O.T. Psycholgical?

[Guest guest]

I decided to forward this to the list because of a recent discussion

about illnesses labeled as " stress " or " psychological " when they are

not. This includes but is not limited to Chronic Fatigue Immune

Dysfunction Syndrome, Gulf War Syndrome, and Multiple Chemical

Sensitivity. I personally have had two close relatives who had their

cancer misdiagnosed as " nerves " and " depression " , thus delaying

proper treatment. They both died. In addition, I have known various

people who have had the " all in their heads " diagnosis when the

problem was a physical medical problem. In each case, proper

treatment was delayed.

 

TCM does not make a distinction between body-mind-emotions-spirit.

It is understood that this is a holistic package, and illnesses which

are primarily physical by Western definitions will have emotional,

mental, and spiritual components. Likewise, condtions which are

psychological or psychiatric by Western definitions will have

physical components. To put this another way, I have never known a

person who was severly mentally ill who also did not have some severe

physical problems. In TCM terms, the same Root which is giving rise

to the severe psychological problems also are giving rise to some

severe physical problems. It's a holistic package.

 

Unfortunately, in the U.S., " it's psychological " has become the easy

and quick diagnosis for doctors who are too busy, too lazy, too

incompetent, or too greedy to use their training to figure out what

the real problem is. This by no means is all American doctors, but

it is far too many.

 

Aiding and abetting this sorry state of affairs are certain insurance

companies which have campaigned to deliberately have certain

conditions declared " psychological " because most disability policies

have a clause that the company only has to pay for two years if the

condition is psychological. The pharmaceutical companies also bear

responsibility for this situation as psycho-active drugs are big

money makers. The American Psychiatric Association which receives

money from the pharmaceutical industry and which stands to in terms

of money and power also benefits from having as many conditions as

possible labeled as " psychiatric " . This is not to say that all

psychologists or psychiatrists go along with this. I know several

cases where both psychologists and psychiatrists have told regular

doctors repeatedly that a patient's problems are not mental or

emotional only to have the attending physician still insist that the

patient's problems are psychological or psychiatric!

 

This forwarded post is from Jim Mooney who runs the insurancejustice

website. It concerns a piece called " Promises, Promises " which NBC

Dateline may or may not run tonight. I have edited the email in order

to remove non-pertinent information.

 

Dr. Judy Morris was a Massachusettes emergency room doctor until she

was stricken with CFIDS. She thought she was protected. She had

disability insurance. Surprise!

 

Victoria

 

***************************

 

(name deleted), who is reliable, says she called the producer, who

says the

DATELINE story about " America's biggest disability insurer " is a go.

It

is called " Promises, Promises " and will air tomorrow evening at 7:00

PM

EDT and 6:00 PM CDT. Now they didn't name the insurer, but there is

only

one that is the biggest. I've been getting static from some folks who

say it's not on NBC's website. It was in their email announcement, but

it disappeared from the website. They often do that with the shortest

segment, but we'll take what we can get. Here is (name deleted)'s

note:

 

==========================================================

 

(name deleted)

 

Hi Jim,

 

Not too worry. I called Dateline and spoke to the Producer of the

show.

She informed me that Promises, Promises will air tomorrow evening at

7:00 PM EDT and 6:00 PM CDT.

 

So let everyone know that the show is a go. <smile>

 

==========================================================

 

So this is kinda in the bag and you should watch. I say " kinda "

because

I've dealt with journalists for five years and I don't bet my life on

them until I see it in print or on the tube. If it doesn't turn up it

has been delayed or pulled due to legal wrangling from an army of

insurance company lawyers - which I've seen happen before.

 

(snip)

 

Yours,

 

Jim Mooney, webmaster

www.corporatecrimefighters.com (for Dr. Judy Morris)

www.insurancejustice.com

 

 

 

 

_____________

Judydoc mailing list

Judydoc

http://corporatecrimefighters.com/mailman/listinfo/judydoc_corporatecr

imefighters.com

[Guest guest]

>Unfortunately, in the U.S., " it's psychological " has become the easy

>and quick diagnosis for doctors who are too busy, too lazy, too

>incompetent, or too greedy to use their training to figure out what

>the real problem is.  This by no means is all American doctors, but

>it is far too many.

>Aiding and abetting this sorry state of affairs are certain insurance

>companies which have campaigned to deliberately have certain

>conditions declared " psychological " because most disability policies

>have a clause that the company only has to pay for two years if the

>condition is psychological.  The pharmaceutical companies also bear

>responsibility for this situation as psycho-active drugs are big

 

Hi Victoria,

I'd guess that most on this list recognize the evils of the AMA/pharmaceutical

machine.

