All Is Well: Heal Your Body With Medicine, Affirmations, and Intuition (9 page)

People who have immune system–related problems such as al-

lergies to food and the environment, who catch colds or the flu

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frequently, and who have more serious autoimmune disorders

often feel that they don’t fit in anywhere and tend to be loners.

These people isolate themselves because, in many instances, they

feel that their needs don’t match the needs of people around

them—so any mingling feels overwhelming. Even on a one-on-

one basis, these very sensitive people are unable to relate, so they

can’t create and maintain relationships that would provide them

with a feeling of safety and security. This alienation makes them

feel that the world is against them.

If you have allergies and immune system disorders, take heart!

There are medical options available. Immune and allergy prob-

lems can often be treated effectively with a range of pharmaceuti-

cals and herbal supplements. However, it is an imperfect science.

We encourage people to also find ways to lessen the stress that

is often at the root of immune system disorders. The first step in

doing this is identifying the emotional component of their health

problems and incorporating healing affirmations into their regi-

men. This is vital to achieving and maintaining health. The over-

all theme for these kinds of disorders is trust, safety, and self-love.

As in all the other areas, your affirmations will differ depend-

ing on the thought or behavior and the ailment. For example,

people who are allergy prone may tell themselves that they are

allergic to everything and everyone or that they have no control

over their lives. These kinds of negative thoughts can be replaced

with the following affirmation: “The world is a safe and friendly

place. I am safe. I am at peace with life.”

On the other hand, if you are susceptible to a disorder such as

EBV, you may have fears of not being good enough. You may feel

your inner support is being drained, or that you are not receiving

love and appreciation from those around you. To transform this

mind-set, Louise recommends the healing affirmation “I relax

and recognize my self-worth. I am good enough. Life is easy and

joyful.”

People who get the flu frequently tend to respond to mass neg-

ativity. They can defuse this negativity with the affirmation “I am

beyond group beliefs or the calendar. I am free from all conges-

tion and influence.” For those who have mononucleosis, negative

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thoughts are associated with anger at not receiving love. A healing

affirmation is “I love and appreciate and take care of myself. I am

enough.”

You must also look at your behavior in your day-to-day life.

Are you shutting yourself off from other people? Do you feel like

nobody understands you? The first thing you need to do is iden-

tify what events or people make you feel rejected, criticized, or

judged. Though people may seem to do and express things with-

out tact, most of the time they are expressing a legitimate need.

Try to remove the emotion from these requests and look at the

underlying need. This may help take some of the sting out of what

is happening or being said. It will help create tolerance in both

your external world and your internal world. The activity of your

white bloods cells pushing away and attacking foreign objects is

the same as you doing this in your life, so working on emotional tol-

erance often translates into physical tolerance—creating a stron-

ger immune system.

The other important behavior change is simply to force your-

self to be around people. Just as I said before, start small. Once a

week, try to take part in one activity where you are not alone. Eas-

ing into relationships will help things go more smoothly. You can

try out any number of activities—gaming clubs, church groups,

and even family get-togethers will help you see that the world isn’t

your enemy.

Address these two aspects of health—the physical and emo-

tional—and you will begin to see the world through new eyes.

Your mood will be more stable and you will feel more content.

You will begin to consider the needs of the group as well as your

own. Instead of constantly assuming you are being betrayed and

attacked, you will react to challenges calmly and with proper emo-

tion. You will come to see value and safety in other people. And

finally, you will find balance in your responsibilities to yourself

and your family, friends, and co-workers. This balance is the key

to health in the first emotional center.

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From the Clinic Files: Immune System

Disorders Case Study

Larry, now age 32, grew up painfully shy and gawky and spent

much of his time on his own. His brothers even found him odd,

and he felt like an outcast in his own family. Things did not get,

better for him when he was on his own. At work he stayed to him-

self and quickly became known as unapproachable.

While he had had problems with allergies his whole life, they

became increasingly worse over the years, and he developed more

complicated immune system disorders. One day Larry came down

with a fever; he was exhausted, feverish, and achy all the time.

Eventually he was diagnosed with mononucleosis and the Epstein-

Barr virus.

Larry had difficulty feeling safe and secure in the world, and

his social phobia became symbolized in his body’s defense mecha-

nism—the white blood cells of the immune system. While aller-

gies can manifest in many ways—skin rashes, runny nose, itchy

eyes, irritable bowels, and so on—these all fall under the category

of immune dysfunction because the symptoms come from a reac-

tion of your white blood cells against a foreign body. Basically what

happens is that the body senses a foreign object, determines that

it is a threat, and sends the white blood cells to destroy it. These

cells release irritating substances like histamines, leukotrienes, and

prostaglandins in an attempt to attack the allergen. This flood of

chemicals causes the inflammation response, which brings with it

runny eyes and nose, wheezing and sneezing, itching and twitch-

ing, and digestive distress.

