We are body-mind-spirit and too often I have neglected the mental/emotional aspects. I began with the physical, then the spiritual, and over the years paying more attention to my mental health.
The Mindbody Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by John Sarno really helped me to accept that my emotions could have caused the chronic migraines. The migraines became horrible during our conversion. Our pastor believed that it was a spiritual attack and I'm sure it was. Every time I've made a quantum leap in my spiritual journey, it's been preceded by horrible migraines. But there's another aspect that I totally ignored--my feelings. Going from a devil-may-care attitude to recognizing the evil within myself hurt deeply. It is a very good thing that the Holy Spirit does not reveal all our sins at once--we would die from the horror of it all.
Some people might believe that Dr. Sarno is blaming the victim--it's absolutely not that. He writes, "It is important to avoid the pejorative conclusion that because emotions are implicated in etiology, patients are making themselves sick. This is no more logical than feeling guilty for "letting" bacteria into the body. People with psychogenic illness are not deliberately making themselves sick or pretending to be unwell. What we are seeing is the interplay of complicated processes, both physiological and psychological, outside the conscious awareness and control." See a summary of how repressed emotions contribute to chronic pain: Seven key lessons from “Healing Back Pain” by Dr. John Sarno. Of course, he encourages people to rule out physical issues but warns how Western medicine promotes a structural/physical basis of pain and then pills/surgery as the cure. Even functional medicine doctors promote this attitude looking for the root cause, which is well and good, but do not delve into the psyche of the person.
I remember that the first book I read about pain being caused in the brain itself was Back in Control: A Surgeon's Roadmap out of Chronic Pain by David Hanscom. I wrote a lengthy review here: Vijaya Bodach: Chronic Migraines and Healing: Part I -- Back in Control. I have to return to those principles again and again. I recognize how writing and other creative pursuits saved my life. Deo gratias! See: Back in Control Roadmap - Back in Control
The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity by Norman Doidge was such a joy to read. Each chapter delves into a natural modality of healing, from doing the mental work to exercising mindfully to light therapy and my favorite: the special connection we have with music, what happens in the brain. The stories of people who've suffered from various neurological problems, who were given no hope by traditional Western medicine, but who experimented with other methods and found healing are so inspiring. If you have to read one book on our amazing brain, make it this one!
The deeper I dive into studying the brain, the more I'm in awe of how beautifully we are designed. Caroline Leaf reminds us of this in her book Switch on Your Brain: the Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health. Our thoughts can actually change the structure of our brains. I really liked that she ties together Biblical principles with science (though some of her science could use more precision).
I'm trying not to make an idol out of my health but I am grateful for the better health I'm enjoying and for the countless blessings God has showered upon me. Peace is the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain and Illness by Maureen Pratt reminds me to be more accepting of how things are. Not perfect!
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