Reduce Cancer Pain & Fatigue? Research Says Try a Dose of Optimism
Cancer is a feared disease that can cause serious pain and fatigue in many people. A recent US research project on reducing pain and fatigue in cancer patients has revealed that a bright outlook truly does have a tangible benefit. The Monty Python crew, in their hit song in “The Life of Brian”, ask us to “always look on the bright side of life”. They knew!
Cancer – A Feared Disease
There are many aspects of cancer which make it such a frightening disease. For example, it often does not exhibit symptoms until the time when most people think it is “too late” to do anything. This makes it almost a silent killer.
It can make people feel helpless, and cancer sometimes spreads very rapidly. It seems to afflict anyone, anywhere, too.
Then there is the little matter of the pain which cancer brings, in particular during its latter stages, and also for certain types of cancer, such as bone cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer.
The pain and fatigue which cancer patients often suffer from can badly affect their quality of life as well as their ability to function, not just physically, but also mentally.
Many protocols and therapies, both conventional and “alternative” medicine, are used to reduce and manage pain and fatigue caused by cancer. Some of these include pain-killing drugs, foot reflexology, massage and acupuncture.
Now, research conducted by Dr Margot E Kurtz and her team of colleagues from the Michigan State University in East Lansing has found that cancer patients with more optimistic outlooks were better able to manage their cancer pain, while those patients who had a strong sense of mastery, or control over their environment, experienced less severe fatigue on top of being able to better manage their pain.
Details of Study
The study looked at the personality traits, such as dispositional optimism and mastery, of 214 cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy, to see how they affect the patients’ ability to manage the severity of their cancer fatigue and pain.
Participants of the study were put through a 10-week symptom control intervention program, with the help of a nurse. They were interviewed three times – at the start of the study, after 10 weeks at the end of the intervention program, and again after 16 weeks, to get a sense of their emotional states.
Findings of Study
The study, which was published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, found that those participants who had higher levels of mastery reported feeling less severe pain as well as lower levels of fatigue.
On top of that, participants who had a more optimistic outlook also experienced less severe pain, although in this case, higher levels of optimism did not translate to less severe fatigue.
These findings were adjusted for other important factors, such as age, gender, cancer location, stage of the disease, and other health issues which may be afflicting the participants.
Additional findings of the study include less severe cancer pain for those patients who were older and those with fewer health issues on top of their cancer diagnosis, while the latter group also reported lower levels of fatigue.
Further, the study team reported not much difference in the degree of optimism and mastery detected between patients whose cancers were detected early and those who were suffering from late stage disease. This is an important point as it rules out, to some degree, the possibility that optimistic attitudes may have been caused by less severe disease and pain, rather than vice versa.
Along similar lines, it was found that the number of additional health issues on top of cancer did not seem to influence the baseline levels of optimism and mastery of the subjects.
What Can Be Done
The study team suggested that clinicians could look out for such traits in cancer patients, and work with them to help them use these traits to better cope with their cancer symptoms.
“These findings underscore the need for physicians and nurses involved in the care of cancer patients to recognize, encourage, promote, and take advantage of these traits in their patients to help them more effectively manage their cancer care, so that they ultimately can achieve a better quality of life during the sequelae of the cancer experience,” the study team concluded.
On a personal level, cancer patients and their loved ones need to do more to help improve the emotional outlooks of cancer sufferers. Read jokes, watch comedies, laugh, hang out with and talk to positive people, pray, meditate, go for counseling – do anything to raise one’s levels of optimism and mastery.
According to the finds of this Michigan study, this can help one deal with cancer pain and fatigue. In addition, much as some factions of conventional medicine may disagree, there are many of us who actually believe that such an outlook can in fact improve one’s chances of defeating the disease.
And by signing in to the box at the top right of this blog http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com you can get our special report teaching you the “Four Vital Questions” you must know on how to have more fun and play!