With a healthy immune system, the body can tolerate the al-

lergens without mounting such an intense attack, meaning fewer

and less intense symptoms.

Since Larry had many of these allergies, he had a few standard

medical options:

1. Restriction: The goal in this method is to stay away

from allergens that bring about symptoms. All I

have to say about that is, good luck. This is a very

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temporary solution for most people. They may have

improved symptoms for a month or two, but soon

the wheezing, sneezing, and itching return. Also, not

being in contact with substances on a regular basis

weakens the immune system further, thus leading

to more intolerance in the body. Continuing on this

path leads to life becoming more and more limited

and controlled.

2. Medication: There are many medications on the

market that counteract the allergic response. Just

as with restriction, this method doesn’t address

the underlying cause of allergies; it simply treats

the symptoms. For milder allergies, antihistamines

like Benadryl, Clarinex, Atarax, Allegra, and so on

offer a good option. These target the histamines

being released by the white blood cells. Keep in

mind that antihistamines are only recommended

for people under the age of 70 because they can lead

to problems with memory and urination in older

people. In addition to antihistamines, there are

medicines, including Singulair and Accolate, that

target leukotriene production. Oral, topical, and

inhaled steroids are the mainstay for the most severe

allergy cases. While the other medications work

against inflammation by preventing the production

of histamines and leukotrienes, steroids take more

drastic action, blocking both the body’s release

and acceptance of these chemicals. Because of the

drastic effects of steroids, you cannot stay on them

forever without experiencing severe long-term side

effects, including osteoporosis, ulcers, and immune

suppression. This is likely why Larry came down with

EBV and mono—his immune system had become

compromised.

3. Immunotherapy: In this process you are actually

injected with minute amounts of what you are

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allergic to in an attempt to train your white blood

cells to tolerate the allergen. The shots are given in an

arm once or twice a week for several months. These

treatments are recommended for people with severe

allergies, or for those who have symptoms for more

than three months per year.

Since Larry had been taking steroids for years, the first thing

we did was to gradually taper off his usage. We also had him work

with an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist to strengthen his

immune system’s ability to fight viruses and at the same time be

calm enough to tolerate his environment. One herb among many

that was recommended to him is called Wu Cha Seng, and it is

said to improve white blood cell function, especially after pro-

longed chemotherapy treatment. In addition, Larry worked with

a nutritionist to make sure he had a good, balanced diet full of

dark, leafy vegetables. We also recommended that he take a good

pharmaceutical-grade vitamin supplement that contained vita-

min C, magnesium, zinc, and B complex. He also started taking

astragalus, DHA, turmeric, and ginger because these supplements

have been known to ease the symptoms of EBV.

Along with the treatments Larry’s medical team helped lay

out, he also began to work with affirmations for fever (I am the cool,

calm expression of peace and love); mono (I love and appreciate

and take care of myself. I am enough); EBV (I relax and recognize

my self-worth. I am good enough. Life is easy and joyful); and

muscle aches (I experience life as a joyous dance). These helped

him change the negative thoughts that kept him locked in ill-

ness. He also worked hard to put himself in situations where he

was forced to interact with other people. This healing package of

medicine, behavioral changes, and affirmations worked together

to put Larry’s health back on the right track.

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Skin Problems

Do you have skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema, hives,

or acne? If the answer is yes, you may want to focus on your rela-

tionship with the concept of feeling safe and secure in the world.

While people with skin problems often have a seemingly put-to-

gether life, it is managed with extreme control. These folks are rock

solid and dependable . . . as long as nothing changes. Their lives

focus on routine, routine, routine because routine is safe and fa-

miliar. But real life isn’t always safe and predictable, and this is

where these people start to encounter problems. The natural ebb

and flow of life causes great anxiety, and this in turn manifests

as skin problems. Interestingly, the emotions and tendencies as-

sociated with skin problems, such as inflexibility in life, are also

involved in many joint problems. People who tend toward one of

these ailments often have the other as well.

So let’s look at our prescription for health that includes first

identifying the messages your body is sending you and then using

affirmations to promote healthy thought patterns that will lead to

clear and glowing skin. A good general affirmation for skin prob-

lems that stem from the fear and anxiety surrounding change is “I

lovingly protect myself with thoughts of joy and peace. The past is

forgiven and forgotten. I am free in this moment.”

Skin disorders can take many forms; thus the affirmations

that will help you address them vary from one condition to the

next. If you have acne, for example, the negative thought patterns

are associated with not accepting yourself, so the affirmation is

“I love and accept myself where I am right now.” Eczema has to

do with antagonism and bottled-up emotions coming out. To

counteract the effects of these emotions, the healing affirmation

is “Harmony and peace, love and joy surround me and indwell

me. I am safe and secure.” Hives are about small, hidden fears and

the tendency to turn small problems into big ones. The healing