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The Immune Power Personality: 7 Traits You Can Develop to Stay Healthy
What is the secret to good health? We've all known those who enjoy robust health even with sky-high stress levels; others seem to succumb to every cold or flu that comes along. The Immune Power Personality explores how and why some personalities are so resistant to disease while others are more vulnerable. Serialozed in Redbook, Family Circle, and Shape.
- GenresPsychologyHealth
Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 15, 2014
A little dated (first printed in 1996), but the 18 intervening years have not clouded its relevance. It refers to academic research of the time to support the major claim of this book which is that our personality can impact upon our immune system; both negatively and positively. Dreher is concerned with how to develop personality traits that impact positively.
I have not been able to find much information on Henry Dreher, the author. I believe that he is currently director of Cancer Consultation Services, and provides counselling on options in complementary therapy for cancer. This book certainly demonstrates a holistic attitude to health so I guess this work with cancer patients shows significant development in his thinking.
Basically he proposes seven traits that when combined suggest an Immune Power Personality. They are:
1. The ACE factor: Attend, connect and express.
Based primarily on the work of Gary Schwartz a distinguished academic (who has gone on to research science and spirituality, including life after death)this research suggests that attending to negative feelings is good for our immune systems. There is also a distinction between people who are authentically calm versus repressive copers who only BELIEVE they are calm. "The pivotal issue is not the presence of negative emotions, but whether the person represses or expresses them. Our ability to repress these emotions begins in childhood but it can wreak havoc on your health. You need to attend to how you are feeling, explore rather than ignore its effects, and then learn how to express yourself.
2. The capacity to confide.
James Pennebaker's work informs this chapter and James is still very active in academic psychology circles and his theory of using expressive writing for 15 minutes over 4 days to alleviate anxiety created by trauma is still making the news. I listened to a BBC Radio 4 podcast broadcast on April 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rrc11. The fundamental belief underpinning this theory is that "confession was healing when people expressed their emotions AND organised their thoughts about an upsetting event". Doing both expression and organisation provides catharsis and insight. Interestingly, he did a study which suggested that the process could help find employment for people made redundant. So writing about traumas can prevent illness as it may fine-tune our cardiovascular and immune systems.
3. Hardiness: commitment, control and challenge.
The research that this chapter is based on is by Suzanne Ouellette who is, since 2013, a full time artist painter. Her findings are dramatically important in our understanding of stress. You see, stress in itself is not a negative experience, in fact it can provide the energy for action. Up until Suzanne's work, the data on stress was highly inconclusive. Many people who experienced high levels of stress did not get ill. So the relationship between stress and illness was not established. Suzanne's work provided a shift in thinking. Rather than the stressful event, it was how the individual responded to that event that impacted upon health! The trait, best applied in this circumstance is hardiness, a form of resilience. It is the precise opposite of helplessness. The beauty of this, like with Pennebaker's work is its simplicity. Hardiness requires a sense of control and to achieve this "does not require massive structural changes in one's life or personal attributes. It only requires a shift in perception". Hardiness education teaches people how to make choices that build hardiness. An example cited is Arthur who is angry at being passed up for promotion. His anger was not the problem but how he handled it, was. "Far better than fantasizing about killing his boss and subsequent drinking sprees would have been a defiant 'I'll show them' followed by a commitment to himself to demonstrate more creativity and dedication on the job"
4. Assertiveness: the hub of the wheel.
George F Solomon, the father of psychoneuroimmunology (whew!)died in 2001, but his work demonstrated how the brain was involved in regulating our biological defence network. The basic premise in this chapter is simply that being able to say no helps our immune system.
5. The power of love vs. the love of power.
You'll be healthier if you can love for its own sake. Aim to be open hearted and to develop affiliative love. David McClelland who died in 1998 did a lot of work investigating love and health. He believed that "In terms of health, our desire and capacity for love may be more important than how much we are loved by others." Individuals who are strongly motivated to form relationships with others based on unconditional love and trust have better immune systems. Studies have shown that it is the quality, rather than the quantity of our relationships that influence our health. Remembering this in times of stress could lead to different behaviour i.e. "for people who are experiencing hard times or insecurity on the job, a reshuffling of priorities toward human connections may take the sting out of setbacks at work or in financial matters."
