"As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my rule to never smoke when asleep, and never refrain from smoking while awake." ~ Mark Twain (American Author).
No one likes a quitter, yet I have quit doing a lot of stuff over the past 16 months. One of the last items on the "things to figure out prior to going to Africa" list was to give up my love affair with my bestie, cigarettes. Given the very short length of time before my departure date (21 days, holy fuck), I had almost succumb to the fact that this goal would not be reached and started figuring out how many packs of cigarettes I would need to bring with me for my two month trip. Then I thought, well, I guess I could actually try or something instead of just hoping to wake up one morning a non-smoker.
I have always smoked. My older sister has frequently commented that I was likely born with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. I quit once for four years - between 2000-2004 - which was a major accomplishment that sucked almost every single day. I did not drink any alcohol for three of those four years, knowing it would completely derail my non-smoking super powers. That sucked even more because I quite enjoy drunkenness. I have smoked with vigor since reigniting my love affair in 2004 and have spent all of my days since basking in the warm glow of cigarette embers. Until now.
Many months ago, my naturopath suggested I try hypnosis and acupuncture to quit smoking, so I put those suggestions on the "when I'm ready" shelf to become dusty and forgotten. Very spontaneously, I recently yanked them off the shelf for inspection and made an appointment at the clinic for hypnosis. Hypnosis is something I have never totally understood despite my best efforts in researching it and talking to a variety of therapists that use it as part of their practice. It's a mystery to me. I have a few friends who have successfully quit smoking using hypnosis and I've listen to them describe their experience with the whole thing and this has not proven to clear up any of my questions. What I've learned since being hypnotized last Monday is, I don't have to understand everything so I should get the fuck over it and just let it be.
Over the past 144 smokeless hours, I have not freaked out or wanted to kill anyone. I have not been cranky, irritable, anxiety ridden or certifiably insane. I have felt strangely at peace with myself and the world. It's not like the hypnosis erased my memory nor did it eliminate all cravings for cigarettes. Rather, it's like it made being smokeless okay. I think to myself, oh yeah, smoking, that's what I'd like to do right now and then I think, hmmmm, I don't do that anymore so I should go do something else instead. I've been on approximately 20 zillion walks since I quit and listening to loud music (and car dancing) has become an integral part of my non-smoking success. I've had one acupuncture session and that made me feel light and calm. Ridiculous, eh?
My worldview tells me that nothing can be this easy but, here I am, not smoking after being hypnotized for 40 minutes. Go fucking figure. I have no idea how long the hypnosis spell will last but, as of right now, I am no longer calculating how many packs of cigarettes I need to bring to Africa. Weird.
Showing posts with label work for the soul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work for the soul. Show all posts
The "Well" in Wellbutrin is Questionable to Me
"Mankind has survived all kinds of catastrophes. It will also survive modern medicine." ~ Gerhard Kocher (Swiss Political Scientist, Economist)
Funny how we continue to do or use things well after they have proved to be unhelpful. Whether related to a relationship, a thought process, a habit, a way of functioning....it's all very similar. I was placed on Wellbutrin years ago to help manage some pretty intense feelings of depression I was experiencing. Although it - at times - helped bring the depression from completely unbearable to a constant undercurrent, it never brought it to a functional place. Perhaps that was an unrealistic expectation. Regardless, since finding alternative medicinal practices and eliminating things that were contributing significantly to my feelings of depression, I finally overcame my fear of stopping my prescribed medications. Currently, I am still having benefits from a small dose of anti-anxiety medication (which I have also reduced by half since January) but a month ago I stopped taking Wellbutrin. All I can say is, what a wild trip that was.
