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Telomeres - Meditation

Hi guys,

Mentally I've been struggling somewhat of late which is only natural considering I was only diagnosed in March this year. Anyway coincidentally a long story short I started meditation for a few months before being diagnosed as I had been suffering from Anxiety for a long time probably many many years (Prior to diagnosis) and then got diagnosed with CML just to add to it.

I've been reading many mindful books to calm anxiety lately etc... I recently bought a book called unplug https://www.unplug.com/unplug-book/ and it mentioned something that caught my attention about a study to do with aging, Chromosomes, DNA and meditation. "Telomeres the protective structures at the end of our chromosomes (Imagine plastic shoelace caps.) When our cells divide, these Telomeres shorten and fray-not a good thing. Shortened Telomeres are associated with aging and cancer. It is suggested that meditation can repair Telomeres activity (The immortality enzyme) by 43 percent when meditation is praticed for several weeks. In other words meditation can repair our DNA" I am not suggesting we can fix our CML as that's a done deal but what I am thinking is that if anxiety and stress could cause this to happen maybe thats what could cause our translocations. I am no doctor of course.

I found an article to back it up here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4859856/

I have CML and I can't change that but I have recently been thinking how the hell did I get this and I keep coming back to constant stress and anxiety because as far as I am aware I have been nowhere near a nuclear blast site! I think prevention is always better than cure. And if Telomeres can be affected positively by a mental practice surely or DNA can be altered too by our negative mental state, which in turn alters a chemical makeup?

Is there any evidence to suggest that stress and anxiety could cause such drastic biological changes. I am inclined to think that it can. Its only been in the last decade really that people are beginning to realise the impact our thoughts and state of mind has on our bodys. The expression "Stress is the biggest killer" saying must have come from somewhere right?

Whats your thought guys? And how do you think you might have got this horrible thing? I realise there could be a million reasons and people will probably say you've got it now it doesn't matter how you got it the past is the past. But for me it is important to understand a little.

Alex

Hi Alex

i hope the meditation and mindfulness are helping you. My husband was diagnosed last Sept. he is doing really well. A few days of fatigue here and there , lower white blood cell counts than are ideal, and a dosage reduction that his doctor oncologist doesn’t want him to continue; so not perfect, but pretty good. 

He was very stressed at work at time of diagnosis but part of that was feeling so rotten and wondering why. I worry about all the scratched non stick pots we have used, all the DIY projects involving chemicals done over the years, but mostly I think we are both so glad it’s CML and not something worse. Maybe it was him and many friends turning 50, but we have had a friend who had a massive heart attack and died, one who had a brain clot and is now permanently disabled and another fighting a very serious brain cancer - all three happened within weeks of my husband’s dx. 

What has helped him most is to try not to dwell on the disease. He takes his tablets and all the vitamins and supplements recommended here :) and otherwise tries not to think about it. He leads a very normal life - biking with our son and his friend (who lost his dad),  camping, working hard. He just listens to his body more now and goes to bed when he needs to. And if something is going to cause stress we try and avoid it. 

Best to you on your journey 

Louise