Source
From Natural News.com
Patient Optimism and Mastery — Do They Play a Role in Cancer Patients` Management of Pain and Fatigue? (http://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S088…)00058-4/abstract)
This post by Jeff Hutner, Editor, www.newparadigmdigest.com
and Dr Susan Lange, OMD, L.Ac
For more inspirational comedy articles, tips and video clips click the following link http://comedythatheals.com
How to Recover From Holiday Stress or even Depression
If you’re suffering from holiday stress or even depression, try watching this video without smiling, laughing, and feeling better.
It’s a common problem. The holidays roll around and another year has passed us by. We think about departed friends and family, the way it used to be and our regrets at not completing projects or commitments we made during the year and before long, we feel sad, depressed or any number of other feelings. I can relate to this as I lost my father on December 7th and have been feeling up and down since then. The real problem with this exercise in futility is that nothing can change any of what may have gone wrong or bring back the people we love. Only by moving totally into the present moment and filling that moment with the best memories we have of the people in our lives and the things we managed to accomplish this year can we lift the emotions that sap us of energy and compromise our immune system.
At 101 Comedies That Heal, part of our mission is helping move our subscribers into the present moment and filling their eyes and ears with healing humor that contributes to a healthier immune system. So with that in mind, here’s a new discovery for you. Who knew getting validated after shopping could be such an uplifting experience? Enjoy this great video from award winning Writer, Director, and Composer, Kurt Kuenne. This video is one of You Tube’s hottest. Our thanks and appreciation to Karma Tube, a wonderful free source of uplifting videos. You might want to consider giving yourself the gift of a free subscription.
Contributed by Jeff Hutner, Editor, www.newparadigmdigest.com
To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
To watch this clip click here.
Christmas Shopping Stress Got You Down? Here are Five Last Minute Funny and Inspiring Gift Ideas for the Holidays
If you are among the many last minute holiday shoppers dreading a trip to your local big box store, and facing long lines is at the top of your must miss Christmas list, here’s some fun items you might want to consider:
1. Ash Grey “You Rock” T-Shirt is the perfect holiday gift for anyone you hold dear. $17.99
2. Wassamatta U Hooded Sweatshirt is the perfect seasonal gift for a college bound senior or any academic type who could use a laugh. $36.99
3. If you or your friends are worried about how to survive the holidays, Comedy Kings offers endless hours of old-fashioned, side-splitting healing laughs with 50 classic comedy films digitally remastered in a 12 double-sided DVD set! Revisit timeless comedy legends Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Carole Lombard, Charlie Chaplin, Jimmy Durante and many more! Films include such treasures as The Inspector General, Life With Father, Nothing Sacred, Perils Of Pauline, The Kid, and Road To Bali. It’s an instant library of timeless fun! $20 at Betty’s Attic. This has to be one of the best buys in comedy DVD’s.
4. Because Santa doesn’t have mapquest, this funny pillow makes a humorous gift that will become part of Christmas celebrations each year. $32 at Belmont Home Decor.
5. According to Jerry Seinfeld, Born Standing Up is one of the best books about comedy and being a comedian ever written. Steve’s memoir of his years in stand-up is candid, spectacularly amusing, and beautifully written. Born Standing Up is a superb testament to the sheer tenacity, focus, and daring of one of the greatest and most iconoclastic comedians of all time. If you’re looking for serious laughs during the Christmas holidays, get this book. $13.50 at Borders.
To watch inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
(On Facebook? To view the original item pictures for this post go to the ComediesThatHeal blog post: http://tinyurl.com/8lj6mk )
This post by Jeff Hutner (www.newparadigmdigest.com)
Xmas Rip Off! Does Your Santa Need Rehabilitation?
Is Christmas being exploited?
Has your Santa gone to the dark side? Does he require rehabilitation from his selfish ways? This year Christmas is all about giving and in “Bad Santa” a selfish St. Nick learns that, while it is nice to get (or take), generosity can feel strangely better.
