Holding Out for Hope

In the March issue of Ode Magazine, David Servan-Schreiber, a French psychiatry professor, writes about facing a medical diagnosis with hope. He emphasizes the the importance of controlling stress, and how research has shown that facing illness with a calm and hopeful attitude can greatly increase survival. In my experience, dealing with stress begins with acknowledging emotions, even the scary ones like fear and anger — feeling the feelings — so that you can move beyond them. Feelings don’t go away, and they don’t have to control you. Being one with your emotions is also empowering — you can face the facts and learn what you can do to help yourself. When you stop fighting your feelings about your illness, you make room for hope. And you free up the energy to marshall your resources in fighting the illness itself.