As someone who has kicked a variety of substances over the years, I can honestly say that getting off Wellbutrin was one of the more intense experiences I've had doing so. Wellbutrin does not come in a dose smaller than 150mg; therefore, gradually reducing the dose is somewhat complicated. After consulting with both my family doctor and naturopath, the best suggestion provided was weaning off it by taking it one day and not the next for a period of time, then moving to skipping two days in a row, to three, etc. I was told that this would produce a very bumpy withdrawal from the medication, as the withdrawal symptoms are fairly acute with this particular medication. Cutting the medication into smaller doses was also complicated as doing so shifts the medication from being slow release to quick release and would require me to take pieces of the pill throughout the day. In knowing myself and how hard it is to remember to take my vitamins/supplements everyday, I knew this wasn't a realistic option. My decision: just stop taking the damn stuff and ride it out, which is what I did on February 26, 2012.
I'm only starting to feel "normal" now (four weeks after stopping the med) and this feeling of normalcy is greatly assisted by taking 200mg of a natural serotonin booster called 5-HTP everyday. I doubt I'd be feeling okay without it at this point. Just like when a person takes steroids and the body stops naturally producing testosterone as it gets used to the synthetic kind, my brain stopped producing it's own serotonin a long time ago, leaving me in a state of complete serotonin depletion when I stopped the Wellbutrin. The withdrawal symptoms associated to stopping this medication are very real and intensive and imaginably were so difficult for me due to the length of time I was taking it. The most prominent features of my withdrawal included serious feelings of agitation and anxiety, coupled with insomnia, excessive bouts of crying/weeping and GI problems. My belly was a very unhappy place and my appetite disappeared while dealing with the nausea and tummy cramps. One day in particular, in a seven hour period at my place of employment, I cried four times with little provocation. Then I came home and cried some more. That happened repeatedly and made me look like a lunatic to those who had no idea what I was experiencing. I was often heard saying things like, I just want to run someone over with my car or I want to bash so-and-so's head in, which is quite unlike me. I was a mess....and not the hot-kind.
I have weathered the storm, however, and the sun is starting to peak through the clouds again. I am working diligently with my naturopath and osteopath to maintain balance in my life and that is a great support. I am exercising as regularly as I can manage and I view this activity level as part of my new "medication regime" when stopping my prescribed one. I need all the help I can get. My goal is to be off all of my medication prior to departing for Africa (136 days) but if along the way it becomes clear that this is an unrealistic goal, I will be okay with that. The thought of being free from the things that keep me tethered to dependency or reliance on anything but myself is liberating. I want to know that should I ever be stranded on a desert island that does not have a pharmacy, pot plant, liquor store, or cigarette factory near by that I will not cease to exist. This is the overarching goal behind all of this forward movement and change. I have a long way to go, particularly in relation to that cigarette factory. Hot damn, I'm smoking a lot and I hate it. Once I have achieved greater stabilization, the cigarette smoking is the next thing my naturopath and I will be working on. We suspect that the use of hypnosis and acupuncture will greatly assist this process, along with homeopathy, determination and support. Stay tuned for that one.
Funny how we continue to do or use things well after they have proved to be unhelpful. Whether related to a relationship, a thought process, a habit, a way of functioning....it's all very similar. I was placed on Wellbutrin years ago to help manage some pretty intense feelings of depression I was experiencing. Although it - at times - helped bring the depression from completely unbearable to a constant undercurrent, it never brought it to a functional place. Perhaps that was an unrealistic expectation. Regardless, since finding alternative medicinal practices and eliminating things that were contributing significantly to my feelings of depression, I finally overcame my fear of stopping my prescribed medications. Currently, I am still having benefits from a small dose of anti-anxiety medication (which I have also reduced by half since January) but a month ago I stopped taking Wellbutrin. All I can say is, what a wild trip that was.
As someone who has kicked a variety of substances over the years, I can honestly say that getting off Wellbutrin was one of the more intense experiences I've had doing so. Wellbutrin does not come in a dose smaller than 150mg; therefore, gradually reducing the dose is somewhat complicated. After consulting with both my family doctor and naturopath, the best suggestion provided was weaning off it by taking it one day and not the next for a period of time, then moving to skipping two days in a row, to three, etc. I was told that this would produce a very bumpy withdrawal from the medication, as the withdrawal symptoms are fairly acute with this particular medication. Cutting the medication into smaller doses was also complicated as doing so shifts the medication from being slow release to quick release and would require me to take pieces of the pill throughout the day. In knowing myself and how hard it is to remember to take my vitamins/supplements everyday, I knew this wasn't a realistic option. My decision: just stop taking the damn stuff and ride it out, which is what I did on February 26, 2012.