I, too, have a condition that many don't recognize and has for so long been

considered

" psychological " . I was dx'd with FMS/CFS this past January....although it

looks like

I have had it for 15-20 years. I actually was the first to dx it and then had

it

verified. I, mostly, have not had health insurance for the past 30 years.

This is because

I, mostly, have not believed in the medical community for that long (longer

since my mother

was an RN and, mostly, didn't like doctors.) I have handled most of my

problems alternatively

and out-of-pocket. Gladly, this leaves me free-and-clear of the AMA...and

more willing

to do what it took to stay healthy since I was the payee, not insurance. But,

I digress....

 

One thing I can say is that stress plays a big part in this syndrome as

does, I

believe,

other psychological issues.

I, recently, purchased a book by Sunny Cooper, " Fibromayalgia and Chronic

Fatigue:

Acutherapy and Holistic Approaches " . I'm only halfway thru the preface

(school, work

& life, ya know). But I thought that she made a very interesting

observation.

She began

by saying that, historically, there have been health issues in different eras

that brought

about societal changes. Such as diseases that brought about sanitation,

later, vaccines

and still later antibiotics and " miracle drugs " . Then she goes on to speak of

a " new echelon

of functional diseases " , such as FMS/CFS, chronic pain syndromes, and

autoimmune diseases.

And, what can we " personally and collectively " learn from these new

'diseases'?

 

Her answer was (and most on the list proabably recognize this, too) " personal

responsibility " .

This is in regards to " our behaviors, our lifestyle choices, our emotional

responses, our

spiritual practices, and the ways we take care of our physical bodies. "

While

this may be true of

many conditions......

FMS and CFS " are exquisite examples of disharmonies in which the client is the

key determinant of

improvement. There is no single approach or therapy or practice which

reverses

these disharmonies.

Nobobdy can " fix " a person who has these disharmonies, or take away their

illness. Each person

must develop his or her own healing path. These two syndromes challenge the

person to re-evaluate

lifestyle choices, relationships belief system, and self-concept. Illness is

an invitation to transformation;

those who accept the invitation and show up for the party tend to do very well

in their recovery, and this often

leads to personal evolution of a kind they never would have achieved without

the challenge of chronic pain

and fatigue. "

 

BTW/abit OT:

We have some great " STOP " sign philophers in my town....people that paint

or post sickers below the word " STOP " . I saw a good sticker (maybe sad, too)

that read STOP " Our National Health Care Plan....Stay Healthy " ....! ;-P

 

Kit

 

PS. Personally speaking, I prefer CFS to CFIDS....seems that too many people

confuse it with an

autoimmune disease.

[Guest guest]

> One thing I can say is that stress plays a big part in this

syndrome as

> does, I

> believe,

> other psychological issues.

 

Stress can play a big part in the condition, but not always.

 

Very often, PWCs tell themselves that if they just didn't have that

7:30 am class, just didn't have that carpool, just didn't have that

Tuesday night meeting, etc., they would be fine. They're just a

little overworked and tired. What generally happens is that as the

person gets sicker and drops more and more of those " stressful "

things s/he didn't like doing anyway, and one day the person is left

with the realization that s/he can't do the things s/he loves, and

s/he is really sick. This can be a very traumatic moment of truth

for the individual. A watershed moment. If the person had any ideas

that this is just psychological or stress, they are stripped away in

that awful moment of realizing s/he can't do the things she loves to

do and is really sick.

 

Do I recommend meditation, relaxation exercises, and visualization

for PWCs? Definitely. Because these are taking stress off the

individual and aiding in healing. But I also recognize that many

PWCs find it hard to relax and meditate. Very often PWCs are Yin

Deficient, and this can make it much harder if not impossible until

the Yin Deficiency is brought under some control. Also it's often

easier to learn to meditate when one is in relative remission or well

than when one is sick.

 

I also recommend getting plenty of rest (again, difficult if the PWC

is Yin Deficient), and following a very good diet (again, difficult

because many PWCs also have Spleen weakness plus being too fatigued

to cook proper meals.

 

> Her answer was (and most on the list proabably recognize this,

too) " personal

> responsibility " .

