Years ago, I read (and wrote a review on) the fascinating book It’s all in your head by neurologist Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan, which recounts various examples and clinical case studies of people suffering from psychosomatic disorders. Their problems did not have physical and biological origins but were often related and traced back to the mind. For me, the often ignored and not-enough-talked-about link between the mind and one’s body had been established. It was a game-changer of sorts because I began investigating, seeing, and interpreting my own health issues from a more psychological lens.
Now some years later, I am not only convinced of the link
between the two (the body and the mind) but have realized that this is indeed
true, with evidence in hand (my own health outcomes and improvements) and expert
testimonies and interviews on record. I have criticized and attacked (with
words and thoughts but never with spite nor violence and always with the best
of intentions) the medical field for not acknowledging, accepting or assessing
the importance and relevance of the psyche on the physical body, which is the
potential breeding ground for various physical diseases and ailments.
This includes the highly prevalent chronic pain, which many
people are suffering from, but which, in the medical profession, is
often seen as unsolvable, but which, in the words of the renowned and experienced orthopedic complex spine surgeon Dr. David Hanscom, is definitely
and consistently solvable. Not only can we effectively deal with chronic
pain, but we can improve upon, if not downright heal, a host of related
inflammatory complications and illnesses, such as depression,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, diabetes, obesity, and even certain types of
cancer.
But in the oft-repeated words of David Hanscom during our
interview, let’s back up a bit. The medical profession has come a very
long way and has been highly effective via various means and methods. This is
more than ever prevalent as we are facing a pandemic and can count on a number of vaccines
available to prevent, defeat, and protect us against this
dreadful, debilitating, and lethal virus. On a personal note, it was decades ago that I
had undergone an emergency surgical procedure, a case of appendicitis that could
have killed me if my doctor had not performed immediate surgery on me and had done
so effectively. I am most thankful to him and his field that has saved my life as
well as millions and millions of others out there.
Nonetheless, surgeries are not always warranted, necessary, or even helpful. Dr. David Hanscom has
written books on this very same topic. His view is that many surgeries not only
fail to solve the issue but that they may cause more harm and complications than
good. The problem is that on one hand, these surgeons are not dealing with the
underlying problem and the root cause of the issue, and on the other hand, these
physicians tend to see the body, in this case, the spine, in isolation and view it apart from everything else. In fact, the integrated holistic view looks and
deals with the whole person and does not separate the body from the mind but
sees it all as a connected and interrelated organism or unit.
The body is a living organism, and it is and cannot be
separated from the mind. In fact, Dr. Hanscom does not like to use the term body-mind
connection, as he believes, and rightly so, that there are other factors and
components to consider at the same time. As such, he has developed a program
that helps people to deal with various forms of chronic pain without the need
for surgery.
Although surgery may be warranted and even necessary in certain
cases, it is and should not be the norm. In any case, surgery should be the
last resort, namely, after having explored various other means and methods; these other types of treatments would not only be more effective but would come at minimal risk
and cost for the patient.
While my personal approach is grounded more in psychology,
his tends to be more physiological in nature. This may also explain why I am not a
general proponent of CBT and prefer psychoanalysis, whereas he sees it the
other way around. However, this is not much of an issue nor disagreement
because the journey can be undertaken in different ways; it is the destination
that matters and it seems that both paths lead to the same destination, namely one
of betterment and potential healing.
Although we agreed on most matters and he corrected me on
various points throughout the interview, especially in relation to scientific
facts and matters, I will chisel out and occasionally iron out the differences
because they can clarify various points and be of help here.
As a medically trained doctor, Dr. Hanscom wants to fix
the problem. Since chronic pain is often a long-term, complicated, and complex problem
that is not controlled nor fixed easily, his aim of expanding the paradigm into
other domains while also addressing and carefully attending to individual needs
and differences is of great benefit. For instance, one of his preferred methods
is expressive writing, which he terms a type of mechanical meditation. By
expressing and releasing harmful feelings and re-wiring and reframing noxious
thoughts, one has the opportunity of liberating oneself from the toxic cocktail
and adverse health effects of long-term stress.
