Snake Oil Part II

Why do I share this.  I share this because it’s part of my story.  It helped shape who I am today.  It started me on my path of self discovery, or maybe letting go of parts of myself that needed to be discarded.  I share this because I still have clients coming to me today that can’t get help for their complex issues because they do not fit into our present medical model of health.  I share this because I hope it may be inspiring to others...I believe there are answers if we are willing to look.  I share this because more change is needed.

We are not the sum of our individual parts! We are whole, and the body, mind, emotions and spirit all work together.  The medical model sees us like a car mechanic would a car; replace the muffler or put a new gasket on the manifold, and the problem is solved.

But is it that simple?  Is our physical body that simple?  What about when you add the emotional, mental and spiritual component?  Obviously even the physical body isn’t that simple, and though the medical community has a good understanding of how things work, we have far to go, but when you add the other components it becomes even more complex!

What does this mean, or how can this be applied?  

• Anything you do on any level will affect all other levels. Acupuncture, a more energy based therapy, affects our physical well being, but it also has an effect on our emotional and mental health. This is also true for Chiropractic, Massage, Counseling and many others.  This simply means that there are many ways to address an issue, and that all health issues need to be addressed from a more holistic approach for true healing to occur.

A simple example of this is someone presenting with a physical health issue with their colon.  The colons function is absorption of water and certain minerals, but its predominant function is elimination.  This can be addressed from a very physical perspective using laxatives, but it may also be related to other digestive issues which could benefit from Acupuncture, which can help the various organs come into greater balance and healthy function. Chiropractic on the other hand can help with nerve transmission to the digestive organs which can also be helpful.  Massage and other bodywork therapies; CranioSacral, Myofascial, etc. can of benefit by releasing restrictions in the area which can cause tension that leads to poor blood supply, muscle movement (the colon is a muscle), and poor function.  Counseling can affect mental health issues related to issues and trauma that the individual may be holding on to and hasn’t been able to “absorb/assimilate/eliminate”; this may even be related to an inability to forgive oneself with regard to past issues and relationships.

I share this with the hope that the medical community begin to listen to patients/clients and their symptoms again, knowing that our measuring instruments are still fallible. I have met many clients other than myself whose thyroid tests come out “normal”, but who have all the symptoms of Hypthyroidism.  And yet if a doctor treats a patient for thyroid issues without supporting blood work they can get into serious trouble with the board.  During my own health struggles I met many Gastroenterologists, but trained as they are no one was able to help me, until I met Dr. Rea, a Thoracic Surgeon, who ultimately performed colon surgery to resection my colon.  Why did the other doctors do nothing?  They didn’t see anything wrong on their tests.  In simple terms, I didn’t fit into their box.  They weren’t able to see the forest for the trees, and basically use “common sense”.

I share this so that others demand more from the medical community.  It is my hope that we kick insurance companies out of making medical decisions, and that we do the same to pharmaceutical companies.  It is my hope that we do what works, not what makes money.  It is my hope that we continue to integrate all areas of healthcare to get to a more comprehensive/cohesive system.

Allergies Anyone?

My Approach to Coping with Allergies

I may be a Counselor but I've been involved in Complementary Health for over 20 years with my own health and research. I had extreme allergies and other severe health issues for over six years, during which time I became my own health advocate because not as much was known at the time. I also worked at the EHC-Dallas for two years, a world renowned clinic for Environmental Illness and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities....I say that because I want to take a moment and talk to you about allergies.

So many people suffer from allergies during the various seasons here in Texas. I see it every year in my counseling office...people come in complaining of having the flu, bronchitis, colds, etc. spring season (trees, grasses, weeds), fall season (ragweed), and winter season (mountain cedar).

First, allergies don't have to just look like runny noses and sneezing! Symptoms can range from the obvious ones I mentioned above to digestive issues, neurological symptoms, flu-like symptoms, even fatigue and depression, among others...

So what can you do about all this? Well there are lot of things you can do.