 

The prognosis for anyone suffering with any medical condition is

always better for the person who learns all s/he can, asks questions,

is assertive, and takes personal responsibility than for a person who

passively waits for a healer to wave a magic wand. But, the flip

side of this is that the prognosis also is better when one recognizes

that one does not always have total responsibility. For example, the

reason white bread is partially enriched today is because recruits at

the beginning of WWII were too malnourished to pass the physical

induction test. Were these recruits responsible back in the days when

white bread was not even partially enriched with some of the

nutrition refined out of it? And what about disabled or older people

having to make choices between paying the rent or eating adequately?

Sometimes personal responsibility also means demanding that others

take responsibility when appropriate.

 

> illness. Each person

> must develop his or her own healing path. These two syndromes

challenge the

> person to re-evaluate

> lifestyle choices, relationships belief system, and self-concept.

Illness is

> an invitation to transformation;

> those who accept the invitation and show up for the party tend to

do very well

> in their recovery, and this often

> leads to personal evolution of a kind they never would have

achieved without

> the challenge of chronic pain

> and fatigue. "

 

Very often you will find that PWCs who have been sick longer than 10

years are extremely strong people on the inside. They had to become

stronger on the inside in order to survive. This includes learning to

make better choices, learning to say " no " , learning what's important

and what's not important, etc. I remember one PWC joking, " Keep up

with the Joneses? I can't even keep up with the Simpsons. " (For

those from other countries, " keeping up with the Joneses " is a way of

describing a person running him/herself ragged in order to accumulate

just as many material possessions as his/her neighbors have. The

Simpsons is an animated cartoon about a dysfunctional family. I

believe it's seen in several countries.) Yep, any chronic,

debilitating health condition can have a way of teaching one what's

important and what's not, if one is willing to learn.

 

This is not to say that I don't have moments when I would trade all

that inner strength for the strength and endurance to go out and make

a lot of money.<G> Or even party hardy. Like a night out dancing.

(This doesn't mean that just because I can't do this, some other PWC

can't one day get to the point where s/he can - in moderation - like

resting a lot between dances. The sooner CFIDS/CFS is diagnosed and

the sooner proper treatment is begun, the better the chances for a

full or at least near-full recovery. (The PWC will always have to be

careful about getting enough rest, following a good diet, maybe

remaining on supplements, etc.)

 

> PS. Personally speaking, I prefer CFS to CFIDS....seems that too

many people

> confuse it with an

> autoimmune disease.

 

There are immune system irregularities in CFIDS/CFS, including (but

not always) autoimmune problems. Chief among these are problems with

the herpes family of viruses, part of the immune system being

deficient and part being in over-drive, and deficiencies in both

helper and suppressor T-cells but with suppressor cells being even

lower than helper T-cells. (The only other conditions in which this

higher helper to suppressor cells ratio is seen is certain

lymphomas. Helper cells turn the immune response on; suppressor

cells turn it off. (Simplified explanation.) If the immune system is

not being turned off, this can be a factor in allergies.

 

These immune system problems is why Gach in Acupressure's Potent

Points recommends Triple Heater 5 and Pericardium 6 (helps to balance

the immune system) in his chapter on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. That

chapter helped me a lot.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

After having seen it several times and not knowing what it means, I am

finally going to ask.

 

What does O.T. stand for?

 

Thank You,

 

Bryon

 

 

victoria_dragon [sMTP:victoria_dragon]

Sunday, October 13, 2002 4:14 AM

Chinese Traditional Medicine

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] O.T. Psycholgical?

[Guest guest]

> What does O.T. stand for?

 

Off topic. So readers who just want the TCM posts know to skip it.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

If the person had any ideas

that this is just psychological or stress, they are stripped away in

that awful moment of realizing s/he can't do the things she loves to

do and is really sick.

 

 

Hi Victoria,

 

I think I might have been misread. I never said that is was just

psychological.

 

>

> What generally happens is that as the

> person gets sicker and drops more and more of those " stressful "

> things s/he didn't like doing anyway, and one day the person is left

> with the realization that s/he can't do the things s/he loves, and

> s/he is really sick. This can be a very traumatic moment of truth

> for the individual. A watershed moment. If the person had any ideas

>

> I believe this is where the re-evaluation, transformation, and self-concept

> come into play.

>

>

> But I also recognize that many

> PWCs find it hard to relax and meditate. 

> I also recommend getting plenty of rest...

> ....following a very good diet....

>

> ...more of the same, plus lifestyle changes and taking care of the physical

> body.

>

> But, the flip

> side of this is that the prognosis also is better when one recognizes

> that one does not always have total responsibility.