I'm only starting to feel "normal" now (four weeks after stopping the med) and this feeling of normalcy is greatly assisted by taking 200mg of a natural serotonin booster called 5-HTP everyday. I doubt I'd be feeling okay without it at this point. Just like when a person takes steroids and the body stops naturally producing testosterone as it gets used to the synthetic kind, my brain stopped producing it's own serotonin a long time ago, leaving me in a state of complete serotonin depletion when I stopped the Wellbutrin. The withdrawal symptoms associated to stopping this medication are very real and intensive and imaginably were so difficult for me due to the length of time I was taking it. The most prominent features of my withdrawal included serious feelings of agitation and anxiety, coupled with insomnia, excessive bouts of crying/weeping and GI problems. My belly was a very unhappy place and my appetite disappeared while dealing with the nausea and tummy cramps. One day in particular, in a seven hour period at my place of employment, I cried four times with little provocation. Then I came home and cried some more. That happened repeatedly and made me look like a lunatic to those who had no idea what I was experiencing. I was often heard saying things like, I just want to run someone over with my car or I want to bash so-and-so's head in, which is quite unlike me. I was a mess....and not the hot-kind.
I have weathered the storm, however, and the sun is starting to peak through the clouds again. I am working diligently with my naturopath and osteopath to maintain balance in my life and that is a great support. I am exercising as regularly as I can manage and I view this activity level as part of my new "medication regime" when stopping my prescribed one. I need all the help I can get. My goal is to be off all of my medication prior to departing for Africa (136 days) but if along the way it becomes clear that this is an unrealistic goal, I will be okay with that. The thought of being free from the things that keep me tethered to dependency or reliance on anything but myself is liberating. I want to know that should I ever be stranded on a desert island that does not have a pharmacy, pot plant, liquor store, or cigarette factory near by that I will not cease to exist. This is the overarching goal behind all of this forward movement and change. I have a long way to go, particularly in relation to that cigarette factory. Hot damn, I'm smoking a lot and I hate it. Once I have achieved greater stabilization, the cigarette smoking is the next thing my naturopath and I will be working on. We suspect that the use of hypnosis and acupuncture will greatly assist this process, along with homeopathy, determination and support. Stay tuned for that one.
The Naturopath
"Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease." ~ Hippocrates (Ancient Greek Physician).
After my osteopath and I completed the bulk of our work together, he suggested that I meet with the naturopath working at the clinic to work through deeper issues. I had goals around quitting smoking both cigarettes and, more importantly (and harder to accomplish), pot. My osteopath knew his limits. So, I booked an appointment to meet with the naturopath, knowing that I could not afford to do so past the allotted dollars I had in my benefits package through work (I have a great plan that includes $500 for acupuncture, osteopath & naturopath services). The first appointment cost $260, so I knew $500 wouldn't go far. However, what I quickly realized is that healing my soul was priceless and that's precisely what he's been able to do for me.
It is said, by whom I'm not sure, that one appointment with a naturopath (a good naturopath and they are not all created equally) is the equivalent to a year's worth of therapy. This is astoundingly accurate. Basically, what mine did was meet with me to do an assessment that involved asking me a lot of questions about how I feel. My job was to describe, in detail, how I felt, which was far more difficult than expected. For example, one of the feelings I constantly felt was the feeling of being scattered, on fast-forward, and restless. He got me to describe each of these things, as in: what does scattered feel like? He attempted to get me to describe this concept without attaching it to the human condition and the best I could come up with was describing that I felt like a dandelion whose seeds were uncontrollably blowing with each passing wind.
