When your wellbeing is at stake,
- Would you rather rely on science or on blind faith?
- Do you prefer a practice that is realistic or one-sided?
Have you ever heard someone say "Try and think positive thoughts to ease your headache pain"? Does that sort of advice annoy you?
I have advocated positive psychology to limit migraine suffering previously in this blog and on my website. It's easy to confuse this with "positive thinking". Let's make sure we understand the difference, and how the two approaches might work out for you.
Positive psychology is a scientific, evidence-based discipline directed at understanding what makes us flourish and achieve more of our potential. Researchers in the field do trials to discover what works to cultivate our long term wellbeing; and practitioners like myself then use these techniques in service of their clients. Long term wellbeing, in turn, comes from setting meaningful goals and feeling that you are moving towards meeting them, having interesting and engaging work, and cultivating trusting and nurturing relationships.
Positive psychology has a solid foundation. It recognizes that you have both negative and positive thoughts and emotions. Used as a complement to medical or alternative care for your migraines, it can alleviate much of the suffering that accompanies your pain.
Positive thinking is epitomized in the book "The Secret". It tells you to visualize your goals, to cast out all negative thoughts from your mind -- and then "the universe" will attract whatever it is that you want. Positive thinking tends to concentrate on short term pleasures and external rewards.
The basic flaw in this is obvious. If positive thinking worked for everyone, we would all use it, and be happy and prosperous. Some positive thinkers succeed, but that doesn't make the practice itself useful for everyone - no proof has ever been given.
Practically speaking, it's difficult to get away from negative thoughts. As a migraine sufferer, I know that it is impossible to do so. We are lucky to avoid despair during an attack! The goal at that point is more to get through it than to recall grand schemes about attracting what you want. After a migraine, you need to start all over again.
Positive psychology is a far better approach in migraine treatment because
Positive psychology has a solid foundation. It recognizes that you have both negative and positive thoughts and emotions. Used as a complement to medical or alternative care for your migraines, it can alleviate much of the suffering that accompanies your pain.
Positive thinking is epitomized in the book "The Secret". It tells you to visualize your goals, to cast out all negative thoughts from your mind -- and then "the universe" will attract whatever it is that you want. Positive thinking tends to concentrate on short term pleasures and external rewards.
The basic flaw in this is obvious. If positive thinking worked for everyone, we would all use it, and be happy and prosperous. Some positive thinkers succeed, but that doesn't make the practice itself useful for everyone - no proof has ever been given.
Practically speaking, it's difficult to get away from negative thoughts. As a migraine sufferer, I know that it is impossible to do so. We are lucky to avoid despair during an attack! The goal at that point is more to get through it than to recall grand schemes about attracting what you want. After a migraine, you need to start all over again.
Positive psychology is a far better approach in migraine treatment because
- it is evidence-based,
- it works from the inside out, and
- its focus is your long term wellbeing.
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