Healing, Health and Disease: Where’s the Beginning?
With all the health-related media articles out there, it’s becoming overwhelming, if not desensitizing, to become motivated to make the changes necessary to improve our health. As a licensed Psychologist, I have worked with many people over the years who have had very diverse attitudes about healthcare. To summarize, there are three basic types of attitudes: a preventive, long-term, realistic approach; an emotional, reactive approach (which is short-lived) ; and a fatalistic approach. I would say that, unfortunately, most people fall within the two latter groups, having little testicular fortitude to make the long term changes needed to have a better quality of life. But wait, isn’t that what we all want?
During the course of our lives, most of us experience various states of physical and mental health: we’re either in the process of being in dis-ease, healing from dis-ease, or in stable health. Where and how does it all begin and end? What are our beliefs about how we came to be into one of those states? I have found that most of the time, how we deal we our own health goes back to childhood. Let me first say that I’m not one of those Shrinks who blames everything on what happened to us as a child. I believe that most of us are capable of learning new ways of thinking about our emotions and behaviors and how they all interact with one another, which is my point today. There’s not one of us who had perfect parents, nor is there one of us who has never made some bad choices in life. The issue is recognizing when we have thought patterns which are not conducive to good physical or mental health.
The place to start is by balancing objectivity with subjectivity. Goodness knows there are many, many mainstream medical providers who treat their patients with the Western medical model they were taught: that people are sick and their job is to fix them. Now this is fine for surgeons, who can go in there and take something out like an inflamed appendix, and other things which aren’t supposed to be there. That’s not what I mean. I am referring to the need to understand that the body is meant to and wants to be healthy, and that how we live our lives directly impacts the degree of health that we experience, short and long term. So what does the “average” person do when so much “medical” advice is either from people whose education is a derivation of what pharmaceutical companies have ingrained in them or from magazine/internet/television articles or ads touting the latest cure for what ails you? (How about the TV ad for that little bracelet which as soon as you put it on your wrist you have more strength and feel better and happier?) How about buying oceanfront property in Arizona?
The problem is distinguishing Truth from what we really would like to believe and want. How do we objectively evaluate what we need to do to attain health without letting our emotions direct our health decisions? I think that most people can begin to answer that by taking this brief self- assessment:
1 Are you happy with y0ur energy level?
2 If there was one thing about yourself you could change, what would that be?
3 How would you compare the way you physically feel now from 5 years ago?
4 How would you compare the way you emotionally feel now from 5 years ago?
5 Do y0u have at least one bowel movement a day? (I know, you’re asking what does this have to do with self-evaluation? It does, because we all know that everything turns to sh-t anyway.)
6 If the “perfect person” takes 100% care of himself/herself, what per cent do you take care of yourself?
If you answered these questions honestly, you should have a better idea if you need to start taking better care of y0urself. Don’t depend on someone else to do it for you: you are your own responsibility. Start listening to what your body is telling you, I mean really telling you and don’t be afraid of the Truth. Good physical and mental health are reasonable and attainable goals. Pick one area to work on; start with a goal you can achieve in a few weeks and then keep building on that success. I believe that most people don’t trust their own instincts enough. Focus on prevention, don’t wait until problems arise. Don’t fall for the latest diet/food fads; learn about supplements; avoid any artificial food additives; get enough rest; drink more water; find a way to get your body moving every day. And ab0ve all, don’t wait for universal health insurance to care for you.
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About Dr. Virginia
As a licensed Psychologist practicing Cognitive therapy, I work with my clients to help them identify the personal issues that are preventing them from achieving a more satisfying and well-adjusted life.
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Usually health-related topics, some commentary on a current event which generates controversy, I’m a foodie so I like to write about food, nutrition and healthy recipes. Thank you for visiting and please come again. If you have any special interests, please let me know. I enjoy writing!
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