Thoughts as Medicine
Dr. Täuber explains the medical effects of unconscious processes in the brain-that is, how mostly unconscious thoughts and feelings control internal bodily processes over which we have no conscious influence. For example, we can easily consciously control and tense muscles like the biceps. In contrast, we don't have direct control over so-called smooth muscle. Still, the brain ultimately controls these muscles as well. Persistent tension in smooth muscle can lead to problems such as back pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or high blood pressure.
The book explains exactly how this works. Chronic stress and tension are described as causes of these complaints, among others. The body has mechanisms to provide increased performance when needed, triggered by stress activation. This enabled our ancestors to confront dangers with maximum performance. But this system also needs periods of rest to calm the stress response. If that does not happen, problems arise that many people today know all too well. High blood pressure is one of them.
Dr. Täuber also explains how chronic stress throws the immune system out of balance. Allergies and autoimmune diseases can be the result. The book immediately offers a solution: relaxation. It lists numerous studies that have examined different methods. Various approaches are explored, including autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness, and several others.
The book also explains that placebos really do work. People don't just imagine that a dummy drug would help; it really does help if you believe in it. The brain sets processes in motion in the body that bring about or speed up healing. Belief, and therefore expectation, is crucial. That also explains why homeopathy works so well. The precise rules increase its effectiveness, just as particularly large and particularly small tablets work better than medium-sized ones.
Later chapters are meant to provide a guide on how to use the power of your thoughts to address your own health problems. We weren't convinced by that. However, the need to pay more attention to relaxation in everyday life and possibly to learn a relaxation method is indisputable.
Conclusion:
As someone with high blood pressure, you already know that stress has negative effects. Alongside diet and adequate exercise, managing stress properly is the third major pillar of high blood pressure prevention. Learning what happens in the body under chronic stress provides more than a few aha moments. Dr. Täuber's explanations are so engaging that the book comes highly recommended.
Quick facts:
Thoughts as Medicine
Dr. Marcus Täuber
22 euros
184 pages
Goldegg Verlag
ISBN: 978-3990601525
You can find the book in bookstores and, of course, on Amazon.
Advertisement:
Anyone who reads the book and suffers from the stress-related symptoms described will quickly want to do something about it. As an introduction to relaxation techniques, we can recommend our guide "Relaxation for High Blood Pressure". There you'll learn which technique suits you best and get simple exercises you can use right away.
Similar articles:
