Review of The Fear Cure: Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul
Every one of us has some kind of fear: fear of disease, fear of failure, or the fear that some kind of disaster is about to befall us. And each of us wants to be cured of our fears, instantly.
The Fear Cure: Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul (2015, Hay House), written by Lissa Rankin, M.D., is an, inspirational, spiritual, and brave book. Its provocative title calls out to each and every one of us: Read me, and I will dispel your fears.
Let me explain why I find this book so appealing, and why I believe you’ll find it to be the same.
First, much of the book reads like a novel. It’s beautifully written, from the heart and with honesty.
I don’t know, and have never met, Lissa Rankin, but since I’ve read all the books she’s written to date, I know her to be an exceptional writer.
Any book that can teach us something is inspirational.And yes, aside from being inspired and touched emotionally by it, you can learn a great deal by reading this book: for example, how fear makes you sick, the physiology of fear, discerning fear, how to conquer the fear of uncertainty, how to change your approach to yourself.
In my decades as a medical biochemist working side by side with physicians, I couldn’t find (sorry!) manymedical professionals who were spiritual. I thought I had a simple explanation for that observation: medical doctors are not trained to be spiritual—they are trained to cure, and not to harm, their patients.
This book, however, showed me how wrong I was!
Dr. Rankin is brave. Thanks to her, we now know that medical doctors can be spiritual…if they choose to be. Lissa Rankin is currently not only a medical doctor but also a spiritual leader.
Through all her writings, Dr. Lissa Rankin has changed the overall perception of medical professionals, many of whom are like her, recognize that spirituality is as important to their patients’ overall health as the more common physical considerations.
I believe that many of us have the wrong picture when it comes to medical doctors. For instance, we sometimes believe that they know everything about every disease, that they don’t have any fears or are never faced with dilemmas, that they don’t have feelings, and that they aren’t spiritual people.
This impression is wrong, and I’ll tell you why: Medical doctors are trained to “behave like untouchables.” They need to keep their distance from us; as healers, they need to protect us as well as themselves, and they do a good job of it.
If you read The Fear Cure (and I hope you do!), you’ll be introduced to a woman, a daughter, a wife, and a mother—like you, a real, live person wearing many different hats: Dr. Lissa Rankin. She is not in the midst of any dilemma; she’s not concerned that she may be changing, or even destroying, the image of doctor, as we’ve come to perceive it. She has no qualms about the message she is spreading or any fear of wrongdoing, and I congratulate her for this approach.
Through reading this book, you’ll come to know the real Dr. Lissa Rankin—no mask…only her thoughts and feelings—and be better for it. Of course, she isn’t the only medical doctor who has written in the field of body, mind, and soul; she is, however, one of a few professionals who give us the feeling that we’ve finally found a medical professional who’s “just like us”!
I encourage you to read this book for many reasons. When you’ve finished reading it, you will be inspired, more spiritual, and braver when it comes to taking risks. In the words of Dr. Rankin: “You are not at fear’s mercy. There’s no need to feel helpless in the face of fear. Remember, fear has the potential to free you from suffering, and when you let it, your body will thank you” (2015, p. 14).