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ISHK programs pave the way for new view of health

The brain minds the body. The idea seems so simple and central to the understanding of human health, and yet it has escaped the attention of the mainstream of medical practice and psychological thought which has largely regarded the body as a mindless machine.

By the 1970s, it was known that the primary function of the brain, with its countless adjustments, commands and secretions, is to maintain the stability and health of the body. Research had also established the impact of psycho-social factors on health. It was also known, if not widely recognized, that the 20-year leap in life expectancy from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries was due largely to public health changes which helped people avoid illness — not to dramatic medical advances.

Yet the focus of modern medical research, education, and practice continued to be on the body as separate from mind, mood, or the social milieu. Resources were poured into ever more dramatic ways of isolating and treating disease as opposed to maintaining health. As a result, the contemporary health and medical effort has, in large part, been misdirected, misspent, and its successes misattributed.

Over the past three decades, under the direction of David Sobel, MD, Director of Preventative Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, ISHK programs have contributed to an important shift in public awareness and practices regarding the integral role of mind in health.

For example, the field of Psychoneuroimmunology is now an accepted branch of medical education and research. Our understanding of psychosocial factors such as stress, depression, optimism, and social support continues to be refined. The cost benefit of paying attention to what keeps people healthy is getting more attention in the face of spiraling costs. Few physicians today will overlook a patient's emotional state and stress levels in assessing risk for heart disease. HMOs offer classes in stress management techniques such as yoga and imagery. Depression is finally being treated as the major health hazard it is.

Further reading on mind/body health:

Robert Ornstein and David Sobel:
The Healing Brain: Breakthrough Discoveries about How the Brain Keeps Us Healthy
Healthy Pleasures
The Healthy Mind Healthy Body Handbook

Robert Ornstein and Charles Swencionis
The Healing Brain: A Scientific Reader

Free download of 10 Top Tips and Techniques for Better Health from The Healthy Mind Healthy Body Handbook.

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