The problem is aggravated since we live (or believe to live) in a toxic state throughout most of our lives as we limp our way through daily life without realizing or noticing the tremendous (but often reversible) harm that we are doing to our organism. The brain releases harmful chemicals and hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, and they lead to inflammation.
Now,
as mentioned earlier, inflammation is the cause of various physical and
emotional diseases and illnesses. However, by replacing the harmful hormones
and chemicals with more beneficial and healthy ones like oxytocin, dopamine,
and serotonin, we could not only increase our health and well-being but could
also liberate ourselves from chronic pain.
My focus is not only to eliminate pain and disease but to
reach a state of optimal health and functioning. My path and aim are less about
the pain itself but rather about attaining personal
fulfillment and realization. In a nutshell, it is about connecting to the
authentic self. This is where psychoanalysis can set in motion a kind of cathartic
purge or emotional cleansing as it brings to light and exposes many moments and types of previous trauma and, as such, it dislodges traumatic
experiences that are uncomfortable and painful but need to be confronted,
released, and dealt with to achieve optimal health and fulfillment. It is the physical
and emotional anguish and suffering that have created the desire to not only
deal with them but to use them as a springboard for becoming a better and more
complete person.
According to David, there is a potential problem lurking here. There seems to be too much focus on the pain itself, and this may inadvertently prolong feelings of pain while creating a potential state of “epiphany addiction” where one is on the continuous lookout for insight. Here is where we disagree. I think that the healing process demands that we go through the dark hills and valleys to get to greener pastures on the other side. The pasture is there bathed in warm and loving sunlight, but it is rather difficult and cumbersome to get there.
It has long painful stretches as well as flashbacks
filled with panic and anxiety. But I see it as a necessary journey since after
one has fully faced one’s inner demons over and over again, one can liberate
oneself from them once and for all, and with time alongside patience and
compassion, you will not be haunted by them anymore but will see them as friendly
ghosts and reminders of the past.
My spiritual journey has not ended (and it might never do so),
but my health has improved in many ways. I have lost significant
amounts of weight, I have moved from obese to slightly overweight by shedding
over 50 pounds in the process, and I have also not had headaches and migraines
in what is now four months and counting, when I used to take painkillers on an
almost weekly basis just a few years back. It came as a result of facing head-on
my emotional issues and dealing with stress in a much healthier way, not to
avoid or circumvent them but to feel and experience them fully.
Next up, I am planning to heal from my Type 2 diabetes and
would prefer to breathe on my own. My breathing issues with asthma have
improved significantly, but I would like to dispense with wearing a mask at
night due to my ongoing sleep apnea. Currently, I am almost always wearing a
mask, both day and night, but it is not due to a lack of honesty or authenticity.
On the contrary, I think, it is by trying to become more authentic that I have
managed to deal with various chronic health conditions.
There was a complete agreement about Intermittent Fasting in
our conversation. David believes that it can reduce inflammation. Although
the weight loss plateaus at some point, it is true that I feel much better
throughout the day and my daily practice of Intermittent Fasting is certainly
an added bonus to my health quest. As I am not a scientist (though I do
respect them) and not a psychologist (though I like to think I am), I am
interested in giving people the whole gamut of procedures and interventions
that have worked for me in the hope that some if not all will do wonders for
you as well. Yet as everyone is different, with different make-up and sets of
different needs and experiences, some may work better than others for any given
individual.
Differences may also boil down to the use of language. In
such a deep and personal conversation as I had with Dr. Hanscom, sometimes I find
that words either fail or that they do not convey the intended meaning to the other person. As language is tinged with personal experiences, words like stress,
trauma, fear, and anxiety will have, elicit, and even trigger different
reactions in different people.
But one thing that has been a profound learning experience
here and a slight shift in my view is that I often let psychologists and
therapists off the hook. I am, I do not deny it, favorably inclined towards
them, but I must admit that both psychological fields and disciplines as well
as psychologists and psychotherapists differ widely in terms of competence,
efficacy, and usefulness. My hesitation of attacking (again meant in most
friendly terms) those who are practicing and engaged in this amazing field was
often due to the mental stigma that is often attached to the field itself and this could create further hesitancy, mistrust, and hesitation among people.
