A two person psychology, as seen for example in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, recognizes the interplay between a patient and their therapist and the influence of the observer on the observed. In a broader sense, it recognizes that people are not inflicted with a disease. They suffer from a problem; a human condition. They are stuck in a certain position. It is quite possible to understand the problem, though it can take time. Through this understanding, through the relationship with the therapist, people can get ‘unstuck’, and live a happier life. People can change; one way to bring about change is by a shift in perspective.

Too often, when people are told they have this or that diagnosis, they cling to this diagnosis as an all encompassing explanation for everything that is wrong with their lives. More than an explanation, it becomes a way of life. It becomes a self imposed prison. When people cling to one vision of themselves and can’t let go, they also can’t move on.

In Buddhist philosophy, there is no permanent self. The idea that there is a fixed self is a delusion. And if there’s no fixed self, there’s certainly no fixed ill self. Shedding the attachment to a diagnosis can be immensely freeing. You’re giving yourself permission to get on with it.

It’s like that moment when you first learn to ride a bike. You forget yourself, that self which couldn’t possibly balance on two thin wheels. You forget to fall, you just let it happen – and there you are, riding a bike, the wind blowing through your hair, laughing with joy.

Psychiatry focuses far too much on the supposed fixedness of illness, the supposed objective reality of diagnoses, and far too little on letting go. There should be more bike riding in psychiatry, more surfing, more embarking on interesting journeys.

To paraphrase the aliens in ‘The Fifth Element’: Diagnosis not important. Only life important.

This is as true for family medicine or surgery as it is for psychiatry. A good doctor is one who pays attention not only to the physical problem but to you.

I believe that the single best, and the single most holistic healing art, is that of listening. Another non-drug therapeutic method is biofeedback. Biofeedback is a relaxation technique that can be helpful for chronic stress, and might also help with stress related conditions, such as high blood pressure.

Much of our mind is outside our conscious awareness. There’s a lot of potential there we can tap into, potential we tend to be unaware of in our day to day lives.

What then is biofeedback? Just as the name implies, it gives you feedback on some biological parameter – one that is related to your emotional state. The simplest biofeedback method uses the temperature of your finger. You attach a thermometer to your finger – and then you relax.

When you achieve a state of relaxation, even just a mild one, your blood vessels “relax” too and dilate. The blood flow to your fingers increases and as a result the temperature of your fingers will rise. The nifty part of this is that you can see external evidence of your subconscious at work. That’s pretty cool! Pun intended…

You get positive feedback for your success in relaxing. Like a pat on the shoulder – you did it! And this this positive feedback in turn will make it easier for you to achieve this state of relaxation.

Very simple – and fun.

I would start with a simple thermometer. Later on, if you get into this, you might want to try the more complex – and more expensive – methods.

Doctors in fact often fail to realise how much people want to just feel better. They tend to look down upon ‘feeling good’. That’s why people search after practitioners who bill themselves as holistic. They give hope, they give encouragement. People want hope and encouragement, and I believe these can help with many physical conditions. They’re not going to make a deadly bacteria disappear or cancer cells go away, but they’ll help the person with a chronic disease get up and be more active, which is almost always beneficial to their mood and overall well being. A positive feedback loop. Very positive!

This is all the more true in psychiatry. Get your patient to laugh. It’ll be more helpful to them than most pills you can give them. Try it and see. Laughter really helps tie the room together.

INFORMATION

One goal of this site is to give the public unbiased information about mental health, psychiatry and psychotherapy, directly from a psychiatrist. Read through the site to learn more or just ask me a question and I will answer.

LIFE COACHING

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