Eleven years ago, I hesitated when given the option of accompanying my son Reuben at the piano for his first violin performance.\u00a0 My part would be fairly simple, but I was rusty on the keys; additionally, I\u2019d always struggled with stage fright.\u00a0 But walking away from such a joyous opportunity didn\u2019t feel right, either.\u00a0 I could get over myself for my kid, couldn\u2019t I?\u00a0 So I said yes.<\/p>\n
When it was Reuben\u2019s turn to play, I sat down at the keyboard and noticed to my surprise that I was completely relaxed.\u00a0 I played just fine (so did Reuben).\u00a0 Afterward, I celebrated not just Reuben\u2019s success, but my personal progress.\u00a0 For the sake of my child, I had overcome a lifelong obstacle.<\/p>\n
The very next day, I happened to overhear someone referring to \u201cthat medicine people take for stage fright.\u00a0 You know, Inderal.\u201d\u00a0 My jaw dropped.\u00a0 For one thing, I\u2019d never heard of a drug used by musicians and other performers to ward off anxiety.\u00a0 But more significantly, for the past month, I\u2019d been taking an Inderal-like medication every day for chronic migraines!<\/p>\n
So much for self-congratulation.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m all for personal growth, for facing our demons\u2014and for cutting out unnecessary prescriptions.\u00a0 I\u2019m all for cultivating a positive attitude, meditating, getting regular exercise, and eating sensibly, thereby enhancing our natural capacity to heal.\u00a0 But we shouldn\u2019t delude ourselves into thinking we have more power over our bodies and our psyches than we really do.<\/p>\n
Take compulsive gambling, for instance.\u00a0 A psychological condition, right?\u00a0 Go cold turkey, attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings, and work the twelve steps?\u00a0 Well, it turns out some Parkinson\u2019s Disease patients develop pathological gambling habits following dopamine agonist therapy, a regimen that helps control Parkinson\u2019s symptoms.\u00a0 Apparently, in improving the brain chemical signaling system that\u2019s dependent on dopamine, the treatment can also inspire a love of the slots.\u00a0 Seriously, who knew?<\/p>\n
Recently, my 87-year-old mother was acting more wacky and agitated than usual.\u00a0 Her confusion was worse, and she was lashing out at her caregivers.\u00a0 When a friend suggested we rule out a urinary tract infection, I scoffed; it made no sense to me that a UTI would have any bearing on cognitive impairment or bad behavior.\u00a0 But evidently in the elderly, there\u2019s a strong correlation, and sure enough, my mom\u2019s lab results revealed a bacterial infection.\u00a0 After a course of antibiotics, Mom was back to\u2026 well, cursing and blaming at a more manageable level.\u00a0 Hey, maybe that\u2019s biochemical, too.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot we have yet to understand about the connection between mind and body.\u00a0 One thing that seems clear is that we can\u2019t completely control our health.\u00a0 We should not presume to judge those with \u201cpsychological\u201d conditions, such as anxiety disorders, addiction and obesity, as simply not trying hard enough.<\/p>\n
And we shouldn\u2019t presume to judge ourselves if we don\u2019t measure up to an ideal standard of self-empowerment.<\/p>\n
Published in Piedmont Post<\/em> September 23, 2009<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Eleven years ago, I hesitated when given the option of accompanying my son Reuben at the piano for his first violin performance.\u00a0 My part would be fairly simple, but I was rusty on the keys; additionally, I\u2019d always struggled with stage fright.\u00a0 But walking away from such a joyous opportunity didn\u2019t feel right, either.\u00a0 I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[61,62,63],"yoast_head":"\n