It seems to be much easier for people to accept and deal
with medical conditions than psychological ones; problems and issues associated
and linked with mental health seem to be harder to swallow and accept. Yet the same way there are good and bad doctors
as well as effective and ineffective politicians and teachers across the spectrum out there, sadly, it is
not all gold; although I strongly believe that psychoanalysis not only glitters, it shines bright
if used appropriately.
In fact, I do not think that we are necessarily stuck with
our thoughts. I would not use terms like avoiding, escaping, or controlling thoughts. In fact, I would
say that it is not possible and perhaps not feasible or advisable to stop thoughts, stress and anxiety but that we can stop them from interfering with our lives since they often blur and cloud over our innate sense of peace and calm.
Although a sense of control and agency is important, necessary, and helpful, we need to recognize that we are not our thoughts. They are part of us, but they also tend to distract us and give us an illusionary sense of self. This persona or ego is filled with attachments and tends to compare and judge everything left and right. It is all over the place and sometimes can be all at once and exist simultaneously in the past, present, and the future.
When we continuously
live in our thoughts, we can fall victim to them and get stressed, anxious, and worried. The best way to manage them is through awareness and insight as
that would dispel the thoughts and feelings associated with them. Instead of judging thoughts as good or bad, positive
and negative, or trying to control, to stop their flow or to be in charge of them,
we should just let them flow.
The ego wants to control but our authentic self does not like
being controlled by thought or by the ego; our true self yearns to be free and
unaffected by them. It is my belief that instead of focusing on each problem and
trying to deal with them, you can connect to your real self and that will solve
all your problems of inflammation at once and in one swoop.
I found it most interesting that toward the end of our
conversation, David mentioned attachment and Buddhism. He is definitely on the
right track of seeing the connection between attachment, the ego, stress and anxiety, and negative health outcomes and feelings of unhappiness. He is absolutely
right about the brain not being able to differentiate between real and
perceived threats and that it processes them in the same part and in a similar way.
David has given me a better understanding of how and why anxiety
causes inflammation, whereas a sense of control and oxytocin are
anti-inflammatory. He also touched upon the physiological benefits of
mindfulness as it stimulates the vagus nerve triggering an anti-inflammatory
process. He is also absolutely right that to heal, you must feel and that our
emotions are more precious and valuable than we think. He also has seen many
cases where people have not only dealt with physical and emotional pain, but
they have used it as an opportunity to thrive and see and touch higher and previously
unknown and untouched spiritual realms.
All and all, not only do we agree on what is most essential
and relevant, I also have become to see, understand, and appreciate that it is
not merely a problem of the psyche but that it is all connected and
interrelated. Our root problem is akin to a faulty wire or a broken bulb on a string of Christmas lights. All components need to work together and when one part is
failing, it can affect the whole system in question. It is then not merely a
matter of the body, or the mind, or the brain, or of thoughts and emotions, but
it is all intricately and intimately connected and wired together and it often needs to be calibrated and recalibrated to reach optimal states of balance and
harmony.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Dr. Carla Marie Manly whose previous podcast with Dr. David Hanscom had caught both my attention and interest. I would also like to thank Beth Grossman who was the point of contact and the intermediary between me and Dr. Hanscom. She arranged and set up the interview and she definitely makes things happen! Beth has been one of the kindest and most effective publicists I have ever had the pleasure to work with and many thanks to her!
Finally, I am greatly indebted to Dr. David Hanscom who took the time to shed light on and coach me about stress, anxiety, and chronic pain, and I look forward to reading and reflecting upon two of his books this summer. Thank you for all the work you do and for sounding the alarm, for raising awareness, and for setting up the path towards integrated holistic care.
Here is the full-length interview on YouTube: David Hanscom on Arash's World
If you prefer to listen to the interview, here is the link to my podcast: Arash's World Podcast
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