A presentation on the mind body approach in physical and mental illness

1. Mind-Body-Soul
Medicine:
Applications in Health
Yasmine Buraik
Psychiatric Counselor
Psychiatric Services and community Counseling Division

2. How the Mind Hurts and Heals the Body
The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of
Heav’n.
John Milton, Paradise Lost In 1948

3. The Dance of Soma and Psyche
The Mind steadfastly refuses to behave
locally, as contemporary scientific
evidence is beginning to show. We now
know for example, that brain like tissue is
found throughout the body…So, even from
the conservative perspective of modern
neurochemistry, it is difficult if not
impossible to follow a strictly a local view
of the brain
Larry Dossey, M.D

4. The New Medicine
• In 2001 The American Psychological Association
amended its bylaws to recognize “promoting health” as
one of its major missions (Thorn & Saab, 2001).
• In the past, the point of contact between psychology
and health has sometimes been couched in economic
terms.
• Another focus has been on the contributions
psychology can make to the prevention of substance
abuse and other behavioral social issues such as child
abuse (Carpenter, 2001; Ray & Ksir, 2004)

5. The Biopsychosocial Model
• The causes, development, and outcomes of an
illness are determined by the interaction of
psychological, social, and cultural factors with
biochemistry and physiology.
• Our physiology and biochemistry are not separate
and distinct from the rest of our life and our
experiences.
• The mind—a manifest functioning of the brain—
and the other body systems interact in ways
critical for health, illness, and well-being.

6. The New Medicine
• ‘patient-centered care’ is emerging as a key
concept in modern medicine” . Patients who
exerted “more control” and have “more
expression of emotion” during their visit to the
doctor’s office showed improved health and felt
better. (Frishman, 1996) ,
• “the modes of explanation appropriate to illnesses
like infections and poisons may not be applicable
to more complex complaints, such as those
involving interactions between mind, body and
culture. . . . new modes of characterizing medical
problems are needed” (Chiong (2001)

7. Health Care Models
Component of Past Future
Health care Models
Focus Fighting Sickness Building Health
Emphasis Environmental Behavioral factors
factors
Causes of disease Pathogen Host-Pathogen
interaction
Patient role Passive recipient of Active in treatment
treatment and health
Belief system of Irrelevant Critically important
patient
Physician Role Determiner of Collaborator in
treatment and treatment and
healing process healing process

9. What is Mind-Body Medicine
• Mind-body medicine focuses on the interactions
among the brain, mind, body, and behavior.
• Recognizes that emotional, mental, social,
spiritual, and behavioral factors can directly affect
health.
• It regards as fundamental an approach that
respects and enhances each person's capacity for
self-knowledge and self-care.
• It emphasizes techniques that are grounded in
this approach.

10. Biological Underpinnings of Mind-Body
Therapies
• The Fight and Flight Response
• The Nervous System
• The Limbic System
• Autonomic Nervous System
• Endocrine System
• Immune System

11. The Body of Evidence
• Extensive research in various fields, especially
Neurobiology, Neurophysiology, Neuropsycholgy,
Neurochemistry and Psychoneuroimmunology
• Some techniques better researched than others,
but support for all.
• As a result of evidence-based data, the relaxation
response is becoming a part of mainstream
medicine. Approximately 60% of US medical
schools now teach the therapeutic use of
relaxation-response techniques (Friedman,
Zuttermeister, Benson, 1993)

12. The Three Brains

15. The Fight and Flight Response

16. Our Survival Mechanism
• Walter Bradford Cannon, MD, 1926
• Danger of stress
• Arousal and preparation
• Increased heart rate
• Faster breathing
• Muscular tension
• Coldness and sweating
• Decreased intestinal activity
• Dilated pupils

17. The Negative Mind
• Chronic stress affects the mind
• You can not afford the luxury of negative thinking
• The Negative Mind and psychiatric conditions

19. The Relaxation Response

20. Remembered Wellness
• Dr. Herbert Benson , MD, 1971
• the "relaxation response“ is the opposite of the
fight-or-flight response. It results in decreased
metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure, and
breathing rate; as well as slower brain waves
(Wallace, Benson, Wilson, 1971) )
• Inducing the relaxation response through Mind-
Body Skills
• The fight-or-flight response occurs automatically,
without requiring the use of a technique. Steps are
usually required to elicit the relaxation response

21. Altered States

22. Benefits of Mind-Body Skills
• Physiological • Decreased medication
relaxation
• Improved tolerance
• Stress reduction • Encouraging active
• Pain reduction and participation in own
relief care
• Modulation of mood • Empowering patient
• Stimulating immune • Discovering meaning
responses in illness or difficult
situations
• Improved physical and
emotional well-being • Enhancing self-
awareness

23. Principles of Mind Body Skills Groups
• Safe Place
• Respect
• Educational
• Staying in the moment
• Increased awareness
• Leader as teacher and real person
• Power of self care
• Group as growth organism
• Flexibility

24. Mind-Body Skills
• Breathing
• Autogenic Training
• Biofeedback
• Movement
• Meditation
• Imagery
• Drawing and Journaling
• Genograms
• Rituals

25. Breathing

26. Movement

27. Meditation

28. Imagery and Visualization

29. Journaling and Drawing

30. . Genograms

31. Rituals

32. Mind-Body Skills Groups Information
• Offered through Community Counseling Clinic on
regular basis
• Meets twice a week for five weeks for a total of 10
sessions
• Limited participants in each group
• Arabic women only groups
• Mixed English groups
• Children’s groups
• To sign up call 877-8400 or 877-7015

33. Mind-Body Skills Groups

34. A revolution
“There’s been a huge transformation in
the way we view the relationship
between our mind and good health,
our mind and disease. . . . In many
ways, it’s nothing short of a
revolution”
Robert Ader, 1980

35. Thank you

36. Thank You