To make mindless as a defense

I have a friend (I'll call her Nancy) who has been in a constant state of fear about one thing or another for the past few months: projects she is working on, relationships she has. She has been through a large number of stressors in the last few months: moving, new friends, etc. Furthermore, she has a history of psychosomatic illnesses, and in recent weeks she has developed a sharp increase in the amount of bodily problems she has had.

Last week she was diagnosed with an actual, physical condition, a verifiable concrete illness, for which there are treatments and drugs. I won't go into the details, but my thought, when hearing about the diagnosis, was, "Oh, thank heavens. At least she's not doing it to herself. At least she's not crazy."

And then I caught myself. How interesting that I would find comfort in a diagnosis. The mind is a powerful and creative force, to the point where, when we come to understand and appreciate its potential, can be frightening in its destructive potential. In the face of this power and depth, an appeal to the body as a remedy can be awfully soothing: "Oh, it's not you, honey. It's your body. You're a victim of chemistry, genetics, environment, interstellar physics, excessive CEO salaries, and political infighting."

Nancy, in the throes of her depression and anxiety, can be so hard to reach. She is unwilling to face her own contributions to her own problems and unable to listen to voices that are here to help her. This diagnosis is a comforter, but a dark comforter: by manifesting her problems through physical ailments, she is offering others an opportunity to help her, but at the cost of weakening the knowledge of the truth about herself. Yet within Nancy is a Force that no illness can resist. This body only seems to be be a cause; this Force is irresistible in truth.

Don't get me wrong: we need to treat problems and patients at the level that they will open themselves to that help, and sometimes that takes the form of a pill or a surgical operation. Simultaneously, we need to hold the truth about them safe in our hearts.