6. Healthy Helping: the trait of altruism
Allan Luks, who went on to develop the theory of the 'helper's high' is cited in this chapter. Basically, like with exercise, helping others can increase endorphin production. Volunteering provides an incredible feel good factor. This is when helping strangers rather than friends or family.
7. Self-Complexity: the healthy hydra
As with the myth of the hydra who has many heads the trait of self-complexity, coined by Patricia Linville, we have many heads or selves and this complexity of self acts as a buffer to our experiences of stress. "To withstand the impact of stress on mind and body, we require the Hydra-like capacity to replace lost or harmed selves with our other selves. Simply put, if one 'self' is under constant stress or is wounded in some way, we need other selves to fall back on". Linked to resilience, Robert J Lifton who wrote the Protean Self defined resilience as the ability "to evolve a self of many possibilities". Best to work on developing a complex set of selves in order to cope with future trauma. For example a woman facing divorce who only defines herself in this relationship will not be as healthy as the woman who identifies herself in a set of multiple roles.
Overall, very interesting and well researched. A scholarly approach which also provides activities and a plan for developing your immune power personality if you so wish.
I have not been able to find much information on Henry Dreher, the author. I believe that he is currently director of Cancer Consultation Services, and provides counselling on options in complementary therapy for cancer. This book certainly demonstrates a holistic attitude to health so I guess this work with cancer patients shows significant development in his thinking.
Basically he proposes seven traits that when combined suggest an Immune Power Personality. They are:
1. The ACE factor: Attend, connect and express.
Based primarily on the work of Gary Schwartz a distinguished academic (who has gone on to research science and spirituality, including life after death)this research suggests that attending to negative feelings is good for our immune systems. There is also a distinction between people who are authentically calm versus repressive copers who only BELIEVE they are calm. "The pivotal issue is not the presence of negative emotions, but whether the person represses or expresses them. Our ability to repress these emotions begins in childhood but it can wreak havoc on your health. You need to attend to how you are feeling, explore rather than ignore its effects, and then learn how to express yourself.
2. The capacity to confide.
James Pennebaker's work informs this chapter and James is still very active in academic psychology circles and his theory of using expressive writing for 15 minutes over 4 days to alleviate anxiety created by trauma is still making the news. I listened to a BBC Radio 4 podcast broadcast on April 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rrc11. The fundamental belief underpinning this theory is that "confession was healing when people expressed their emotions AND organised their thoughts about an upsetting event". Doing both expression and organisation provides catharsis and insight. Interestingly, he did a study which suggested that the process could help find employment for people made redundant. So writing about traumas can prevent illness as it may fine-tune our cardiovascular and immune systems.
3. Hardiness: commitment, control and challenge.
The research that this chapter is based on is by Suzanne Ouellette who is, since 2013, a full time artist painter. Her findings are dramatically important in our understanding of stress. You see, stress in itself is not a negative experience, in fact it can provide the energy for action. Up until Suzanne's work, the data on stress was highly inconclusive. Many people who experienced high levels of stress did not get ill. So the relationship between stress and illness was not established. Suzanne's work provided a shift in thinking. Rather than the stressful event, it was how the individual responded to that event that impacted upon health! The trait, best applied in this circumstance is hardiness, a form of resilience. It is the precise opposite of helplessness. The beauty of this, like with Pennebaker's work is its simplicity. Hardiness requires a sense of control and to achieve this "does not require massive structural changes in one's life or personal attributes. It only requires a shift in perception". Hardiness education teaches people how to make choices that build hardiness. An example cited is Arthur who is angry at being passed up for promotion. His anger was not the problem but how he handled it, was. "Far better than fantasizing about killing his boss and subsequent drinking sprees would have been a defiant 'I'll show them' followed by a commitment to himself to demonstrate more creativity and dedication on the job"
4. Assertiveness: the hub of the wheel.
George F Solomon, the father of psychoneuroimmunology (whew!)died in 2001, but his work demonstrated how the brain was involved in regulating our biological defence network. The basic premise in this chapter is simply that being able to say no helps our immune system.
5. The power of love vs. the love of power.
You'll be healthier if you can love for its own sake. Aim to be open hearted and to develop affiliative love. David McClelland who died in 1998 did a lot of work investigating love and health. He believed that "In terms of health, our desire and capacity for love may be more important than how much we are loved by others." Individuals who are strongly motivated to form relationships with others based on unconditional love and trust have better immune systems. Studies have shown that it is the quality, rather than the quantity of our relationships that influence our health. Remembering this in times of stress could lead to different behaviour i.e. "for people who are experiencing hard times or insecurity on the job, a reshuffling of priorities toward human connections may take the sting out of setbacks at work or in financial matters."