• Increasing certain antioxidants and anti-inflammatories like vitamin C, quercetin and bromelain. You may want to add other supplements if you aren’t already taking them, such as B-complex (to help your body deal with stress), magnesium (nature’s muscle relaxer and calming mineral which is also involved in over 300 enzyme functions), flax seed oil (besides providing you with essential fatty acids and omega-3’s, it also is rich in vit A which is important for the mucous membranes which line your lungs, intestines, etc. You can’t cook with it, but you can add it to foods such as salads, yogurt, baked potatoes.  HINT. Keep it in your fridge to keep it fresh longer.)
• Homeopathic remedies for pollen.
• One of the most beneficial tools I have found in dealing with allergies when they are severe is eliminating all grains. All grains includes not just gluten grains like wheat, barley, rye, spelt and kamut, but also rice and corn and other so-called grasses like buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa. All of these foods can cause cross reactions with the pollens that come out and increase your symptoms. For some dairy is also an issue, but each person is very different, so I’ll leave it up to you to find works for you. So what does that leave? It leaves a lot of things...fruits and vegetables, meat, beans, sweet potatoes, winter squash and potatoes. (Two older, but still pertinent books I’d recommend are, An Alternative Approach to Allergies, by Theron Randolph, and If this is Tuesday it must be Chicken, by Natalie Golos.
• Environmental changes in your house can also make a difference, but try just starting in your bedroom.  Remove carpeting and installing tile or hardwood.  Get a good HEPA filter.  Get a good barrier cover that covers your mattress that is washable. This will prevent dust mites and pollen, etc. from absorbing into your mattress which you are then re-exposed to every time you sleep. Place your pillow in the dryer on high for 5 minutes once a week.  Take a quick shower in the evening to rinse off any pollen and other allergens before going to bed.
• Other environmental changes for your whole house can include using safer non-toxic cleaning products, some of which you can make yourself, or by using cheap/safe products like baking soda, vinegar, etc. Look into increasing the efficiency of the filter in your home HVAC system.  Sometimes this can be done relatively inexpensively.
• And on a final note, I’d like to say a few words about stress.  We all experience it, so learn to take time for yourself, whether it’s an hour with your favorite book, a bath, a walk around the lake, a cup of chamomile tea. There are a lot of very good tools that you can learn and resources/people that can help you with this process.  Here are just a few; books/videos on stress and coping strategies, mindfulness, Yoga, Massage and other bodywork therapies, Acupuncture, Chiropractic and Counseling to just name a few.

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be a replacement for seeking medical advice.

Health Care?

When most people think of health care reform, they think of medical care that may include cancer care, heart, Alzheimer’s, lupus, and other health care needs. Sick care. There are times we all need this type of care, but with chronic health issues on the rise, more and more we need to take further responsibility for our own care. That’s what I call health care, or preventative care. We hear about it, we talk about it in spurts, we may even know a little about it, but as a society we don’t embrace it.

What I am taking about here is taking care of our mind, emotions, body and spirit, since they are not separate entities, but rather in my experience are always working together to find balance and harmony. I will spend a few sentences discussing each, and then provide a summary.

There has been so much written about nutrition, that there is almost nothing left to be said. Diet this, don’t eat that, juice this. We eat foods that contain chemicals that we never used to consume 100’s of years in the past. These chemicals and others from our water and air are new to our bodies. It makes sense then to eat the cleanest food possible, and to buy a good water filter system for our homes. Finally eating a balanced diet, incorporating seasonal foods, as well as foods grown in your area seems to be the easiest and best alternative to eating right. Forget diet, this is your life, not a semester at school.

Exercise in moderation. Get a fitness trainer if you feel uncomfortable with the gym and equipment, or just don’t know where to start, and work with your body to find its rhythm. Don’t push it. Forget what your gym teacher said. Learn to listen to your body.

Either for maintenance or if you are having health issues find a good support system. I have tried and done it all; acupuncture, massage, cranio-sacral therapy, chiropractic, myofascial therapy, etc. Each has it’s place, and each one will effect your whole being, and your total health. I personally go to a Chiropractor once a month, not because I have back problems, but because it helps everything flow, as well as helping my mind, and emotions.

Learn to take care of yourself. As I went through my counseling program I heard that a lot. “Take care of yourself.” But what does that mean? To me it can mean things like diet, exercise, massage, yoga, but it also means taking time for myself; meditation, prayer, reading a book, a walk in nature, a nice bath, and if you have the facility, sauna. To go along with this I will add counseling and other care techniques, which can include breath, biofeedback, and relaxation techniques, some of which you can do on your own. Our minds are powerful tools, and too often lack the training to help us live happier, healthier lives. Acknowledge your thoughts, and “issues” that come up for you; bless them, and then decide if you want to continue to hold on to them. You have more choice then you may believe.

I’ve Got Bipolar

How many times do I hear that? Daily, weekly, monthly. 

Bipolar has become the new ADHD, and everyone has come down with it. Why the sudden rise in Bipolar? And finally, could this be an epidemic?

First I don’t mean to make light of Bipolar, or any other mental health disorder. My goal in writing this is to take an objective look at Bipolar and provide a better picture of this complicated diagnosis.

In the medical field there is no explanation for the sudden rise of Bipolar. However, some might say that our ability to diagnose the disorder has improved, and therefore also the number of those being diagnosed. For someone in the field of Mental Health, a Counselor like myself, the answer is not as easy.