After meeting for around an hour and a half, he prescribed me a remedy, of which I had no idea what it was. Naturopath's who use homeopathy give remedies that are either plant, animal, mineral or energy based. As it turned out, mine was energy based. I cannot really explain what that means as it would take a lot of time and (ha) energy. But, what he gave me has since worked to heal my soul in more ways than I could imagine. It is not a drug; rather it is water that has been exposed to a certain energy source for a certain amount of time in certain conditions. If you understand quantum physics, which I do not, you know that water can absorb the energy of different things - and that is the best explanation I can offer.
The first time I took my remedy, I felt like what I imagine a Zen-monk feels like after meditating for 20 consecutive years in a monastery in Tibet. Everything inside of me just stopped. All the feelings of restlessness and being on fast-forward halted and, I will say, it was extremely uncomfortable. This feeling was so unknown to my body and brain, I found myself smoking a lot of pot just to deregulate myself to return to my baseline state of anxiousness. Weird, I know, but I couldn't manage it. Over time, however, this feeling became far more attractive and now, about two to three months later, I cannot live without it. We have adjusted the potency of my remedy three times to find the one that is most beneficial to me, which ended up being the lowest potency that I take more frequently. Since this time, my life has changed dramatically.
I am now addicted to being happy, instead of being addicted to pot. I stopped my almost 20 year habit about two months ago and it was simple. Something I struggled with for almost two decades was no longer a difficult goal to achieve and I don't miss it nor crave it. There were other changes as well that involved ongoing feelings of calmness, being centered and reflective insight. I am a dramatically different person. A happy, happy, happy person. I meet with my naturopath on a monthly basis to continue our work together and just being in his presence makes me feel like my feet are firmly planted on the ground. That and the feeling that the possibilities within my life are endless.
Unstoppable.
"Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don't do that by sitting around wondering about yourself." ~ Katharine Hepburn (American Actress).
I've been working pretty damn hard on myself since November 2010. As a person who has struggled with....well, basically everything.....for years upon years, I felt that my 33rd year better be big. Not getting any younger, that's for sure. I've realized that change is absolutely possible given the right support. You'd think I would have inherently known this given that I am a children's therapist....but, as we know, we therapists are awesome at solving anyone else's problems but our own.
Over the past 15 months I have accomplished the following:
- 15 months of therapy with a rockstar therapist to work through practically everything. Have accomplished all the goals I laid out at the beginning of therapy and am now starting to wean off sessions because all I talk about is happy stuff now.
- Quit biting my nails, a lifelong affliction.
- Went gluten-free/ mostly organic and stopped eating red meat.
- Quit smoking pot, another lifelong affliction.
- Ceased looking for approval from anyone but myself, particularly my wacky family.
- Developed and following through with a plan to travel to Africa to volunteer for two months (193 days left on the countdown).
- Started seeing an Osteopath and Naturopath, which are helping me save me.
- Enrolled in an African dance class, which I begin tonight.
- Became social with friends (see quit smoking pot).
- Stopped sleeping all the time (again, see quit smoking pot).
- Recently started exploring Qigong and am looking into Tai Chi classes.
This list makes me proclaim: I am fucking unstoppable man!!!!
Rock on.
Gluten Free
"In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired." ~ Frannie Lou Harmer (American Voting Rights Activist & Civil Rights Leader)
When the witch doctor explained to me that, based on my symptomology, I was likely intolerant to gluten, I thought to myself "what in the hell is he talking about?" The only information that I had on gluten was that it's practically in everything we eat and that giving it up really sucks. Not encouraging. I had heard of Celiac Disease and had worked with a kid who had to maintain a specific diet because she had Celiac. It seemed really complicated....and expensive. I was happy when he told me that he only wanted me to try a gluten free diet for three weeks to rule out the possibility of an intolerance or Celiac. I was fairly confident that I could do three weeks; however, I was also confident that once those three weeks were over, I would be right back to eating breads and pastas. Now, I am not one for making drastic decisions and changes that would generally be considered healthy. When it comes to getting large tattoos or altering my hair style - I get an A+ for bravery. However, when it comes to making changes that require a distinctly different way of living daily life that requires an ongoing commitment, I aim for a C-. Good examples of this would be: quitting smoking, exercising and daily self care. Going gluten free demanded all of these things; therefore, my success with this particular project has been nothing short of amazing.
