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What if you had the ability to heal your body just by changing how you think and feel?
I know it sounds radical,
coming from a doctor. When people are doing everything "right" --
eating veggies, avoiding red meat and processed foods, exercising,
sleeping well and so forth -- we should expect them to live long,
prosperous lives and die of old age while peacefully slumbering, right?
So why is it that so many health nuts are sicker than other people who pig out, guzzle beer and park in front of the TV?
I consider myself one of
those health nuts. I drink my green juice, take my vitamins, hike and
practice yoga daily, get quality sleep, see a doctor and avoid harmful
toxins.
And yet I have come to
believe that the purely physical realm of illness -- the part you can
diagnose with laboratory tests -- is only part of the equation. It's a
big part, mind you, but not the whole shebang.
My experience with
patients (as well as my personal background) has led me to the
conclusion that whether they become sick or stay healthy, as well as
whether they remain ill or manage to heal themselves, might have more to
do with everything else that's going on in their lives than with any
specific health standard they abide by.
When healthy habits aren't enough
Five years ago, I started
working in an integrative medicine practice. My new patients were some
of the most health-conscious people I've ever had the privilege to
serve. Many of them ate a vegan diet, worked out, slept soundly each
night and took vitamins every morning.
But some of them were
also mysteriously sick, complaining of fatigue, aches, gastrointestinal
disturbances and other symptoms. I was baffled! I ran batteries of
tests, and occasionally I would pick up something that eventually
resulted in the complete resolution of a patient's symptoms. But more
often than not, I would find nothing.
I was really motivated
to solve the puzzle of why these "healthy" patients were so sick.
Instead of focusing exclusively on physician-recommended behaviors,
medical history and other traditional factors, I dug deep into their
personal lives.
I asked them questions:
"What do you love about yourself? What's missing from your life? What do
you appreciate about your life? Are you in a romantic relationship? If
so, are you happy? If not, do you wish you were? Are you fulfilled at
work? Do you feel like you're in touch with your life's purpose? Do you
feel sexually satisfied? Do you express yourself creatively? Do you feel
financially stable, or are you stressed about money? If your fairy
godmother could change one thing about your life, what would you wish
for?"
My patients' answers
often gave me more insight into why they might be sick than any lab test
or exam could. They were unhealthy not because of bad genes or poor
habits or rotten luck, but because they were lonely or miserable in
their relationships, stressed about work, freaked out about their
finances or profoundly depressed.
On the flip side, I had
other patients who ate junk, forgot to take their supplements, rarely
exercised and enjoyed seemingly perfect health. Their responses revealed
that their lives were filled with love, fun, meaningful work, creative
expression, spiritual connection and other traits that differentiated
them from the sick health enthusiasts.
Ironman champ: 'Your mind matters more'
What's really making you sick?
That's when I narrowed
it down to two questions I would ask patients at their appointments:
"What do you think might lie at the root of your illness?" and "What
does your body need in order to heal?"
Occasionally, they
answered with conventional health-related insights, saying, "I need an
antidepressant" or "I need to lose 20 pounds." But more often than not,
they said introspective things, like "I hate my job," "I need more 'me'
time," "I must divorce my spouse," "I have to finish my novel," "I need
to hire a nanny," "I need to make more friends," "I need to forgive
myself," "I need to love myself" or "I need to stop being such a
pessimist." Whoa.
While many patients
weren't ready to do what their intuition told them their bodies needed,
my bravest patients made radical changes. Some quit their jobs. Others
left their marriages. Some moved to new cities or towns. Others pursued
long-suppressed dreams.
The results these
patients achieved were astonishing. Sometimes, a list of illnesses would
disappear, often quickly. Even smaller steps, like talking to a boss
about workplace problems or seeing a marriage counselor, helped. I was
in awe.
But I shouldn't have
been surprised: I had healed myself in much the same way. By the time I
was in my 20s, I had been diagnosed with multiple health conditions,
including high blood pressure and precancerous changes on my cervix.
At 33, I was burned out,
thanks to my career in a busy obstetrics and gynecology practice. I
wound up leaving my job, selling my house and liquidating my retirement
account.
My husband, baby and I
moved from chaotic San Diego to a small, sleepy town in northern
California, where I spent two years digging into the root causes of my
illness, diagnosing what needed to be changed and mustering up the
courage to take action. As a result, my health conditions either
completely resolved or drastically improved.
The get-well Rx
This is not "woo-woo"
metaphysics here. The scientific evidence I have uncovered in major
medical journals backs this up: The lifestyle choices you make can
optimize your body's relaxation response, counteract the stress response
and result in physiological changes, leading to better health.
The body doesn't fuel
how we live our lives. Instead, it is a mirror of how we live our lives.
So if you're not feeling well, despite doing all the "right" things,
take a deep breath and ask yourself: What do I think might lie at the
root of my illness? What does my body need in order to heal? If you're
honest with yourself, the answers could save your health -- and your
life.
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