A Different Meaning of Health Care

Health care...Is that a provocative word these days! But what I am discussing today is not so much what is being debated in Congress, but more so the need for us to look at the role of the mind or our psyche and even our spiritual self in caring for our over all health. Maybe some day we will have the wisdom to realize that these issues all work together for our healing.

Complimentary and alternative medicine have become more and more widely accepted in the West. Many people see their physician for health issues, while at the same time visiting a Reike therapist or seeing a person who does acupuncture for example. We still however, seem to differentiate between mind and body. Indigenous people are on the other end of the continuum: they see everything in existence having a physical, energetic and a spiritual aspect. A Shaman for example, understands that an illness gains a great deal of its power and potential from its spiritual aspect. He or she would address the illness from all three levels, realizing the potency of the spiritual aspect. The shaman works to restore the soul of the patient.

Native American healers believe that when someone has seen a healer they should feel better after that experience and/or have a better grasp of how to improve your health or life's quality. It is an ethical issue. The healer helps the one who desires healing to shift their focus away from the symptoms to their relationship with their soul, family and the Creator. What the patient may be seeking is compassion more so than a "cure" or having the symptoms fixed.

When we speak of psychological health Native American principals are quite similar to those of Vienesee psychiatrist Viktor Frankl ( Holocaust survivor, author of Man's Search for Meaning). For Dr Frankl finding meaning and purpose in life surpassed any other phenomena of healing. Dr Frankl developed a method of psychotherapy he called logotherapy from the Greek word "logos" which is defined not only as meaning but also as mystery.

So what causes illness? Shamans believe there to be three basic causes: disharmony (what occurs when life loses its meaning which in turn causes our personal power to diminish), fear (a reduction in our sense of well being), and what is referred to as soul loss. Soul loss is a reference to a loss of the will to live. Some of its classic symptoms are feelings of not being all there, lack of enthusiasm, difficulty in making decisions, being emotionally remote, being chronically negative, suffering from addictions, and chronic depression listed as the most common symptom.
By the way nearly everyone has had some aspect of soul loss (it is a strange term to our ears so please remember this a shaman term). And the good news is that we can recover. Much of the work of shaman healing is in the world of energy or what is more commonly now referred to as energy psychology ~ a fascinating field.

With the purpose of Native American counseling being to find meaning we might ask what causes life to seem to lose its meaning.
"No evil sorcerer can do as much harm to you as you can do to yourself" according to Nu-chah-nulch healer Johnny Moses. Rolling Thunder tells his listeners: Pollution begins in the mind. If you don't change your thinking you're not going to change yourself or your world.
In other words we are talking about negative thinking.
The placebo affect is well known in medicine. If you think a white sugar pill is going to help an ailment, it likely will. But there is also something called "nocebos" which can and does impact our health. It too refers to our thinking. Nocobos are negative expectations and they too have been well documented. There is the amazing case of two patient charts which were mixed up. I don't remember the exact details but in effect patient A and B both saw their doctor for tests. A had cancer B was healthy except for something minor. The charts got mixed up - the healthy person was told incorrectly that he had terminal cancer. He died not too long afterward even though he was actually a healthy individual! If I find the research I will report it to you in a later article.

The word "healing" has its roots in the Old English term "haelen" which translates to mean "to make whole." If we are to make ourselves whole then we need to take care of all aspects of our self - mind, body and spirit.
Guard well the avenues of your mind that you may enjoy all aspects of good health. Here are a few inspirational ideas for assisting you. I don't know who wrote it originally but if you do, please let me know so that I may credit them.. it may be that great author "anonymous"!

When you say I love you mean it.
Memorize your favorite poem.
When you say "I'm sorry" look the person in the eye.
Never laugh at any one's dreams.People who don't have dreams don't have much.
Learn the rules ~ then break some.
Remember that the greatest relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
Remember that your character is your destiny.
Spend some time alone.
Open your arms to change but don't let go of your values.
Trust in God but lock your car.
Read between the lines.
Be gentle with the Earth.
Pray ~ there is immeasurable power in it.
Share your knowledge; its a way to achieve immortality.
Don't judge people by their relatives.
When you realize that you have made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.



Until next time,
Blessings and love to you and those you love,
Dr. DyAnn