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.

What's wrong with the world and us?

Well according to director Tom Shadyac, I AM. or at least that's the the premise in his  documentary of the same name. He has another one out called “Happy”. You could say that ones about the search for, well happiness.

First off, who is Tom Shadyac? Well have you ever heard of Ace Ventura, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar? Well he directed those movies among others. I'm not going to go into his story here, and why he's making serious documentaries about life and the pursuit of happiness. You'll just have to see for yourself.  I just wanted to bring a little discussion to the issue.

Tom puts forth the hypothesis that accumulating wealth beyond one's basic needs is a mental illness. That may seem pretty drastic, and yet the fact is that once we've reached a comfortable level of income that meets our basic needs, anything over that does not make us any happier. It's kind of like that with drinking if you’ll forgive the analogy. Where one drink may feel good, having another, and another does not increase ones feeling of “good”!

I believe we have a dissociative disorder, but before I get into that we can easily come up with a few simple explanations for our obsession with wealth and power.  It feels good, though that feeling is temporary, and again like that analogy of a drug leaves us wanting more, and another fix.  Wealth and power in themselves can be self intoxicating, and can lead to almost an  obsessive tendency.  One develops a need to have more, as if life would be empty without it.  This extends beyond the mental to the physical level, and I can only liken it to an adrenaline junky.  It’s a game, and it’s fun.  That one is self explanatory.  It provides a purpose.  If that’s all I know, and I’m good at it, well then as with many people and careers, it can provide an identity.  

So let’s look at this picture from a different perspective.  My experience through my own chronic health issues and work as a Counselor has shown me that most or all of us are uncomfortable with not only negative feelings but positive ones too if they are too strong.  We also seem to be uncomfortable or disconnected with our bodies, and look at them as foreign entities, that we inhabit and fear may fail us at anytime.  We either avoid our health symptoms or run to the doctor in hopes of a pill to make them all go away.  How can we feel safe, connected and supported if we even feel disconnected from ourselves?

We have over the past hundreds of years become disconnected from nature and the earth.  Rather than feeling ourselves a part of this planet and the other natural inhabitants, many of us feel disconnected and threatened by it.  How have we gone from feeling supported and safe by our natural surroundings to feeling like we need to control them?  

We have become disconnected with others.  I sit on my computer typing this blog rather than being surrounded by family because I can.  Travel has allowed us to move away from our birthplace, and technology has allowed us to “communicate” without being all messy and stuff, by actually having to be with someone.  How can I feel connected while being “alone”?

So...now what?  First off, I would suggest watching Tom’s documentaries, “I Am”, and “Happy”. They’re well done, and insightful.  I also have a few simple suggestions.  Spend time making time for friends and family, even if it’s through facebook.  Spend a little time each and every day connecting with nature...get a CD with nature sounds...bye a bird feeder...plant a small garden of herbs or vegetables...go for a walk without headphones on, so you hear the sounds of the earth.  Spend time each and every day in quiet contemplation/meditation/mindfulness.  Finally if you like Tom’s films there are a host of others you can find at your library, on Netflix, through GIAIM, Oprah’s OWN Network, etc.

Enjoy, and enjoy the journey back home.

A link to the documentary, I Am