posted April 26, 2002 08:24 PM         

That a disease or illness could be attributed to the condition of our spirit, emotions, or even thought, could never diminish the pain, hardship, and discomfort it presents to someone that suffers from it ... Too, if the expression of *love* (an emotion/energy) can actually heal, and I fully believe it can and does, it would stand to reason that a negative emotion could surely cause us to become ill. Then, depending upon what sort of emotion, it stands to reason it could dictate the type of illness we might suffer

A very simple example would be something like stomach ulcers, or irritable bowel syndrom, which are believed to be caused by *stress* - which is caused by negative activities (fear/worry) causing negative emotions, or *thought*

What are your beliefs about illness/disease?

posted April 26, 2002 11:15 PM         

I do believe that our minds, hearts and spirits affect our physical health. And that our physical health affects our mental health also. Everything is connected.

The problem I have with reductionist theories of dis-ease is that they don't consider the individual. Nor do they suggest you ask your Higher Self for guidance.

Remember in the "karma" section of Star Signs where LInda wrote about a paralysed guy? He realised he was paralysed because he paralysed others in a past life, and was cured when he gave his services to a children's hospital.

Now, he didn't read this in a book - he figured it out himself. I don't think that all people who are paralysed necessarily paralysed others in past lives, nor do I think everyone who is paralysed will recover if they work in a children's hospital.

Traditional healers, such as homoeopaths, have always said that medical treatment must be on an *individual* level. Two people can have the same dis-ease, the same symptoms - even got sick at the same time together, but their treatment could very well be completely different. Even Western medicine is starting to realise this.

Reading Louise Hay reinds me of reading Freud. Not everyone who dreams of a stove wants to have sex with their mother. Not everyone with a sore back has issues with authority figures.

posted April 27, 2002 04:54 PM         

I always prefer holistic medicine...unfortunatly, it plain and simply doesn't work for me. Sometimes it can help slightly, but just not enough. The thing that saved me was conventional medicine. I wbent the alternative route first, and it didn't do much. I believe it can work wonders for some people, but so far I haven't found how it helps me. I'm still looking though.

posted April 27, 2002 05:48 PM         

What caused the depression? Well, that's the $million dollar$ question, unfortunatley, drug companies are making billions without first answering it

Try this ... you said you believe hormones or brain chemistry to be the cause of depression... then take that a step further and ask what caused that, then what caused that, then what caused that and so on... where does it take you?

posted April 28, 2002 10:20 AM         

From what I've seen helping sick people, and being sick myself, often the alternative stuff doesn't work until conventional medicine has got things under control. When I was acutely sick, I didn't get much help from homoeopathy. However, it's a big help now in the chronic stages, and conventional medicine is now fading into the background for me.

posted April 28, 2002 01:30 PM         

I'm not tying to be the love/good feelings/alternative medicine bully that it seems like I am...I'm just saying that at times I've been acutely sick, like in the ER, and if I didn't have their conventional medicine it would have really sucked. When I go to alternative practioners (is that the right word?) they often act like it's so horrible that I'm on conventioanl medicine, but then they fail to help me...so what am I supposed to think?

Everyday I am still looking for answers, suggestions, advice, anything. I appreciate you guys trying to help.

I do believe that lowering your stress level, working outn your "issues," using natural remedies, all help, and are all important. However, I've had some problems that just need the "big guns" medicine, LOL. I would get such bad period cramps that I would have to be taken to the ER and be IV'd. We looked for every natural remedy but they didn't do anything. Now I'm on the birth control pill just to control the cramps, and it works like a charm. Believe me, my mom did NOT want me to go on it, but after all our other options didn't work, we had no choice. This is a common problem from the FM, and I never had ANY crams before I had the FM.

Anyway...I'm just saying that sometimes you really need conventional medicine, and it's not right to turn your nose up at people who use it. You don't know what people have been through, or why they take it.