Listen to yourselves !

I pop in on this forum now and then to see how folks are doing and frankly most everyone seems to be in great distress.

What I rarely hear is anyone wondering about how they are doing emotionally and how that could be affecting their health. If you suddenly lose your voice or have a terrible GERD flare-up or are going crazy with multiple symptoms that stump your doctors, maybe it is time to look inside.

I'm not saying it is all in your head. Your pain and distress are real, but the cause could be partly physical and partly emotional. Don't ignore the emotional pathways to healing.

People seem open to alternative herbs and that's good. Now go the next step and try something like acupuncture (to regulate the energy flows in your body) and psychotherapy/hypnotherapy (to unlock unconscious energy in your body.)

Medical doctors do not have all the answers. Healers of the mind and spirit (spiritual healers) can and should be a part of your path to wellness; they have been doing this for centuries. What is your body trying to say to you with your symptoms? How can you honor and listen to those symptoms? How can you move past an obsession with your symptoms and return to a healthy state, where you can enjoy life and good food, wine, ice cream, socializing, letting go of super-restrictive diets.

I had very bad GERD until I felt the emotions tied to my gut and let go of the symptoms. I now see GERD as my body's way of asking for emotional help. Today/tonight I've had ice cream, beer, a martini, spicy sausage and no drugs, no herbs...

Life is short, people -- get checked out for anything dire and if the doctors are not seeing anything dire, go see a shrink and move on ! Live life ! You can do it if I can.

Best wishes to all.

-- riverotter

I agree with you that it is both physical and mental health that has to be addressed . I was diagnosed with IBS for 2 years and felt i was going round in circles nothing helped i changed my diet and stopped smoking, started taking massive panic attacks because of the sickness , i had a small procedure ( camera in throat ) and they found acid reflux disease, after 2 years of being told it was in my head and needed a kick up the bum they finally found physical cause.
I was put on nexium for the physical but nothing was addressed about the mental state it had left me with and i started relaxation therapy on my own ( i tuely believe you need self help ) with a hypnosis CD the most wonderful Coby Zvikler relaxation therapist for the panic attacks. Both go hand in hand , one helped the other. I did the cd every day for 3 months and i can say i feel back to normal , i am still careful of what i eat and take my nexium every 2 days but so much more calmer. Its a vicious circle and the hypnotherapy broke it.

Did you use Dr. John Sarno's book? If so which one? Thanks for your help.