This was a reply to a comment to my last post from MM, but it got to be so long that I just decided to make a post out of it...
Thanks MM. It is always a relief when someone really gets what I'm experiencing. I am looking for a DO, and fortunately, our insurance does also cover naturopaths. Our family doctor is really good in that he doesn't make me feel anxious, and he does understand that a lot of my health issues are anxiety related. I understand that too, which is really half the battle, but sometimes I am asking myself, what is causing me to be so anxious?
I think there are often real physical things going on that create that brain chemistry and hormone soup. That's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of, and my doctor tends to pat my hand and say, "Just take an antidepressant; it's easier than trying to do the hard work of changing your lifestyle and diet when you're already depressed." He also doesn't have the time to sort it all out with me.
That's okay. I've become a pretty amazing doctor of my own self. I've also appreciated my doctor for recognizing that. I usually go in and tell him what my problem is and what I want his help with and he'll do it. For some reason, though. I am really nervous about taking that step. I think I've figured out the whys of that also.
Last time I saw my doctor it lead to a very scary series of events. The possibility of cancer existed, and I was facing a procedure under anesthesia, which is something I've never done and terrifies me. I managed to dodge that bullet because things worked themselves out before the date of the hysteroscomy arrived. I had developed a very thick lining in my uterus - over an inch thick! I attribute that development to my dermatologist who insisted a shot of cortisone would make me so happy and change my life. That shot did clear up my severe eczema very nicely, but I started bleeding a couple of weeks after that and didn't stop for a month.
I went into a deep depression and period of severe anxiety after that. I took both an antidepressant and an anti-anxiety medication. My sleep became so disturbed and messed up even with the drugs or maybe because of them.
I came out of all of that feeling fine and well, but I haven't seen a doctor since. Which leaves me where I am now: experiencing uncharactaristic indigestion and bloating over the last year, which I think is probably a perimenopausal symptom. I should see a doctor to rule out other things, which would relieve a lot of the anxiety I have about it all. A really good doctor might even be able to help me balance the hormones which I suspect are creating the extra anxiety and related symptoms.
I'm still sitting on all of that. For now.
Thanks for the reply post! I can relate to what you say here. I have also had intensely stressful doctor visits which left far more questions than answers.
ReplyDeleteI think biochemical reactions to foods, stress, hormones, and other factors all contribute. I think it is more common than one might think. I talk to people who experience many of the things that I do and I think a lot of us kind of suffer quietly.
I have also spent a lot of time reading articles and books about various health topics. In the next decade, I hope to focus more on a positive approach to health on every level. After my experiences which have been largely negative I want to provide a positive counter to all of the fear that surrounds health.
As hokey as it might sound, I am particularly interested in quantum medicine and the like--because I have heard some promising things about our ability to heal ourselves.
Of course I do also have a keen interest in herbalism, diet (autoimmune and paleo protocols, healing the gut which they say drastically improves severe mood problems) and other approaches.
Whew...I shouldn't type this stuff on my phone with one finger. Haha! I could go on and on. Having a daughter who had serious health issues and needing to circumvent the conventional system because it was doing more harm than good gave me even more reason to seek other methods of restoring health.
But I have a long way to go. Even so, above all else, I feel it is vitally important to trust our individual decisions and intuition when it comes to our health or any other topic. There are too many people out there who just want us to blindly follow whatever they think we should do.
I say you are doing great. Hugs to you. It is a hard topic to handle but you are doing great. I have found the audiobooks by Michael Neill very soothing when it comes to the concept of innate self-trust and wellbeing.
Hugs and sorry for the ramble!
Xxoo
I'm right there with you on all of those interests, especially the body's healing systems and how our emotions affect our bodies, especially unacknowledged emotions and fears. It doesn't sound hokey to me. :-) I'll check out Michael Neill's audiobooks too. Thanks!
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