Initially, my witch doctor provided me with some basic information about what to expect when giving up gluten, what foods to avoid and what foods were safe. Everything else I was able to find on the Internet and there was ample information out there to support a gluten free lifestyle, as well as recipes and ingredient lists that were very helpful. The other thing he strongly recommended was starting to eat as many organic products that I could, such as fruits and vegetables. This was going to be very expensive, I could just feel it. May I ask why becoming healthy is such an expensive prospect? Is that not counter intuitive to what we are hoping to accomplish during our days on Earth as human kind? Ridiculous.
With a deep breath, I looked forward into my three weeks and plunged head first into the gluten free world. I emptied my cupboards and fridge of any and all products containing gluten, which basically left my cupboards and fridge completely bare. It really is in everything and, even when you think it might not be in something, if you look closely enough - there it is. After heading to my local grocery store and being very overwhelmed and discouraged by the lack of gluten free and organic items available, I went back online to figure out a different solution. Small health food stores were available throughout the city; however, their prices were totally unbelievable. I was lucky and quickly found a place in the surrounding area that sold gluten free and fresh organically (locally) grown products and on top of this wonderful discovery, they also delivered to your door once a week. Bingo. I set up an account immediately. A couple weeks after this, I found out that the Bulk Barn has a wonderful selection of gluten free products that are much cheaper that you can purchase in other places so I have become a frequent flier there.
Making this transition was not difficult solely because of the organization it took to consistently have organic, gluten free items in my home. Going gluten free forced me to change every eating habit I had, from the types of food I was cooking, to the new recipes I was learning, to the preparation of food, to the frequency of being in the kitchen. It was crazy. And, what was crazier was the fact that I just simply did it, without complaining or procrastinating. I just did it, completely, and that was totally unlike me. I could no longer eat at the restaurants I frequented or casually snack on granola bars and muffins. Outside of purchasing cigarettes, I no longer had any reason to stop by the corner store. My trips to the local grocery store dramatically declined. Being invited out for dinner became complicated and it became easier to stay at home and cook. I became very aware of what I was putting into my body and my body responded very positively.
For the first three to five days I went through what I assume was carbohydrate withdrawal, which for me felt like a never fulfilled hunger ache in my stomach. It drove me bonkers. Planning every meal - every snack - also drove me bonkers. After the first week, I noticed a dramatic difference in my episodes of bloating that, at times, had left me looking five months pregnant. My stomach and digestive system felt happy. The second and third weeks, I experienced a distinct shift in my mood and levels of anxiety. My brain and heart felt happy too. That was all it took really and, during my next appointment with my witch doctor, I informed him that I would be remaining gluten free. Likely Forever. That's how much better I felt - physically, emotionally and mentally. My stress decreased and my ability to cope with stress increased. People at work started telling me that my demeanour was completely different and I started losing weight. This wasn't solely due to the change in my diet; at the same time, my witch doctor was helping me address some other identified issues, which I will describe in their own, separate posts.
As time has gone by, the benefits from going gluten free and eating organic has had pronounced changes on how I function and how my body functions. I have also given up red meat, which was very difficult for me but has been worth it. Who knew? Apparently, lots of people, but, I didn't and that's all that really matters.