6. Healthy Helping: the trait of altruism
Allan Luks, who went on to develop the theory of the 'helper's high' is cited in this chapter. Basically, like with exercise, helping others can increase endorphin production. Volunteering provides an incredible feel good factor. This is when helping strangers rather than friends or family.
7. Self-Complexity: the healthy hydra
As with the myth of the hydra who has many heads the trait of self-complexity, coined by Patricia Linville, we have many heads or selves and this complexity of self acts as a buffer to our experiences of stress. "To withstand the impact of stress on mind and body, we require the Hydra-like capacity to replace lost or harmed selves with our other selves. Simply put, if one 'self' is under constant stress or is wounded in some way, we need other selves to fall back on". Linked to resilience, Robert J Lifton who wrote the Protean Self defined resilience as the ability "to evolve a self of many possibilities". Best to work on developing a complex set of selves in order to cope with future trauma. For example a woman facing divorce who only defines herself in this relationship will not be as healthy as the woman who identifies herself in a set of multiple roles.
Overall, very interesting and well researched. A scholarly approach which also provides activities and a plan for developing your immune power personality if you so wish.
July 24, 2021
If you are simply looking for a good self help book, I would not recommend. On the other hand, if you are looking to learn more about the mind-body connection, thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly) enjoy reading about scientific research, and are inclined toward self development, I would maybe recommend. It’s not a great read, but it’s not a terrible read either.
In this book, Henry Dreher discusses some of the very early research in the mind-body field, specifically psychoneuroimmunology, and how certain personality traits are correlated with higher immune system function. At the end of each chapter, Dreher provides exercises to help the reader develop those personality traits to potentially improve his/her own life and health.
This book is heavily researched based, and by heavily, I mean it is completely research based. Each chapter discusses scientific research conducted by various academics. Dreher communicates the research to the reader in a way that is relatively easy to understand.
Much of the content is interesting, however, I found myself struggling to get through it at times. By the time I had two chapters left, I was ready to be done, and start something new. I only continued to read the book for the sake of finishing what I started- not because I was truly enjoying the content. The problem for me was that some chapters were boring, and in some ways, repetitive after a while. The book is also a bit dated, so if you decide to read, I would suggest keeping that in mind.
In this book, Henry Dreher discusses some of the very early research in the mind-body field, specifically psychoneuroimmunology, and how certain personality traits are correlated with higher immune system function. At the end of each chapter, Dreher provides exercises to help the reader develop those personality traits to potentially improve his/her own life and health.
This book is heavily researched based, and by heavily, I mean it is completely research based. Each chapter discusses scientific research conducted by various academics. Dreher communicates the research to the reader in a way that is relatively easy to understand.
Much of the content is interesting, however, I found myself struggling to get through it at times. By the time I had two chapters left, I was ready to be done, and start something new. I only continued to read the book for the sake of finishing what I started- not because I was truly enjoying the content. The problem for me was that some chapters were boring, and in some ways, repetitive after a while. The book is also a bit dated, so if you decide to read, I would suggest keeping that in mind.
March 24, 2020
This absolutely has to be a book for our time. I read it a number of years ago and was drawn to return to it before recommending it to colleagues as part of looking after myself and supporting others in our current pandemic.
The book is well written and draws on the work of a number of academics in the mind-body field. Each chapter looks at a different trait and the practices you can use to develop it. (At least, that's what I remember! I'll be revising it over the coming days as part of my own self-care.)
I want to add that whilst I've been drawn to return to it now, these are practices for the best of times as well as for those that are most challenging - practices for immunity and practices for a good life, no matter what.
May you enjoy great immunity and health now and throughout your life.
The book is well written and draws on the work of a number of academics in the mind-body field. Each chapter looks at a different trait and the practices you can use to develop it. (At least, that's what I remember! I'll be revising it over the coming days as part of my own self-care.)
I want to add that whilst I've been drawn to return to it now, these are practices for the best of times as well as for those that are most challenging - practices for immunity and practices for a good life, no matter what.
May you enjoy great immunity and health now and throughout your life.
January 22, 2015
Connected a lot of dots about mind-body medicine that I kind of knew about, but hadn't read studies and research about as of yet.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews