The January/February 2009 issue of ODE Magazine names Amit Sood, M.D., director of research for Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program as an “intelligent optimist.” Here’s an excerpt:
Sood uses healing methods that restore well-being rather than just treating illness, he says…”I train patients in cultivating an awareness that allows them to increase their depth of perception and decrease judgment, to refine their awareness with forgiveness and acceptance.”
He also suggests meditation or prayer, which he says can help patients find meaning and purpose despite their conditions. A pleasant side effect: less stress and a more peaceful state of mind. Sood believes these non-drug-based approaches help give patients the internal resilience needed to undergo challenging treatments. “We may not be able to remove the pain always,” Sood says, “but we can get rid of the suffering all the time.”
You can also learn more about Dr. Sood’s research and the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic.