When the witch doctor explained to me that, based on my symptomology, I was likely intolerant to gluten, I thought to myself "what in the hell is he talking about?" The only information that I had on gluten was that it's practically in everything we eat and that giving it up really sucks. Not encouraging. I had heard of Celiac Disease and had worked with a kid who had to maintain a specific diet because she had Celiac. It seemed really complicated....and expensive. I was happy when he told me that he only wanted me to try a gluten free diet for three weeks to rule out the possibility of an intolerance or Celiac. I was fairly confident that I could do three weeks; however, I was also confident that once those three weeks were over, I would be right back to eating breads and pastas. Now, I am not one for making drastic decisions and changes that would generally be considered healthy. When it comes to getting large tattoos or altering my hair style - I get an A+ for bravery. However, when it comes to making changes that require a distinctly different way of living daily life that requires an ongoing commitment, I aim for a C-. Good examples of this would be: quitting smoking, exercising and daily self care. Going gluten free demanded all of these things; therefore, my success with this particular project has been nothing short of amazing.
Initially, my witch doctor provided me with some basic information about what to expect when giving up gluten, what foods to avoid and what foods were safe. Everything else I was able to find on the Internet and there was ample information out there to support a gluten free lifestyle, as well as recipes and ingredient lists that were very helpful. The other thing he strongly recommended was starting to eat as many organic products that I could, such as fruits and vegetables. This was going to be very expensive, I could just feel it. May I ask why becoming healthy is such an expensive prospect? Is that not counter intuitive to what we are hoping to accomplish during our days on Earth as human kind? Ridiculous.
With a deep breath, I looked forward into my three weeks and plunged head first into the gluten free world. I emptied my cupboards and fridge of any and all products containing gluten, which basically left my cupboards and fridge completely bare. It really is in everything and, even when you think it might not be in something, if you look closely enough - there it is. After heading to my local grocery store and being very overwhelmed and discouraged by the lack of gluten free and organic items available, I went back online to figure out a different solution. Small health food stores were available throughout the city; however, their prices were totally unbelievable. I was lucky and quickly found a place in the surrounding area that sold gluten free and fresh organically (locally) grown products and on top of this wonderful discovery, they also delivered to your door once a week. Bingo. I set up an account immediately. A couple weeks after this, I found out that the Bulk Barn has a wonderful selection of gluten free products that are much cheaper that you can purchase in other places so I have become a frequent flier there.
Making this transition was not difficult solely because of the organization it took to consistently have organic, gluten free items in my home. Going gluten free forced me to change every eating habit I had, from the types of food I was cooking, to the new recipes I was learning, to the preparation of food, to the frequency of being in the kitchen. It was crazy. And, what was crazier was the fact that I just simply did it, without complaining or procrastinating. I just did it, completely, and that was totally unlike me. I could no longer eat at the restaurants I frequented or casually snack on granola bars and muffins. Outside of purchasing cigarettes, I no longer had any reason to stop by the corner store. My trips to the local grocery store dramatically declined. Being invited out for dinner became complicated and it became easier to stay at home and cook. I became very aware of what I was putting into my body and my body responded very positively.
For the first three to five days I went through what I assume was carbohydrate withdrawal, which for me felt like a never fulfilled hunger ache in my stomach. It drove me bonkers. Planning every meal - every snack - also drove me bonkers. After the first week, I noticed a dramatic difference in my episodes of bloating that, at times, had left me looking five months pregnant. My stomach and digestive system felt happy. The second and third weeks, I experienced a distinct shift in my mood and levels of anxiety. My brain and heart felt happy too. That was all it took really and, during my next appointment with my witch doctor, I informed him that I would be remaining gluten free. Likely Forever. That's how much better I felt - physically, emotionally and mentally. My stress decreased and my ability to cope with stress increased. People at work started telling me that my demeanour was completely different and I started losing weight. This wasn't solely due to the change in my diet; at the same time, my witch doctor was helping me address some other identified issues, which I will describe in their own, separate posts.
As time has gone by, the benefits from going gluten free and eating organic has had pronounced changes on how I function and how my body functions. I have also given up red meat, which was very difficult for me but has been worth it. Who knew? Apparently, lots of people, but, I didn't and that's all that really matters.
