How to Become an Exceptional Patient and Defy the Odds

Cindy Perlin, LCSW

In his groundbreaking book Love, Medicine and Miracles, published in 1986, Bernie Siegel, MD, presents the concept of the "exceptional patient"—individuals who defy the odds and often achieve remarkable recoveries from serious illnesses. Siegel's extensive experience as a surgeon and his exploration of the mind-body connection led him to identify certain characteristics common among these patients. Importantly, Siegel believed that these traits could be cultivated in anyone, offering hope and practical guidance for those facing serious health challenges.

Characteristics of an Exceptional Patient

Siegel's definition of an exceptional patient includes several key characteristics:

1. Active Engagement: Exceptional patients take an active role in their treatment and care, asking questions, seeking second opinions, and making informed decisions about their health.
2. Positive Attitude and Belief in Healing: They maintain a positive outlook and a strong belief in their ability to heal, which is crucial for better health outcomes.
3. Self-Awareness and Self-Care: These patients prioritize self-care and nurture their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
4. Resilience and Determination: They show remarkable resilience and a determined spirit to overcome obstacles, demonstrating persistence in their healing journey.
5. Holistic Approach: Exceptional patients are open to integrating conventional medical treatments with complementary and alternative therapies, such as meditation, visualization, and other mind-body practices.
6. Strong Support Networks: They often have strong support systems, including family, friends, and support groups, providing emotional and practical support.
7. Spiritual Practices: Many exceptional patients have a spiritual practice or belief system that gives them a sense of purpose, hope, and connection to something greater.
8. Mind-Body Connection: They harness the power of understanding how mental and emotional states impact physical health, and practice techniques to maintain mental well-being.
9. Sense of Humor: Maintaining a sense of humor is essential, as laughter and joy are seen as vital elements in the healing process.
10. Adaptability: They are willing to make necessary lifestyle changes to support their health, such as adopting healthier eating habits, exercising regularly, and avoiding harmful behaviors.

The Role of Prognosis and Defying the Odds

Siegel also emphasizes that exceptional patients often defy negative prognoses. This aspect involves:

• Defying Expectations: These patients frequently exceed the expectations set by their medical prognosis, sometimes recovering from illnesses deemed terminal or significantly outliving predicted timeframes.
• Refusing to Accept Limiting Beliefs: They reject the notion that their condition is hopeless and maintain hope, looking for ways to improve their situation despite discouraging news.
• Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Exceptional patients show remarkable resilience, using their mental, emotional, and spiritual strengths to combat their illness.
• Harnessing Inner Strength: They tap into their inner strength and resources, using techniques like visualization, meditation, and prayer in their healing healing journey.
• Inspiring Others: By defying their prognosis, they often inspire others, including fellow patients and medical professionals, with their stories of unexpected recovery.
• Adopting a Warrior Mentality: Siegel describes these patients as having a "warrior mentality," approaching their illness with a fighting spirit and unwavering determination to ?defy the odds.

Cultivating the Characteristics of an Exceptional Patient

Siegel believed that the characteristics of an exceptional patient could be cultivated in individuals who were not naturally that way. Here are some ways to develop these traits:

1. Education and Awareness: Patients can be educated about the mind-body connection and the impact of attitude and emotions on physical health, motivating them to adopt more positive and proactive behaviors.
2. Support Groups: Joining support groups, such as the Exceptional Cancer Patients (ECaP) program founded by Siegel or the chronic pain support groups sponsored by the?US Pain Foundation that help patients share experiences, gain emotional support, and learn from others' successful healing journeys.
3. Psychotherapy and Counseling: Professional counseling assists patients in addressing emotional and psychological barriers to healing, helping them develop coping strategies and build resilience.
4. Mind-Body Techniques: Practicing mind-body techniques like meditation, visualization, yoga, and relaxation exercises helps patients reduce stress, improve mental well-being, and foster a positive outlook.
5. Spiritual Practices: Exploring spirituality or developing a sense of purpose provides strength and hope, whether through prayer, meditation, or engaging in activities that align with personal values.
6. Empowerment and Self-Care: Teaching patients to take an active role in their healthcare, ask questions, and make informed decisions empowers them, while self-care practices support overall well-being.
7. Positive Thinking and Affirmations: Practicing positive thinking and using affirmations cultivates a hopeful and optimistic mindset, with cognitive-behavioral techniques helping reframe negative thoughts.
8. Creative Expression: Engaging in creative activities provides emotional release and enhances mental and emotional health.
9. Laughter and Joy: Incorporating humor and finding joy in daily life improves emotional well-being, with laughter having therapeutic effects on both mental and physical health.
10. Building a Support Network: Encouraging patients to build and maintain strong support networks with family, friends, and healthcare providers enhances their resilience and ability to cope with illness.

