Shanti | The L.I.F.E. Program

Mind-Body Medicine

Psycho-neuro-immunology (PNI) is a 30-year-old medical specialty that studies the interactions between emotions, the brain and the immune system. PNI is a well-established branch of medical science, with published research studies that number in the thousands.

The results of this research demonstrate that psychological issues, such as intense and sustained negative emotional experiences, as well as social relationships and interactions, can have a significant impact on immune system functioning. The mind truly can influence immunity, illness and health.

The psycho-physiological mechanisms that allow the emotions and the mind to affect the nervous system and the immune system are now well-understood. One significant pathway, for example, links the brain's cortex with the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands. This pathway allows thoughts or feelings to have an impact on hormones and nervous centers that regulate immune functioning. For example, significant life stress that evokes emotions of fear and panic also activates the hypothalamus, which in turn arouses the adrenal glands, which produce adrenaline, which suppresses immune system functioning (especially T-cells).

Based on a new understanding of the immune system's sensitivity to certain psychological and social factors, health professionals have begun to craft immune-boosting psychological interventions. Through programs such as L.I.F.E., HIV-infected individuals can be taught how to manage certain cofactors in their lives, support the competence of their immune systems and promote long-term health.

To the goal of immune function enhancement, The L.I.F.E. Program currently adds two others: the improvement of adherence to health routines, including medication regimens, and the reduction of risk behaviors which may introduce HIV+ individuals to opportunistic infections or expose their HIV- partners to HIV infection. Consequently, participants in the L.I.F.E. Program can begin to understand and integrate all of their prospects for living a long and healthy life.

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Client Testimonials

"When my husband died, I was left with two children to raise and no job skills. I couldn't sleep and I was afraid of what might happen to me. I didn't know anything about what it was like to be a person living with AIDS, what medical treatments were available, if I would even survive a year. Through my individual and group work, I have learned how to cope with my HIV status. I have been frank with my children about my health—their love sustains me. They even help me count out my pills every morning"
— Naomi