The Osteo
"If you want to know what your experiences were like in the past, examine your body now. If you want to know what your body will look like in the future examine your experiences now." ~ Ancient Proverb
Society as a whole is astoundingly disconnected from the Earth and from ourselves, as human beings. As an individual, I have wholeheartedly neglected myself emotionally, spiritually and - most pronounced - physically. For years upon years. Oh, there were some good moments in there....I distinctly remember being in the best shape of my life in 2005 when I was hitting the gym, swimming, and kickboxing. I must have had a lobotomy or something that year because to say that was "out of character" is a gross understatement. I have been prone to laziness. A lot of the time. To say the least.
Given my sometimes lazy attitude and my tendency to relish eating chocolate, Thai food, pop (oh, how I love Pepsi), and the worst offender - Bailey's - the last few years have not been kind to my body and my age is now changing my ability to drop 5lbs in one week. Now, I actually need to work at it. Besides that, I experience pain in various parts of my body....not like requiring pain management pain, but more aches and pains than I likely should have at 33. And headaches. And stress. And, I smoke, so knock a couple hundred years off my life expectancy for that evil-doing. Oh, and I did some drugs over the years and pickled myself with alcohol. Basically, I'm fucked.
A couple months ago, my BFF was telling me about her recent experience with visiting an Osteopath, which was extremely positive and she immediately saw results. An Osteopath falls under alternative medicine and basically they look at the relationship between structure and function of the body. It's a holistic approach that believes they body holds the power to heal itself through making connections between the body, mind and spirit. Not exactly the same as western medicine, eh? I have been working with my doctor (GP) for some years now and, although I like her and think she is competent, she is a medical practitioner and is limited in her ability to step outside of the medical model and look at someone as a whole person. Over the past some months (no, wait...years) I've been experiencing a lot of stress in relation to my workplace; it's a complicated story that I won't get in to. As a result, I have developed issues that I have assumed were stress related and the advice my GP gives me is to "just find a new job." Outside of that, no tests have been performed, no further exploration into matters.
I have always been one that is open to experiencing different ways of working through problems and I have participated in acupuncture, therapy, yoga, and attempted meditation at various points in my life. For me to explore seeing an Osteopath isn't really that out of the ordinary. I had no idea what I was in for and I am so glad I went as the things I have learned are crazy. I now affectionately refer to my Osteopath as my "witch doctor" and he doesn't seem to mind. My witch doctor is originally from the UK and is unassuming, gentle and kind. Apparently, he is very good at picking up on the energies of others and, upon first meeting him I left him feeling very "scrambled." Not shocking if you know me. His education is both in Osteopathy and Naturopathy and he brings philosophies and techniques from both into his work. He is a very cool guy. Seeing an Osteo is a distinctly different experience than any I've had utilizing western medical practices from the moment you walk into the beautifully calming office to the examination process to what you are prescribed (not meaning medication). From what I've discovered, it's one of those things that you just need to go with and, quite likely if you over think it, you will fail to benefit wholly from the experience. It's so outside of our experience with western medicine that it is easily dismissed and, if I had not been open to meeting with my witch doctor and wasn't prepared to listen to what he had to say.....well, nothing would have changed, I guess.
Things have changed and my body is starting to heal. And because my body is starting to heal, aspects of my emotional and mental self are also starting to heal. Thank you Osteo. The things we discovered about my physical self were profound to me. May be not to others, but to me. They were profound because once we started working on them, I felt so totally better that I literally could not believe it. It was so simple. My witch doctor has said that there are things - aliments that we just learn to live with as humans, such as headaches, bloating, anxiety, back problems, etc. However, we don't have to live with these things and, in fact, they are startlingly easy to fix. Over the past two months or so, I have discovered that I am intolerant to Gluten, my thyroid was not functioning properly and I had a parasite (gulp). Yes, a parasite. A fucking parasite. Like a worm thing? Yes, like a worm thing. How my GP never explored any of these things, given the symptomology I reported, I will never know because they seem pretty damn significant if you ask me.
