Dr. Sternberg joins Arthritis Today with a regular column exploring the connection between mind and body.
We have all experienced places that are stressful – airports and hospitals are notorious. Crowded, unfamiliar mazes, these places may be suffused with unpleasant smells and lots of noise, and devoid of pleasant views and daylight – all potent triggers of the stress response. Since stress can make you sick, this is particularly problematic in the case of hospitals.
When I developed inflammatory arthritis and underwent tests in the hospital, the hallways looked and felt very different from wheelchair view than when I was the one in the white coat pushing the wheelchair. I felt vulnerable. The fluorescent ceiling lights hurt my eyes, and the knee biopsy that I had undergone was surprisingly painful. I was determined to return for more tests and therapy, but then my mother died after a long battle with breast cancer. The last thing I could imagine was going back into a hospital environment.
Finding Peace
Instead I went to Crete, where I was bathed in sunlight rather than harsh fluorescent lights. Wheelchair rides gave way to pleasant strolls. And instead of loud, unpleasant hospital sounds and smells, I listened to the waves on the shore and inhaled the sweet scent of jasmine.
When I explored the hill above the village, I came upon the ruins of a Temple to Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. Here, 2,500 years ago, people came to be healed with music, sleep, dreams, prayer, exercise, diet, support of friends and beautiful views. I spent hours at the site, watching the seagulls circling far below and listening to the sheep grazing the rocky cliffs.
By the time I left the island, only 10 days later, I was on my way to healing. At home in Washington, D.C., I re-created a little bit of Crete: a place for contemplation overlooking my garden with jasmine, gardenia and other fragrances that remind me of Greece.
I still take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs when I need to, but I have maintained my health.
Dr Sternberg's book, Healing Spaces is filled with excellent ideas which have worked very well in our school setting. When you combine changes in light, sound, smell, etc. you get a synergistic effect with wonderful results!
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