Emotional Conditions
(The following is a quoted excerpt, pages 159-166, from the Book The Great Health Heist © by Paul Rosen J.D.,L.Ac. Published by Warren Publishing, Inc.)
Have you ever heard the expression "a dog's life"? People use it in an envious fashion, perhaps today more than ever, to point out how easy dogs have it. Run, fetch, sleep, dream, eat, run and fetch some more. And don't forget sleep!
As humans, we don't quite have this luxury. While our thoughts, inspirations, hopes and emotions separate us from animals - dogs, cats and everything in between - they can make life endlessly complicated if left to their own devices.
Our emotions and thoughts can be powerful and uplifting, inspiring us to reach new heights and accomplish goals no mere animal could ever hope to achieve. They provide us with literature, song, romance, love, laughter and passion. Too often, however, our emotions get the best of us, resulting in prolonged states of anxiety, insomnia and even depression.
But do we have any control over our emotions? If so, what can we do to gain or regain control when we're overwhelmed? It is true that our attitude has an effect on our health. But it is also true that our endocrine system has a lot to do with emotion generation and harmony.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's all about the hormones.
If your endocrine glands are struggling and poor nutrition predisposes them to malfunction, then you may very well find yourself overcome with emotions. For example, fear and anxiety are connected with the health of our adrenal glands. Irritability and anger are related to the thyroid gland. Organ health plays a role, too.
Joy and despair are associated with the heart, guilt and sadness reflect the lung and worry and obsession mirror the digestive organs. These are functional relationships observed for thousands of years and reflected in Oriental medicine. There is a balance to be had, which rests to a great degree upon what we put in our mouths and what we are exposed to in our environment. These are the hidden health problems.
Like so many of our emotions, anxiety is both a blessing and a curse. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), "Fear and anxiety are part of life.' You may feel anxious before you take a test or walk down a dark street. This kind of anxiety is useful - it can make you more alert or careful. It usually ends soon after you are out of the situation that caused it."
What if it doesn't go away? What happens when anxiety becomes less useful - and more all consuming? "For millions of people in the United States," concludes the NIMH, "the anxiety does not go away, and gets worse over time. They may have chest pains or nightmares. They may even be afraid to leave home."
The line between a healthy level of anxiety and an unhealthy one is thin, and personal. Only you can know what feels "comfortable" for you, but I caution you to pay careful attention to this "thin anxiety line." Remember, the body is not a whiner and your high anxiety is most likely the reflection of a hidden health problem.
"KE" is a patient who found increased levels of anxiety to be a major concern. Like so many sufferers of deep and persistent anxiety, he suffered from multiple conditions. In his case, these conditions included chronic pain, sinus infections and digestive disturbances. These concerns, combined with the already persistent state of anxiety he'd been living under, had a ripple effect that had him seeking professional help. I'll let him explain:
"When I came to see Paul I was having a lot of anxiety and heartburn plus muscle pain, joint pain and sinus infections. I was taking Intermax minerals and Airborne and there were no changes.
Since I have been coming to AcuNatural Family Healthcare I have no more anxiety, heartburn, sinus infections or muscle pain and surprisingly, the liver spots on my skin are gone too. There is a 95% improvement in my joint pain. AND as an added bonus I have lost 35 pounds. Now, when I have a hard day at work it takes about a half of a day to recover when it used to take a couple of days."
Like so many other patients suffering with emotional conditions, "KE" blamed his condition on stress. But life is stressful. Right? His daily stress did not change a bit and yet, with the proper health improvement program, his debilitating conditions melted away. So don't be misled. Stress is not the sole enemy. By getting: the tools you need to gain control of your emotions, you will find your world changing dramatically.
Much like anxiety, stress can be both positive and negative. According to the NIMH: "We all have stress sometimes. For some people, it happens before having to speak in public. For other people, it might be before a first date. What causes stress for you may not be stressful for someone else. Sometimes stress is helpful - it can encourage you to meet a deadline or get things done. But long term stress can increase the risk of diseases like depression, heart disease and a variety of other problems."
Pay attention! "If you feel yourself breaking down under the stress, look around and make changes if you can. Delegate or drop a few activities. Take time for yourself, and include physical exercise and some form of contemplation. But be aware that poor nutrition is by far the most important factor you must face. Fact! Beneath it all, poor nutrition is the "2,OOO-pound rhino" in the room, and you have to do something about it. You owe it to yourself and to your family.
How much stress is too much? The answer is quite personal, but I think sharing this story from a female patient named "CB" might help:
"I am 34 years old and was battling a deep depression. I had broken down and after seven years decided that I would get drugs to treat my illness. My medical doctor instantly prescribed a anti-depressant after seeing my Beck Inventory score of 39, the highest score he had seen in five years. I took my first pill and upon rising the next morning could not function. I was extremely faint, dizzy and super nauseous. My head hurt and I was crying. I am thankful for this experience because I knew I didn't want to live with negative side effects my whole life. The next day I came to see Paul [Rosen]. I knew I had to try acupuncture again, as it was what saved me three years earlier from depression. After my acupuncture treatment, Paul told me about [Nutrition Response TestingSM].
"I started the program after being tested sensitive to soy, wheat, sugar and dairy. Two days later, I left on my prescheduled vacation at the beach for four days. I was very diligent at taking my supplements and stayed away from all the foods that were found to be bad for me. By the time I returned on Saturday evening, I felt 95% better! Even after returning to normal life, getting up at 6am to fix my husband's lunch and getting my 11-year-old and 7-year-old off to school at 8am and starting my day with my 4-year-old and 1 ½ year-old, I still felt 80 - 85% better than I had just one week earlier. While on vacation, I had the book Paul had given me, Going Back to the Basics of Human Health.
"That book helped solidify that sugar is not in my future and that gave me extra strength to 'Just say no to sugar!' I went back to my medical doctor three weeks to the day after he prescribed drugs. He could not believe how great I looked and felt. He asked how I liked the other drug he gave me samples of and I told him I never tried it. I told him about NRT and acupuncture and he was glad to see me so much better. He had me take the Beck Inventory test again and I scored "O"!!! Don't let another day go by before having a [Nutrition Response Testing evaluation]. The #1 thing I have noticed is that my hundreds of negative feelings and thoughts are GONE!! Thankyou, Paul, and thank you, God!"
The thing I love about this story is how much it says about "CB" as a person. I am grateful to her for acknowledging me as part of her recovery, but the truth of the matter is her success was dependent upon her willingness (1) to be open to something new and (2) to follow through with the recommendations. Without these two things, neither "CB" nor anyone else would benefit from what was clearly the blueprint for her success.
Remember, you can’t get healthy – or stay healthy – if you are not involved. I am not here to knock your medical doctor or traditional medicine. I am here to offer a point-counterpoint evaluation of the various disorders and ailments discussed in Part 2 of this book (The Great Health Heist) so that you know there is a choice - and the choice is up to you.