How I Became an Exceptional Patient

Around the time that Dr. Siegel was formulating and testing his theories about exceptional patients in the late 70s and early 80s, prior to the publication of his book, I was inspired by another book to become an exceptional patient, long before I had ever heard the term.

In 1977, when I was a physically active and healthy 25-year-old, I hurt my back running. After that, everything I did made it worse until I was in agony 24/7. ?I was forced to drop out of graduate school, where I was pursuing a master’s degree in social work and barely functioned for several years. None of the doctors or other healthcare providers I consulted were of any help. They gave me drugs that turned me into a zombie but didn’t relieve the pain. Three years after the agony started, I consulted the most well-respected orthopedic surgeon in my area. He spent 45 minutes examining me and talking to me, gave me a diagnosis of chronic body pain, said he didn’t know how to help me. He told me I might have the pain for the rest of my life and to learn to live with it. I was in despair and had thoughts of suicide.

That’s when a friend of mine who was a health reporter suggested that I read Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins. Cousins was a very educated man, the editor of a respected and well-known magazine that included reviews and critiques of the arts, science, education, current events and more, the Saturday Review. He was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis which causes inflammation and pain in the spine and joints and, in severe cases, can cause the bones in the spine to grow together.

Cousins had a severe case and was told by his doctors that there was virtually no hope of getting better; he would just get more and more crippled until he died. Cousins refused to accept this prognosis. Being the intellectual that he was, he “did his own research” (a term that in recent years has brought ridicule and worse to anyone who dared to admit to doing so).

Cousins learned in his research that the will to live was an important factor in recovery from serious illness. He asked himself what made life worth living and his answer was laughter. So, he designed a program of “laughter therapy” for himself. He incorporated as much humor as he could into his life by watching funny movies, surrounding himself with funny people and cultivating his own sense of humor. He also took large amounts of vitamin C because he learned in his research that vitamin C was an essential ingredient for healthy joints.

Cousins also mentioned biofeedback in his book, which at the time was a fairly new treatment. Biofeedback uses sensitive electronic instruments to measure a patient’s physiology and then feeds that information back to the patient to teach control of physiology, such as blood flow, muscle tension, heart rate and more.

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Cousins fully recovered from his illness and later became the first non-physician to teach courses at UCLA Medical School. It was later discovered that laughter causes the body to make more of its own natural painkillers, known as endorphins.

I was inspired by Cousins’ book to stop reading and watching material about the holocaust, which I’d been doing to pass the time during my illness and focus on more uplifting and humorous material. I also sought out a biofeedback therapist, which was life-changing for me. It gave me a sense of control over my pain, which I hadn’t had before, and within a day I reduced my pain by about 50%. Over time I continued to explore other ways to feel better, including other mind/body techniques, spirituality, exercise and diet.

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I was able after a short time to return to work and become a healthy and productive member of society again. This experience also enabled me to tackle future health challenges in an “exceptional” way. I later stumbled upon Dr. Siegel’s work and attended several workshops with him, which inspired me to teach others. Eventually, I set up a clinical social work practice focused on working with people with chronic and life-threatening illnesses so that I could share what I’d learned.

Conclusion

Dr. Bernie Siegel's work underscores the transformative potential within every individual to become an exceptional patient. By cultivating the characteristics identified by Siegel—such as active engagement, positive thinking, resilience, and a holistic approach to health—patients can defy negative prognoses and significantly influence their ?healing journey. Siegel's belief in the power of the mind-body connection and the human spirit continues to inspire patients and healthcare professionals alike to pursue a more comprehensive and empowering approach to healing.