“psychosomatics” the branch of medicine trying to apply psychology to all diseases is a perfect example of this.
“Your bodily functions are controlled by your thoughts and therefore all you have to do to get better from physical diseases is stop thinking you are ill.”
It’s a super ableist and sexist (it’s mainly applied to women) pseudoscience that unfortunately is still present in some medical corners.
That’s about the extent to which there is scientific evidence backing the “mind-body” stuff.
But in the 40s mixed with american eugencisim
and facist countercurrents in the US was where the american physochosomatic movement thirved, and the goal of that was explicitly to show every illness can be controlled by the mind.
You can see effects throughout. Look in the 80s and you will have a bunch of research saying cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for breast cancer. HIV was blamed on psychosomatics (or hysteria) before a cause was found, same with Lupus, Peptic Ulcer, ME/CFS.
Still these days you have minority countercultures in medicine claiming this stuff works for MS, IBD etc (with little evidence).
structural damage in the body wont go away by thinking it away.
Diseases based on dyregulations and problematic pathways might be helped if we manage to control the ANS but the ANS is by definition not capable of being controlled by thoughts.
“psychosomatics” the branch of medicine trying to apply psychology to all diseases is a perfect example of this.
“Your bodily functions are controlled by your thoughts and therefore all you have to do to get better from physical diseases is stop thinking you are ill.” It’s a super ableist and sexist (it’s mainly applied to women) pseudoscience that unfortunately is still present in some medical corners.
I thought that was the name for mental things affecting the body?
Like wanting to pee when stressed about a presentation you’re about to do.
That’s about the extent to which there is scientific evidence backing the “mind-body” stuff.
But in the 40s mixed with american eugencisim and facist countercurrents in the US was where the american physochosomatic movement thirved, and the goal of that was explicitly to show every illness can be controlled by the mind.
You can see effects throughout. Look in the 80s and you will have a bunch of research saying cognitive behavioural therapy is effective for breast cancer. HIV was blamed on psychosomatics (or hysteria) before a cause was found, same with Lupus, Peptic Ulcer, ME/CFS.
Still these days you have minority countercultures in medicine claiming this stuff works for MS, IBD etc (with little evidence).
Removed by mod
that’s ridiculous.
structural damage in the body wont go away by thinking it away.
Diseases based on dyregulations and problematic pathways might be helped if we manage to control the ANS but the ANS is by definition not capable of being controlled by thoughts.