"Just get a new job..." are you kidding me?
Society as a whole is astoundingly disconnected from the Earth and from ourselves, as human beings. As an individual, I have wholeheartedly neglected myself emotionally, spiritually and - most pronounced - physically. For years upon years. Oh, there were some good moments in there....I distinctly remember being in the best shape of my life in 2005 when I was hitting the gym, swimming, and kickboxing. I must have had a lobotomy or something that year because to say that was "out of character" is a gross understatement. I have been prone to laziness. A lot of the time. To say the least.
Given my sometimes lazy attitude and my tendency to relish eating chocolate, Thai food, pop (oh, how I love Pepsi), and the worst offender - Bailey's - the last few years have not been kind to my body and my age is now changing my ability to drop 5lbs in one week. Now, I actually need to work at it. Besides that, I experience pain in various parts of my body....not like requiring pain management pain, but more aches and pains than I likely should have at 33. And headaches. And stress. And, I smoke, so knock a couple hundred years off my life expectancy for that evil-doing. Oh, and I did some drugs over the years and pickled myself with alcohol. Basically, I'm fucked.
A couple months ago, my BFF was telling me about her recent experience with visiting an Osteopath, which was extremely positive and she immediately saw results. An Osteopath falls under alternative medicine and basically they look at the relationship between structure and function of the body. It's a holistic approach that believes they body holds the power to heal itself through making connections between the body, mind and spirit. Not exactly the same as western medicine, eh? I have been working with my doctor (GP) for some years now and, although I like her and think she is competent, she is a medical practitioner and is limited in her ability to step outside of the medical model and look at someone as a whole person. Over the past some months (no, wait...years) I've been experiencing a lot of stress in relation to my workplace; it's a complicated story that I won't get in to. As a result, I have developed issues that I have assumed were stress related and the advice my GP gives me is to "just find a new job." Outside of that, no tests have been performed, no further exploration into matters.
I have always been one that is open to experiencing different ways of working through problems and I have participated in acupuncture, therapy, yoga, and attempted meditation at various points in my life. For me to explore seeing an Osteopath isn't really that out of the ordinary. I had no idea what I was in for and I am so glad I went as the things I have learned are crazy. I now affectionately refer to my Osteopath as my "witch doctor" and he doesn't seem to mind. My witch doctor is originally from the UK and is unassuming, gentle and kind. Apparently, he is very good at picking up on the energies of others and, upon first meeting him I left him feeling very "scrambled." Not shocking if you know me. His education is both in Osteopathy and Naturopathy and he brings philosophies and techniques from both into his work. He is a very cool guy. Seeing an Osteo is a distinctly different experience than any I've had utilizing western medical practices from the moment you walk into the beautifully calming office to the examination process to what you are prescribed (not meaning medication). From what I've discovered, it's one of those things that you just need to go with and, quite likely if you over think it, you will fail to benefit wholly from the experience. It's so outside of our experience with western medicine that it is easily dismissed and, if I had not been open to meeting with my witch doctor and wasn't prepared to listen to what he had to say.....well, nothing would have changed, I guess.
Things have changed and my body is starting to heal. And because my body is starting to heal, aspects of my emotional and mental self are also starting to heal. Thank you Osteo. The things we discovered about my physical self were profound to me. May be not to others, but to me. They were profound because once we started working on them, I felt so totally better that I literally could not believe it. It was so simple. My witch doctor has said that there are things - aliments that we just learn to live with as humans, such as headaches, bloating, anxiety, back problems, etc. However, we don't have to live with these things and, in fact, they are startlingly easy to fix. Over the past two months or so, I have discovered that I am intolerant to Gluten, my thyroid was not functioning properly and I had a parasite (gulp). Yes, a parasite. A fucking parasite. Like a worm thing? Yes, like a worm thing. How my GP never explored any of these things, given the symptomology I reported, I will never know because they seem pretty damn significant if you ask me.
"Just get a new job..." are you kidding me?
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