Love as Medicine | Psychology Today

how do you define love? The excitement of meeting someone you deeply care about, the cosmic oneness you feel when you fall in love? Or do your children pull your heart out forever when they have their complete trust in you? It is a transcendental state. meditation.

It could be all these things. Basically, true love is our most natural state. As mystics have told us over the years, only love remains when all else is removed.

When your child is sick, instincts come to the fore. You don’t need to see a doctor to know what you need to feel safe, warm, protected and loved. You probably tuck them into bed with words to calm them down or things that help them feel better. It is an extension of our love and care that activates their own healing abilities.

As adults, we tend to ignore or repress this need for connection and care, instead being driven to our responsibilities. So we become more logical, productive, and more mature. But is that really true? What if you threw your baby out with the bath water and learned to ignore what you already knew deep down inside you?

As a physician, I have always found it strange that love is accepted and welcomed, even in nearly every field outside of science and medicine. I only get a handful of results. We are so squeamish about the L word! However, we already recognize that love has many flavors and some of its properties may not yet be known.

It’s worth remembering that just a few hundred years ago, scientists were puzzled by the patterns in iron powder produced by magnets. Scientific curiosity eventually led to the discovery of magnetic fields. . Perhaps it’s time to apply the same curiosity to this natural state of pure love and how it affects healing outcomes.

Over the years I have practiced medicine, I have learned to accept a professional “sense of self” that is inadequate to support an effective healing process. is the only acceptable route to furthering our understanding and knowledge in this field. We must admit that we are delighted with the potential business opportunities presented in the form of pills and devices designed to achieve targeted health outcomes. What if the results of and the measures we apply are too superficial?

Scientific rigor is superficial because it only accepts tangible evidence as truth and does not allow the unknown to be pondered beyond research hypotheses. It’s superficial because you work in an overburdened health care system that doesn’t give you enough time to really reflect. Showing vulnerability in front of colleagues and patients is superficial because it feels dangerous and “unprofessional.”

If we are truly scientific and ponder the unknown long enough to study love as the generative field that connects us all, perhaps we will discover its healing properties. , how might the definition of health and health outcomes change? That’s the paradigm shift I’d like to see!

Big changes often come when we want to take the time we need to nurture and protect our own vitality, love ourselves, show up open-minded, and learn from those who put their trust in us. happen. This is where you cross the bridge between what you know and what you feel.by opening your heart When heart, we share the healing journey with our patients and set the tone for a true therapeutic alliance. and

How can we prepare ourselves to offer love as a medicine?

1. Reconnect with our deepest values. Few pursue or maintain medical care career profound at all its costs motive caring for others. Remembering this initial impulse and remembering the stories that cemented your commitment will help you reconnect with your purpose and bring more clarity and energy to your everyday experiences.
2. turn on the light. Be prepared to be uncomfortable. Often times, our shadow self lurks in the background and quietly sabotages our efforts. If we can bring them all into the light and listen to their point of view with compassion, then integration is possible.
3. Please forgive me for any mistakes. Because of the potential consequences of death, discredit, and prosecution, medical professionals fear Make mistakes and try to develop a shield of infallibility. However, mistakes are inevitable. forgivenesswe allow ourselves to be human, allowing us to access deeper levels of healing and personal sovereignty.
4. Give yourself permission to love. Love is more than just an emotion. It is our most normal and natural state. Allowing to love means relaxing in that state as often as possible. By focusing your mind and opening your curiosity, you will find it easier to tune in to others. Then they will feel seen and cared for. It creates a field of resonance between you, deepens mutual trust, and increases your chances of health recovery.