Bad Santa – Willy (Billy Bob Thornton) is a lazy, alcoholic thief who exploits Christmas to pose as Santa Claus and rob shopping malls. Over the years he and his thieving elf (Tony Cox) have stolen tons of money and merchandise but now as age is catching up with him he finds that he might be losing his criminal edge. When the cops discover his motel room, he is forced to hide out with an odious 8 year old boy (Brett Kelly) who is so naive and full of the Christmas spirit that it almost drives Willy to insanity.
Memorable Quotes:
Willy: “I’m an eating, drinking, bleeping, bleeping Santa Claus.”
Sue: “So, do you like kids?” Willy: “Bleep no, what do you think, I’m some kind of pervert or something?”
This adult comedy has been recomended by our friends Chelsea & Ed Turville.
This is Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.
To view the video for this post, click here: http://tinyurl.com/9l5npd
PS To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
Need A Life Change? Some Little Ideas Can Go A Long Way.
Too many virtual hours with computers? Need a life change? Do you feel like the life you’re living is too small? Well, meet Matt Harding. Matt quit his computer job and then had a little idea that has gone a long way. Matt has a little dance and because he’s a nerd it’s the only one he knows. He put a video of himself doing his dance on Youtube, once, and people liked it. The Matt Dancing Video got passed around by these people, one person to the other.
But maybe you know all this already because now Matt is famous.
This video, “Where The Hell Is Matt? (2008)”, has had more then 13 million views on Youtube and if you’ve already seen it, I hope you’ll appreciate it once again. But if you’re like me and hadn’t, well, here’s Matt: he dances his dance with people all around the world because they ask him to come visit their country so they can dance with him.
Oh! Did I mention that Matt gets paid to do this? He’s got a sponsor!
Matt says that he’s a “nerd” and an “introvert”. Which means, by the way, that there is hope for me and maybe, you, to live a bigger life and make a difference like he does.
It seems to me that Matt is a regular, decent guy who gets to do something in his life that I think is amazing. People are responding to his work by coming out, where ever he is, to express themselves for a few minutes. They do their own little dance, with him, in front of a video camera so that other people, like me, like you, can watch it on the world wide web, and feel good. Sometimes there’s only a few people, sometimes a whole mob and you can’t even see Matt in amongst them.
Watching Matt’s video gives me a sense of community with these people from all over, from places I’ll probably never get to. And it just feels nice and heart warming to watch them all doing their thing. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I do.
And, Matt, should you ever read this: Thank you.
This is Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.
To view the video for this post, click here: http://tinyurl.com/7xbaw4
PS To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
You can find out a lot more about Matt and his story at his website:
http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/about.shtml
And here’s an interview he did in July of 2008 on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92352833
In Cooking & Living: It’s Not So Much What You Cook But How You Cook It.
In the 2007 film, “How To Cook Your Life”, the German film maker Dorris Dorie follows Zen chef, and author Ed Espe Brown as he uses the metaphor of cooking to teach us that our attitude will effect our life and our relationships. Brown reminds us that life and food is precious and says that “if the cook is joyful, the food tastes better”.
Just remember to practice joyfulness and everything is better.
And enjoy the experience of life, every moment is unique and precious, so make something special out of your life, even if it’s “just” dinner. You’ll feel better for it.
This is Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.
To view the video for this post, click here: http://tinyurl.com/9vr7f7
PS To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
Here is a link to Ed Espe Brown’s site:
http://www.peacefulseasangha.com/
Here are a couple of links to an interesting 2008 interview with Doris Dorrie, if you speak German:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJM5Vh3Eg90
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpkWOko09rc
Winter Blues, Frozen Economy? Stay Jamaican Cool In The Great White North.
Here’s a winter sports story that will inspire you if you’re facing a problem with impossible odds, unfriendly locals, and a totally new environment.
“Cool Runnings” is based on the true story of the first Jamaican bobsled team to try to make it into the winter Olympics. After being disgraced for cheating in the winter Olympics bobsledding event Irving Blitzer (John Candy) moves to Jamaica to start over. Several years later a young sprinter dreams of going to the games. But after he fails to qualify he runs into Irving and decides going as a bobsledder would be just as great. He and a group of young Jamaicans make it to the games where they are laughed at and must ultimately prove that they deserve to be there.
