Optimism is a Helluva Drug: How Positive Thinking Impacts Health and Healing

Been DEEP down a rabbit hole lately reading books on optimism and Positive Psychology. Most specifically looking in depth at Seligman’s Authentic Happiness, and The Expectation Effect by Robsen. It’s truly wild how much our mindset dictates our reality. Can optimism, expectation, and positive mindset really rival customary medicine? Research says it can.

Optimism is characterized by a consistent expectation that good things will happen. It’s more than just a sunny disposition. And it’s not perpetual rose colored glasses or saccharine pollyanna’ishness. Carver, Scheier, and Segerstrom (2010) define optimism as the belief in favorable future outcomes, a mindset powerfully linked to enhanced and robust immune responses, accelerated recovery times, reduced stress and therefore also reduced inflammation.

One persuasive illustration of optimism’s link with longevity (Lee et al 2019) found optimists live 11-15% longer than their pessimistic colleagues. This was found to be true while studying 2 separate groups. The first was a group of nurses, the second a group of veterans. These numbers rival those of traditional medical intervention such as medication for cardiovascular disease.

Optimism’s therapeutic effect also extends into treatment for serious medical conditions. Rozanski and his crew in 2019 found that optimistic individuals experience a 35% reduction in cardiovascular events. This benefit is comparable to conventional treatments like blood pressure drugs. Cancer research highlights optimism’s influence on patient survival and quality of life as well. Allison et al in 2000 demonstrated that patients who maintained their optimism in the face of a cancer diagnosis enjoyed significantly better survival rates and improved emotional resilience equal to or better than structured psychological medical care.

How exactly does all this work? Psychologically, optimistic people engage more effectively and efficiently with stress. They leverage enhanced coping skills and healthier lifestyle habits such as habitual exercise, proper nutrition, and more consistent medication adherence. Physiologically, optimism is linked to reduced inflammation, lower cortisol, and stronger immune system function (Sagerstrom 2005). All of these phenomena play off of one another creating the profound health benefits of keeping a positive attitude.

t’s beginning to take hold too. Medical professionals increasingly incorporate optimism into their clinical practice. Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness for stress reduction, and Positive Psychology are often combined with traditional care to enhance patient outcomes (Huffman 2017). Physicians who mix optimism training into their treatment plans are noting improved patient recovery rates.

Optimism is not a panacea. Positive thinking can absolutely complement medical treatments, it cannot however, be used as a stand-in or stand alone replacement for evidence backed medicine. Schneider (2001) warns against unrealistic optimism. Grounded positivity is good, blind optimism is not healthy.

There is plenty of strong evidence supporting optimism as a powerful tool. It certainly should not replace our traditional medical interventions, but it has great capacity to enhance those treatments. Healthcare will continue to evolve and embracing optimism as a cornerstone of patient care could play a huge role in revolutionizing the approach to healing and foster environments where both mental and physical health flourish.

References (APA):

• Allison, P. J., et al. (2000). Quality of Life Research, 9(8), 951-960.

• Carver, C. S., et al. (2010). Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 879-889.

• Huffman, J. C., et al. (2017). Future Cardiology, 13(5), 443-450.

• Lee, L. O., et al. (2019). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(37), 18357-18362.

• Rozanski, A., et al. (2019). JAMA Network Open, 2(9), e1912200.

• Schneider, S. L. (2001). American Psychologist, 56(3), 250-263.

• Segerstrom, S. C. (2005). Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 19(3), 195-200.