Are you an exceptional patient?

They say that when illness strikes, it’s not just the body that suffers; the mind starts playing its own games too. Some people put on their armor and declare themselves ready for battle, others crawl under the covers and wait for the storm to pass, and then there are those who Google their symptoms, convinced they have five rare diseases and a curse from a past life.

Naturally, there’s also that small but admirable percentage of patients who with calmness, self-awareness, and a willingness to participate, treat the situation as an opportunity to better understand themselves and change whatever needs changing.

Experts who have closely studied patient behavior — such as American surgeon and author Dr. Bernie Siegel — call these people “exceptional patients”. These are individuals who manage to influence the course of their illness through their attitude, inner strength, and active participation in their healing. Yes, such people do exist — they’re just not the ones you’ll often come across in a doctor’s office.

How Do We React to a Diagnosis?

When a doctor delivers a serious diagnosis, patients' reactions are never the same. Some freeze in shock, others cry, while some take a deep breath and declare themselves ready for battle.Dr. Bernie Siegel observed that patients don’t simply fall into two categories — those who "fight" and those who "leave it to fate." On the contrary, he identified four distinct types of patients based on how they react at the moment of diagnosis and throughout the course of illness. It’s that moment, as Siegel describes, when "the landscape clears" and each person, consciously or not, chooses how they will move forward.

Passive Patients

These are individuals who fully leave the course of their treatment in the hands of their doctors. They don’t ask questions, challenge anything, or actively participate in decisions. Siegel noted that passive patients usually had a poorer prognosis and fewer chances of improvement.

Compliant Patients

These patients strictly follow the doctor’s instructions, but harbor worries, fears, sadness, anger, or objections that they never express. According to Siegel, this emotional repression can hinder the healing process, as the psychological burden they carry remains unspoken and unresolved.

Exceptional Patients

This group includes people who take an active role in their treatment. They ask questions, stay informed, make decisions in collaboration with their doctors, express their emotions openly, and make meaningful changes in their lives. They effectively combine medical care with emotional healing. Siegel observed that exceptional patients often experienced better-than-expected outcomes, even in difficult cases.

Denial-Based Patients

These are patients who pretend everything is fine and refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of their illness. While this attitude can temporarily act as a psychological cushion, in the long run it complicates treatment and often leads to deterioration.

Five Common Behavioral Profiles in Response to Physical Symptoms in Everyday Life

Our body and subconscious mind often warn us with symptoms long before a condition becomes serious. But before someone comes face to face with a difficult diagnosis, how do we typically manage the simple signals and messages the body sends us in everyday life?

Have you ever noticed that most people even if they don’t admit it openly carry deep, unspoken fears about certain illnesses or feel particularly vulnerable in specific areas of their body?

Very often, these concerns are not random. Behind them hide emotional and psychological causes: experiences of loss, old traumatic images, unresolved fears, and memories the body still remembers, no matter how much the mind tries to forget. In this way, the body becomes a mirror of the psyche, and the areas where we feel most vulnerable are closely connected to whatever has been left unsaid, unresolved, or buried in the shadows of memory.

               The Introverted, Fearful Type                                           

I am not good enough, and I am being punished. The world rejects me.

He doesn’t easily go to the doctor and avoids finding out what is really happening to him. He is often distrustful of his doctor and skeptical about the treatments suggested. He tends to hide symptoms or minimize their importance. Behind this attitude lies a deep fear of rejection, even from his own body. He prefers to ignore the problem, and if he does visit a doctor, he avoids mentioning all his symptoms and doesn’t insist on further investigation. When something feels wrong, he tends to withdraw socially, isolate himself, feel anxious, and lose his enthusiasm for life. He feels powerless and vulnerable.

          The Weak and Dependent Type

 I enjoy having others take care of me and offer their help

He views his health through the core belief that he is weak. He tends to be overly sensitive when physical symptoms appear and sometimes considers himself permanently ill. He often obsesses over illnesses or exaggerates the ones he already has. He is excessively dependent on others (doctors, relatives) to take care of him, and his symptoms often become a means to attract care and affection. At times, he follows treatments without personal judgment or awareness. He struggles to function independently when it comes to his health and constantly shifts responsibility onto others.

The Negligent, Inconsistent Type

I have so much to do, I don’t have time for anything, everything falls on my shoulders.

He doesn’t make time to take care of his health and avoids any long-term lifestyle changes. He prefers quick solutions like pills, injections, or anything that will quickly relieve or mask the symptoms. He struggles with discipline, disregards the limits of his body, and may ignore medical advice, choosing to do things his own way. He doesn’t see self-care as a priority and treats illnesses as obstacles that need to be overcome immediately so he can continue taking care of everyone else around him.

The Insecure, Meticulous, Overcontrolling, and Perfectionist Type

 I will make the perfect plan, find every possible piece of information and solution, and I will never let this happen to me again

He is strongly dependent on the opinion of specialists. He is meticulous, fixates on details, frequently visits doctors, and constantly seeks reassurance. He doesn’t trust his own instincts and feels the need to hand over responsibility to the expert in order to feel safe. He often undergoes frequent check-ups and various medical tests. He’s quick to consult doctors, and if he doesn’t get the answers he wants or the approach he prefers, he tends to switch healthcare professionals. He worries that he might be missing something regarding his health, reads extensively, continuously seeks new information, and with every new symptom, immediately throws himself into investigating it from every angle, trying to find the perfect treatment.

                                     The Passive, Fate-Accepting Type                             

Whatever is meant to happen, will happen. There’s science and doctors for that. I’ll focus on other things.

He accepts illness as a natural part of life without placing much emphasis on its causes, focusing only on immediate management. He is often apathetic or indifferent toward his health. He may take some care-related actions but easily abandons them. He neglects medical instructions or follows them mechanically, without genuine involvement. He doesn’t truly believe he can influence his health through his own efforts and operates with the mindset that ‘whatever is meant to happen, will happen.’

This type is not necessarily passive in other areas of life — he might even be a true fighter in different contexts. However, when it comes to health matters, he avoids taking personal initiative or cultivating hope and intuitive guidance, believing that too many unpredictable factors are at play. In situations where he cannot control the outcome, he avoids taking risks, exposing himself, or facing the possibility of disappointment.

It’s worth mentioning that no person expresses only one behavioral profile when it comes to physical symptoms. We often combine elements from different attitudes, which shift depending on the stage of our life, the intensity of the difficulty, and our relationship with ourselves. What truly matters however, is that anyone can become an exceptional patient — a person who recognizes the signals of their body, listens to the voice of their inner wisdom, and decides to take responsibility for their own health.

The driving force behind this change isn’t simply the need to overcome a difficulty, but something much deeper and more essential — an internal impulse, a quiet connection with the voice within us which, even if we don’t always acknowledge it, reminds us that we are far stronger than we think, that life holds beautiful things in store for us, that nothing happens by chance, and that, to some extent, we can become the creators of the reality we experience.

When we make space for this voice, when we choose to view our body and our health with tenderness, care, and respect, a new strength awakens — one capable of balancing fears, obsessions, indifference, and insecurities.

If you’d like to explore this subject further:

"The Anatomy of an Illness" by Norman Cousins — A classic book describing how a positive attitude and laughter contributed to the author's recovery.

"Mind Over Medicine" by Lissa Rankin — Explores how our thoughts, emotions, and mindset directly influence physical health.

"The Healing Power of Mind" by Tulku Thondup — Focuses on the power of the mind and positive intention in the healing process.

"Full Catastrophe Living" by Jon Kabat-Zinn — Analyzes how mindfulness and acceptance can help manage pain, illness, and stress.