Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life.
Jean Paul Richter
Absenger Cancer Education Foundation | ACEF
Helping cancer survivors feel better with yoga, meditation & qigong
Music is moonlight in the gloomy night of life.
Jean Paul Richter
Entrainment Music
For entrainment music to be effective in altering the mood state, the music needs to be first matched to the current mood state, and then slowly the music needs to move and match the desired mood state. When used properly, entrainment music has been proven to be effective in significantly reducing pain, tension, depression, anxiety and greatly contribute to an improvement in general mood, energy levels, and cognitive tasks.
Support Groups
Support groups are applicable in a wide range of purpose, including psychologic therapy, weight loss, grief work, and personal development. The patient should decide if a support group would be helpful and if he/ she can commit to attending and working with a group.
Implications for Stress Management and Optimal Wellness
The topics we have covered and the research we examined so far, the following themes contributing to health become apparent.
1. Written Oral Expression,
2. Group support,
3. Entrainment music that changes the mood from negative to a more positive one,
4. Some Entrainment with generous doses of laughter,
All the above have lasting implications on overall health and well being. A person feeling in control of his/ her life and well being combined with a sense of purpose are also very critical to overall health and well being.
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.
Irish Proverb
Know, then, whatever cheerful and serene
Supports the mind supports the body too.
John Armstrong
Metastatic Breast Cancer and Mood State
In a trial with 125 women(1), suffering from metastatic breast cancer, were divided into two groups. The control group receiving educational materials on cancer only. The women in the other group were offered 1 year of weekly supportive-expressive group therapy.
Studies Failing to Replicate Spiegel's Results
Another study done on the effects of group psychological support was conducted in 2001.(1) The goal was to the determine survival time with metastatic breast cancer and group support. 235 women were entered into a supportive-expressive group (n=158) or the control group (n=77).
Studies of Group Support and Survival Rates in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer
The Spiegel study's goal was to find if group therapy, for inpatients with metastatic breast cancer, had an impact on survival time. 86 patients with metastatic breast cancer were either assigned to group 1 or group 2 and evaluated in a randomized, controlled, 10-year follow up study.(1) Group 1 met weekly for 90 minutes for one year. Group 2, the control group did not meet at all.
Group Support and Cancer Outcomes
David Spiegel, a psychiatrist, in the 1970's worked under the assumption, that positive psychologic and symptom effects would occur in support groups for women with advanced breast cancer, that had spread throughout the body, without affecting the course of the disease. Little did he know that his work would show that the mind had indeed an effect on physical health.(1)
You made it all the way down here... So you probably want more great tips from us on how to make the best out of your survivorship experience...