...and what you can do differently today to get you on the right track!
If you have read my healing testimony then you know that I was sick for 14 years, and I tried many, many diets, doctors, supplements, and treatments to get better. Over those 14 years my husband and I spent tens of thousands of dollars (if not more), and with each passing year I got worse. This past weekend we took a short trip and I was reflecting on how hard traveling used to be when I was sick, compared to now, and that made me think of all the mistakes I made while trying to heal. Below is a list of those mistakes, and what I did to finally overcome the many illnesses I was diagnosed with.
Researching My Diagnoses on Google With every diagnosis I got, I went straight to Google and started researching anything I could find about it. Unfortunately what I read usually wasn't good and left me feeling hopeless and in despair. What you read, think about, and believe has a huge effect on your body. Some of my diagnoses, like Hashimoto's disease for example, were listed as incurable, and I believed it. Yet, I am completely healed. Tip: Stop! I know that sounds simple, and it really is, but it's not easy. I was so used to looking up all my symptoms and diagnoses, that it took a lot of self-control to stop. However, once I believed that there is another possibility (than what I was reading on Google or what doctors had told me), I chose not to look anything up anymore, even if a new symptom popped up. The next step was working on believing that everything I had read previously was wrong.
Thinking That I am The Exception (others are able to heal but I am not) This is just a clever way for your brain to keep you stuck in symptoms, and most patients who stumble upon mind-body medicine, are worried that they are the exception. Tip: The only thing you can really do here is to keep reminding yourself that you CAN heal. If others healed, why shouldn't you? I also read a lot of healing testimonies, especially those where patients had a lot of diagnoses and thought they would never get better. For a period of time I read or watched healing testimonies daily.
Constantly Talking About and Posting About my Symptoms I talk about this a lot on my Instagram and Facebook. We are spirit, soul, and body. What you think about and talk about will effect your physical body. In mind-body medicine, your symptoms are created by the brain. The symptoms are REAL, you are not imagining them, but they are created by the brain via the autonomic nervous system. Your brain responds to your dominant thoughts and what you speak or write about. Tip: Talk and post about uplifting things. I know how hard it is when your body feels broken and it seems there is nothing else worth talking about, but there is. I started talking and posting about snuggling my dog, the beauty of the color of the leaves changing in the fall, the kind words someone spoke to me, my husband bringing me flowers, and internally I focused on the things that WERE working. This took a lot of discipline, but it was worth it.
Believing Everything Doctors Told Me I have nothing against doctors. If I am in a car accident and have severe injuries, I am not going to meditate or talk about the color of the leaves changing, I want to go to the ER and be seen by doctors. However, none of the doctors I saw knew anything about mind-body medicine. Even the functional medicine doctors, chiropractors, and other naturally minded doctors, focused mostly on treating my body, and not what was going on in my mind. Tip: People get second opinions all the time, why not get a second opinion from a medical doctor who is familiar with mind-body syndrome? I admit it was a stretch for me to believe that many of the symptoms in my body where created by my brain, but I was open to the idea and chose to educate myself. This is one of the best decisions I ever made!
Participating in "Health" Groups on Yahoo and Facebook This one is somewhat related to #3. The admins on these health groups are usually wonderful, well-meaning people, but they are only addressing the body. So you are still being told that your body is broken and that you need tests and supplements to fix it, and there is constant talk about these health issues. So you are constantly feeding your mind and brain information about what is (supposedly) wrong with your body. Tip: Leave these "health" groups and instead join a group or forum with people who have used mind-body techniques successfully to heal. Here are a few recommendations: TMS - The Mindbody Syndrome (Facebook) Tension Myositis Syndrome (Facebook) The Tension Myositis Syndrome Wiki (Wiki page with a user forum)
Lack of Knowledge I simply did not know that there was another possibility, that what I had been told by doctors may not be true. If you don't know that your symptoms are due to mind-body syndrome, then you will continue to address the wrong thing. In addition, I was taught that God may have a purpose in my illnesses, and that's just not true. Once I learned about the true nature of God, and that God wants me (and you!) well, I felt such relief. Tip: Educate yourself! I know I said above that I stopped Googling, but in this case I would encourage you to Google. Read about mind-body syndrome, read about HOW the brain is capable of creating symptoms in your body, and why it creates symptoms in your body. With mind-body syndrome, belief alone can eliminate your symptoms! This is great news!!!
Putting my Faith in Medications, Treatments, and Supplements None of these will "fix" your body when you are dealing with mind-body syndrome, because there is nothing to fix. Your body is not broken. Taking medications, supplements, and getting various treatments, communicates to your brain that something is wrong, and the symptoms will continue. I understand that you may have had tests showing deficiencies or excesses, so did I, but I promise these will normalize when you calm your mind and start believing that you are ok. This is worth repeating - you are ok! Tip: OK, do NOT just stop your medication or even your supplements. If you are under the care of a doctor, work with him or her to wean off slowly. Ideally, you should work with a mind-body doctor who can help you make these decisions. Ultimately you need to be ready. If you stop taking something but don't fully believe that you don't need it, you will most likely not be successful.
Stuffing/Repressing my Emotions I probably should have lead with this one, since this is the one that leads to mind-body syndrome to begin with. I never learned (or was allowed) to feel my emotions when I was a child, and learned to hold everything inside. Eventually these emotions start to bubble to the surface and the brain perceives danger, so it creates symptoms. That is the extremely short explanation for mind-body syndrome. You can read more here and also take a FREE TMS self-assessment to see if you are dealing with mind-body syndrome. Tip: The good news is that you don't need to dig up the past or re-traumatize yourself to be free of symptoms. Knowledge is the cure with mind-body syndrome, but it's good to learn what you are feeling. Just start by checking in with yourself and asking yourself, "what am I feeling right now?"
Fearing the Symptoms While repressed emotions lead to symptoms, it's the fear of symptoms that keeps them going, especially chronic pain. The brain creates pain because it perceives danger. When we react to the pain with fear, it confirms to the brain that indeed there is danger, and it produces more pain. The same is true for other symptoms. It's a vicious cycle, but it can be broken. Tip: Knowledge! When you learn about mind-body syndrome, and believe that your body is not broken, the fear will go and so will the symptoms.
I hope this post was helpful and that you will start implementing some of the tips I listed. If you have questions, or would like to learn more about mind-body syndrome, you can book a FREE 30 minute consultation with me here.