I have had years in the medical field, more specifically the Integrative Health Field because of my own chronic health problems in the past. During that time I studied many modalities of healing, Acupuncture, Nutrition, Herbology, Massage, CranioSacral Therapy, as well as others. I found that with any illness there are multiple causes. Think of it as a wheel, with each spoke on the wheel relating to a different area or factor. These include genetics, psychological/emotional issues, stress, chemicals in our air/water/foods (silver amalgam fillings, herbicides, pesticides, silicone breast implants, etc.), vitamin/mineral/amino acid deficiencies, viruses/parasites/bacteria, structural problems (spinal misalignment especially after trauma, accidents, etc.), hormonal abnormalities (hypothyroidism, menopause, etc.), and lastly allergies (pollens, foods, etc.).

The problem any time we make a diagnosis is that it’s complicated which becomes part of the problem. Western medicine tends to want to make things simple; often just treating the symptoms. Bodies are broken down to their individual parts and then we forget about the whole. You have one doctor who treats your knee, another who treats your colon, a third your heart, a fourth your brain, etc. We have made incredible advances at treating acute problems using this model; heart transplants, brain tumors, hip replacements, the list goes on. We are not so good at treating chronic problems.

This leads to my final point. In order for a Psychiatrist to give you meds he/she has to give you a diagnosis first. Most people have times they are angry, and moody. If you are someone who has used drugs you would have experienced these and other symptoms; extreme high feelings, anxiety, insomnia, etc. Maybe you’re just overworked, and running on adrenalin all day, you can’t sleep, are irritable, moody, and have times of depression and lack of concentration.

I share these examples because all of these can be Bipolar symptoms when viewed individually, but when taken in context and seen as part of the whole picture they can all be normal reactions to life’s stressors.

What if you were exposed to chemicals at work that caused you extreme anxiety, or if you lived in a building that had a mold problem, or you had hidden food allergies that caused you to become moody. Is that Bipolar? No. What if you had been sexually abused and traumatized as a child, and now had severe mood swings, and depression. Is that Bipolar? No.

Many of these are everyday examples of people that are either diagnosed or treated for Bipolar, when other underlying factors could be the cause for their problems.

If these examples don’t meet the criteria for Bipolar, what or who does? To have a diagnosis of Bipolar, you have had to have at least one Manic Episode which includes, besides anger and mood swings, feelings of grandiosity or an inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, spending sprees, pressured speech, among other symptoms. And before you say, “that’s me”, these symptoms must last at least ONE FULL WEEK. Also being a rapid-cycler does NOT mean you go from being happy to sad a couple times a day. Rather it means you have had episodes of Mania that meet the previous criteria, as well as episodes of Depression that meet the criteria for that diagnosis, and have had 4 or more episodes in a 12 month period.

If you or someone you know meets the criteria for the Bipolar diagnosis, then I would advice treatment. If on the other hand you don’t, you may instead be suffering from Anxiety, Depression, adult ADHD, or some other health problem. Sometimes adults with ADHD look like they are in a Manic Phase, though on further evaluation, you find out they’re always like that. Other people suffer from Anxiety, either through heredity, or any number of other factors. This too may look like Mania at times. It’s important to separate out the symptoms into their individual categories, but then you have to view them within the whole picture. ADHD, Anxiety, and Depression, all can be treated with medications successfully if necessary without resorting to Bipolar medications.

If you are like many of us, either overworked, stressed, possibly harboring unresolved issues from the past, then before resorting to any medications, there are Counselors, Psychologists, Life Coaches, Fitness Trainers, Massage Therapists, Nutritionists, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, as well as other professionals who can help you get on the right course by learning to take care of yourself. Prevention is often the best medicine in these cases, but if that’s not possible, don’t wait till it’s too late. Start taking care of yourself today.

There are also many self care techniques, tools, or modalities you can use as well, a hot bath with 2 cups of Epsom salts, a good book, a 20 minute walk, Yoga, Meditation, journaling, art, exercise, gardening. It all works; you just have to learn to take the time for yourself. What’s stopping you? What would others say if you started to take care of yourself? How would you feel if you started to take care of yourself?

If you think you have a medical condition that is contributing to your overall health or mental health problems, I would suggest seeing a doctor, or Nurse Practitioner. I have often found that NP spend more time with you then doctors, and in today’s world that can be a real plus. As I said earlier there can be many issues that cause us to feel unwell. In my time spent at a local Mental Health facility, the most common factors were structural abnormalities, caused by car accidents, and hormonal problems, most commonly hypothyroidism.