3 Simple Ways to Stop Anxiety, Depression and Disease
Detox Your Mind and Emotions
About four years after I reversed Multiple Sclerosis, some of my symptoms began to return. I was alarmed and started to search out alternative doctors who could help me get back on track. I was living in New York City at the time, and Dr. Atkins, of the famous Atkins Diet books and products, practiced a few blocks from my home in uptown Manhattan. I went to see him.
He diagnosed me with Candida Albicans (a systemic yeast and mold overgrowth) and put me on the Candida diet. Most of my symptoms again disappeared, but then started to return again after about six months. I was very concerned that my symptoms would continue to reappear, advance and deteriorate my health and life. I started reading about Candida myself and came across some research that connected emotions to the development of Candida. I related to what was being written about the types of emotions and thoughts that are linked to Candida, and decided that I would seek out professional counseling to address how my thoughts and emotions were contributing to my reoccurring Candida infection and to avoid a relapse of my MS.
Emotional Toxins and Disease
I realized that I had been going through a lot of stressful and emotional situations during the two years before I developed the Candida, including two international moves for my husband’s work. I was responsible for all the details of packing, moving, immigration papers, helping my children adjust to new places and experiences, schooling, etc. There were other equally stressful situations during this time and I started to see that I had not really allowed myself to acknowledge or express my feelings about these experiences. I was also starting to realize that my poor coping mechanisms in response to stressful and emotional situations, like denying or stuffing emotions, was largely caused by how I was raised, and my faulty and oftentimes negative beliefs, thoughts and attitudes that were causing me unnecessary pain and suffering. I decided to search for a counselor to help me process my emotions and learn new and better coping tools.
The Power of Your Mind to Heal and Create the Life You Want
I found a gifted therapist, and can say today without hesitation that it was the second best decision I ever made. (The first best decision I ever made was not to accept traditional medicine’s prognosis for me after my diagnosis, and to seek out alternative doctors and healers.) The psychotherapist I chose to see taught me about the power of the mind to create the health and the life I wanted, and she also taught me that I was totally in control of my thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes, as well as my moods.
Wow! I was in charge of my health and my life! That was exciting, and the fact that I could change my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs and create the life I wanted and was meant to live with my mind was completely transformational. My life began to change immediately. I went back to school, finished my degree, and went on to get my master’s; and then got my license to practice psychotherapy so I could help others use the power of their mind to make the difficult changes they needed to make to take back their health and their life.
From there, I opened a wellness center in Scottsdale, AZ, and invited best-selling authors in Body-Mind Medicine to lead retreats for doctors, (sponsored by the medical school at the University of Arizona) nurses, and the public. Since then, I have been able to work in the largest HMO in Arizona, as well as the largest hospital, and was blessed to serve as the wellness expert at Marriott’s premier Spa at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, AZ.
I have used the power of my mind and soul to create optimal health – and a life I love.
How Trapped Emotions and Negative Thoughts Cause Disease
About ten years later, scientists discovered the science behind how negative thoughts and feelings cause inflammation and disease. They discovered that every thought and emotion you have creates a corresponding chemical messenger (in the form of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides) that communicate to the cells in your body (that I talked about in last week’s blog about detoxing the body). Depending on whether you choose a positive thought, or a negative thought, or acknowledge and express your emotions in a positive way or a negative way (deny, angry outbursts, stuff them), your cells behave in either a healthy way by giving it the information and instructions to do it’s job correctly, or, in an unhealthy way that damages the cell through inflammation and deterioration.
3 Simple Ways to Beat Anxiety, Depression and Disease
So, what are some things you can do to change your thoughts, and express emotions healthfully? Here are three:
Do this for just one week, and it will make an amazing difference.
1. Start noticing your thoughts, keep a notebook or journal handy and jot down what you were thinking when you started feeling anxious or depressed.
2. Challenge the thought: Ask if it’s true. If it’s not, then, come up with a more balanced statement about the situation.
3. Start noticing your feelings and talk to them. Get quiet and ask yourself what the message is. Listen to the wisdom of your body, and then ask yourself what you need to feel better. Next, be still and listen. Maybe your feeling(s) just want to be acknowledged, or maybe they’re trying to get you to take an honest look at some situation in your life that is toxic. Or, some other reason. Develop a relationship with yourself and learn to trust that you have the answers inside of you.
Hoping this blog and the tips are helpful for you and wishing you a joyful, peaceful, love-filled week!
Watch out for my upcoming FREE Webinar Exhausted to Energized in 10 Minutes a Day: The #1 Reason You’re Tired and Brain-fogged and the 3 Simple Solutions to Dramatically Boost Your Energy and Focus
Blessings and Happy Thoughts,
