereby, honest conversations about the patient’s condition are encouraged along with the provision of relevant and factual information regarding the disease to allow the patient’s movement towards the path of resolution (Rittenberg 37). In comparison with the beneficial effects of positive thinking on physical health, empirical evidence indicates that positive thinking may contribute towards emotional wellbeing, mental stability and psychological welfare. According to a research conducted by Macleod and Moore, the benefits of positive cognition in promoting psychological wellbeing are vast such that not only are they limited to the recovery process of depression but they can also assist therapeutic procedures with regards to other psychological disorders, furthermore, it is also understood that the consequences of certain psychiatric disorders may also be aided by the application of positive thinking techniques such as the well-being therapy by amending or transforming the actions and behaviors of patients (1-10). The conclusions drawn by Barbara Ehrenreich’s research in Bright- Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America claim that while evidence indicating the psychological benefits of positive thinking has been discovered, credible and substantial researches and studies do not back the claim which states that positive thinking can indeed be beneficial for either the cure, recovery or protection from diseases such as cancer. With the plethora of researches and studies that are available on the topic of positive thinking and its impact on physical and mental health, the research process uncovered contradictory opinions and evidences which has made the derivation of concrete conclusions a difficult task to achieve. In trying to answer the intriguing question posed by Barbara Ehrenreich in Bright- Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America which asks whether people are “healthy because they’re happy or happy because they’re healthy” (160), the research undertaken for the purposes of this paper concludes that happiness is a state that is most likely to be achieved once an individual is physically healthy, emotionally prosperous and mentally stable. As presented by empirical evidence, positive thinking can only aid in the attainment of psychological wellbeing, which is why happiness in itself cannot be the key to health. Word Count: 1512 Works Cited Ehrenreich, Barbara. Bright- Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America. New York: Picador, 2010. Print. Fredrickson, Barbara L. "The value of positive emotions: The emerging science of positive psychology is coming to understand why it's good to feel good."American scientist 91.4 (2003): 330-335. Macleod, Andrew K., and Richard Moore. "Positive thinking revisited: positive cognitions, well?being and mental health." Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy7.1 (2000): 1-10. Pennebaker, James W. "Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process." Psychological Science 8.3 (1997): 162-166. Petticrew, Mark, Ruth Bell, and Duncan Hunter. "Influence of psychological coping on survival and recurrence in people with cancer: systematic review."Bmj 325.7372 (2002): 1066. Rittenberg, Cynthia N. "Positive thinking: an unfair burden for cancer patients?."Supportive Care in Cancer 3.1 (1995): 37-39. Smith, Rebecca. "Happiness May Protect against Breast Cancer, Study Suggests - Telegraph." The Telegraph. Web. 19 Mar. 2011. . Wilkinson, Sue, and Celia Kitzinger. "Thinking differently about thinking positive: a discursive approach to cancer patients’ talk." Social Science & Medicine 50.6 (2000): 797-811. Read More