In my last article in the January issue of Alive Magazine, I introduced five new vitamins: H1, H2, L1, L2, and vitamin F. All these vitamins are part of health and happiness. This is no joke, as many illnesses, especially chronic ones, can be a result of poor attitudes and bad habits.
Now let’s talk about an anti-vitamin—the ego. The ego, when created in a very positive upbringing, can be quite helpful. However, if the ego is influenced by negative contributors, it can become an enemy you must fight against throughout your life. In primitive times we needed warnings built into us about what to watch out for outside of the cave. Now the ego, that little built in system that forms between age five and ten, wants to guide us through life, and at times, holds on to a poor self-image, unhealthy self-talk, and self-destructive behavior.
For example, when a child is raised getting attention and recognition mainly when misbehaving, it can lead to an adult who subconsciously uses pain and illnesses to get attention and care. And self-talk matters. Many patients share their symptoms with me at their exam and history appointments, stating things like, “my constant neck pain,” “my craving for sweets,” “my headaches,” “my arthritis,” etc. Many of these problems are emotional, or at least so supported by the fact that the patient “owns them,” that those of us in holistic medicine see a need for counseling.
Yes, medical intervention may help, but changing one’s mind set and the self-talk can sometimes allow symptoms to go completely away rather than just be reduced. The psychology of illness and the energy that we give that illness when we “own it” is very powerful.
A simple step in the right direction is to change the lingo. When sharing about your history, say, “the neck pain that has been affecting me since…,” “the headaches I have had,” etc. Giving into the illness or diagnoses adds to the emotional stress which in turn can create horrible dietary habits, making the inflammatory and pain responses worse.
At AODTC we treat the patient, not the symptom. If there is a factor causing the symptom, drugs can prevent us from finding this factor. Discovering the cause and working toward eliminating that cause is our goal. As you can understand, the side effects of this approach can be far reaching in promoting optimal health and vitality for the whole person, mind and body.
For more information about my TMJ and sleep practice in Danville, CA visit www.aodtc.com.
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