Mysterious chronic illness
You have been living with a problem for many years and for which treatments are either non-existent or worse than the disease itself. Fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme disease, chronic fatigue and problems with no names at all – just a constant decrease in your quality of life and a growing despair that you’ll ever find treatment that really works.
Many people who are dealing with this kind of health problem feel a little crazy - the symptoms can sometimes be vague and difficult to describe. But everyone who suffers from one of these vexing diseases KNOWS the problem isn’t “all in their head.” Maybe you can define a moment when things changed for you, “I was never the same since….” or maybe it just seems to have crept up on you with no warning. Regardless, you’re sick of the suffering – but maybe you’re not sure what you can do to get your life back.
Most people will seek out treatment in this kind of situation – but rarely do they find the nourishment they need. You have probably approached your Western doctor, and depending on your diagnosis, you may have received antibiotics, antidepressants, pain killers or other pharmaceuticals. Sometimes, the doctors will readily admit that they just don’t have anything for you.
You have probably sought out alternative medical treatment, perhaps even with the blessing of your MD. What a bewildering array of potential solutions! You may have tried dietary changes, color and light therapy, hydrotherapy, IV therapy and more.
The problem with many approaches to what I sometimes simply call “weird diseases” is that they focus too much on finding the “cause” of the disease. This produces one of two situations – either there is no treatment available until they find “the cause” or they give you a treatment that is very specific for a particular cause, which may or may not underlie your experience.
The former scenario leaves you in a situation where you’re spending lots of money, without seeing much result. The latter can have uncomfortable side effects, as well as being a waste of time and money.
To begin to break the cycle of a problem like this the focus must move away from finding a cause – and instead revolve around three essential keys: aggressive support of the deep strength of your body, tailoring an approach for your unique situation and – perhaps most important – recognition of the emotional and spiritual aspects of the disease process.
In a little more detail…
- Supporting your Strength : Many people who have a chronic problem don’t feel particularly strong. You may feel too tired to keep fighting, too tired to research treatment strategies. You may be growing tired of all the advice. The reality is that your body deeply wants to heal. All treatment strategies you choose MUST take into account your body’s native ability to recover, and should never subvert that tendency or suppress it. In general, it is best to avoid harsh chemicals, extreme dieting and exhausting exercise regimens. Instead, most people find that plenty of sleep, gentle and fortifying exercise like Qigong and plenty of interaction with supportive family and friends builds the foundation of recovery from this kind of illness.
- Unique Approach : It may seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget that your body and life experience make your illness utterly unique. While others may share some of your symptoms, and be a great support network, what works for them may not always work for you. Thus, when reading on the Internet or in books and when talking to practitioners and other people with your problem, you must take everything in with a slightly critical view. In what way does this advice contradict your experience? You want to make sure that YOUR healing program is one that will work for YOU.
- Spiritual and Emotional roots of disease : This is probably the most difficult part of the approach. Many people find themselves uncomfortable talking about emotional and spiritual topics. Yet, in the vast majority of cases – some emotional or spiritual trouble lies at the nexus of these vague and vexing diseases. This doesn’t mean that the reason you’re sick is because you’ve got a “mental problem,” or that you need to become Enlightened in order to feel better. It simply means that nourishing these deep layers of your self is essential to complete healing. This can be done in simple ways, like the above mentioned quality time with family and friends – or walks around your neighborhood in the morning. It may also deal with deeper issues, like developing some type of spiritual practice after a long absence, or working with difficult and even debilitating emotions like anger, fear and shame. While this is probably the most tender part of the healing process, most people find that working gently with these aspects of their disease brings the greatest reward of all.
My training as a practitioner of Chinese medicine has been a constant meditation on the above principles. My mentor, Heiner Fruehauf, has made a career of treating diseases that can only be called vague, weird and vexing. I continue to work with him trying to deepen my understanding of the correct treatment of these problems, assimilating his latest research and experience into my own practice. As a student intern at National College of Natural Medicine, most of my repeat cases were people suffering from Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. In our journey together, many of these people found lasting healing – to the degree that they were able to move on to working on blessedly simple problems like sore knees and common headaches. I like to use a combination of herbal formulas, dietary counseling, acupuncture and Chinese massage techniques to set the stage for a patient’s recovery. We will tailor the treatment to your specific situation using a mix of deep questioning and gentle, safe electronic testing.