Memorable Quotes:
Sanka Coffie: What I am saying to you, is that you are the kind of club-toting, raw-meat-eating, Me-Tarzan-You-Jane-ing big bald bubblehead that can only count to ten if he’s barefoot or wearing sandals.
Irwin Blitzer: Gentlemen, a bobsled is a simple thing. Man: Yeah, so’s a toilet!
To view the video for this post, click here: http://tinyurl.com/99a33u
PS To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
Want To Feel Better? James Brown Shows Us How.
Here’s James Brown feeling good and look at those people, they’re into it and feeling good with him. This was the fifties when we white folk had to learn how to feel good with our whole body. He passed away two years ago this month and was one of our greatest teachers.
Can you dig how James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul”, was a “Feel Good” force of nature.
Check it out. Doesn’t he make you feel good?
“I feel good!”
This is Dr. Julian Lange, OMD, LAc. reminding you that your laughter heals.
To view the video for this post, click here: http://tinyurl.com/8jybbe
PS To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
Mumbai Doc Teaches “Happy Chemicals” of Laughter To Comedian John Cleese.
In this week following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, let’s not forget that Mumbai is also the home of Laughter Yoga. The people of this city have been demonstrating that they will not be intimidated, by going about their lives in as normal a way as possible.
Perhaps for some of them the influence of Mumbai’s Dr. Madan Kataria’s innovative Laughter Yoga therapy will have made it possible for them to deal with at least part of the trauma of this experience. Watch this video to learn more about Laughter Yoga.
We want to acknowledge Dr. Kataria’s pioneering contributions to the field of laughter therapy and his popularization of the health benefits of laughter. In this video he tells Monty Python alumnus, John Cleese, that all of the health benefits of laughter can be achieved by simply laughing on purpose which he sums up with the slogan: “fake it, fake it, until you make it”. He says that laughter, whether real or “fake”, makes the body produce what he calls “happy chemicals” that combat the negative effects of stress and trauma and boost the body’s immune system.
And, yes it seems a little weird, at first, to just laugh for no reason but what’s fantastic is that after a little bit of time something seems to kick in and it begins to feel like there is truly something funny going on that keeps you laughing. It’s fun! Especially with a group of people. And after tragedies like last week there can also be healing.
To view the video for this post, click here: http://tinyurl.com/7lhmwt
PS To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
Cancer? How Humor Helped Dina Heal Her Tumor.
Dina With Her Life Partner Jim
I (Susan) recently interviewed Dina Ferreira, a very attractive woman in her forties from Brazil, for my upcoming Inspirational Comedy book which explores the healing benefits of humor, laughter, fun and play. She was diagnosed with an extremely serious form of brain cancer and went to many different medical experts who all gave her the same diagnosis and a very short time to live – six months to be exact. But she never gave up and finally she met a doc at UCLA, Dr Cloughsey, who was willing to support her in her conviction that she could survive and heal from her brain tumor.
And now over three and a half years later, she is not just surviving, she is thriving! She has set up a website to help and inspire others, linked to a UCLA website, which is listed below. She is so much more than a cancer survivor! She is involved in a cancer support group and she has set up a fund to help cancer research.
I asked her what she attributes her success to, and how she healed from her brain cancer and she cited several very important factors that helped her dramatically. We will be going into those in more depth next time. But she did give me her favorite funny movies to tell you. The movies that helped inspire her and made her laugh. They will be going into my upcoming book “Cheer Up! Laugh Your Way to Health With Inspirational Comedy 101″. You will also find them in an upcoming post
Her current favorite inspirational comedies are: “Mama Mia” and “Wall E”.
Dina’s website is: http://www.ugbf.org Go online and check it out. You will find it very interesting. She is involved in fundraising for UCLA and research into brain tumors - brain cancer research to find enhanced cancer treatments.
To view this post, click here: http://tinyurl.com/8cvoz3
PS To watch other inspirational comedy video clips go to http://www.ComediesThatHeal.com
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