>

> Yes, of course,...again, I did not say total responsibility just personal

> responsibility. One should only try to change oneself not the

> world around them....goodness w/CFS that's hard enough in itself.

>

> The prognosis for anyone suffering with any medical condition is

> always better for the person who learns all s/he can, asks questions,

> is assertive, and takes personal responsibility than for a person who

> passively waits for a healer to wave a magic wand. 

>

> Yes, I acknowledged that the list would, surely, already know about this.

>

> The sooner CFIDS/CFS is diagnosed and

> the sooner proper treatment is begun, the better the chances for a

> full or at least near-full recovery.  (The PWC will always have to be

> careful about getting enough rest, following a good diet, maybe

> remaining on supplements, etc.)

>

> Boy, I do know this one!! I certainly wish mine had come to my knowledge

> 15 yrs previous. When, I'm feeling particularly whiney, I do 'boo-hoo'

> over 'lost years'. Dangerous, tho, to do it for very long or take it

> very seriously!

>

>

> There are immune system irregularities in CFIDS/CFS,

>

> Yup, I know about immune issues & the other 'satellite' problems that go

> with the syndrome incl. autoimmune like, say, Crohn's.

> I was merely saying what I prefer because I am surprised

> at the number of people who think that it is an autoimmune

> syndrome. I'll resort to my analogy from long ago.....

> all Catholics are Christians, not all Christians are

> Catholics. I think that few FMS/CFS px have autoimmune issues...

 

 

 

 

 

>

> I don't see that we are in disagreement only reiterating the same in

> different words. ... or translating.

>

> Take care,

> Kit

[Guest guest]

> I think I might have been misread. I never said that is was just

> psychological.

 

I posted for for others reading here. Some of the healers on here are

going to be treating PWCs or already are. And some have been

convinced that it is psychological. I am very concerned about that

because the worst major flare-up I ever had came about because nobody

could tell me what what wrong with me so I figured maybe it was

psychological, so I decided to ignore how I was feeling and push on

regardless. Hey! It works for others.

 

I ended up the sickest I have ever been with this. Crawling to the

bathroom at night, couldn't use a computer and eventually couln't

read or write, felt like I was dying and probably was. Existing

allergies got much worse, and I quickly was developing new ones.

Everything I ate bothered my breathing. I reacted to just about every

medication I was on, especially antihistamines, and with those

worsening allergies, that was a major problem.

 

PWCs may or may not be depressed. There's that viral thing, and

there's also having to deal with being so sick. But, knowing how

many PWCs are - self included - if it's not stressed that this is

physical and physical steps need to be taken in addition to others,

many PWCs are going to ignore symptoms like I did and end up sicker.

CFIDS is NOT depression, though depression may be present in some

PWCs some of the time. Because it is not depression, healers are

dealing with clients who very much want to do things. When they

finally do get enough energy to do something, many tend to overdo.

Trying to make-up for lost time. Also, sometimes trying to deny to

themselves that they are as sick as they are. I did such and such. I

can't possibly be really sick. But the person is. CFIDS can be very

cruel in that it doesn't rob people of the desire to do things

(unless they are extremely sick); only the physical and cognitive

means to do things.

 

Also there has been a particular problem in Great Britain with young

PWCs being taken away from their parents, sent to psychiatric

hospitals, and forced to exercise. They are getting sicker as a

result. Many are walking into the hospital under their own power,

but having to leave in wheelchairs. One of the hallmarks of CFIDS is

that aerobic exercise or over-doing does make it worse.

 

From a TCM standpoint, one of the problems that PWCs have is they are

Qi Deficient with weak Spleens. Over-doing - be it physical or

mental work - can harm the Spleen, weakening it further. The more the

person over-does, the weaker the Spleen gets and the more Qi

Deficient the person becomes.

 

BTW, the British psychiatrist who is responsible for pushing exercise

as the treatment for CFS is the same psychiatrist who several years

ago was given a large grant by the U.S. Pentagon to " prove " that Gulf

War Syndrome was just stress.

 

Something people who are researching the medical literature on CFS

need to be aware of is that even though Great Britain signed an

international agreement to use the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease

Control) criteria for CFS research, this psychiatrist does not use

the CDC criteria. Instead, he came up with his own criteria and put

the CFS label on them. This creates a lot of confusion. His

criteria are so board as to include just about anyone who has ever

been fatigued.

 

> > What generally happens is that as the

> > person gets sicker and drops more and more of those " stressful "

> > things s/he didn't like doing anyway, and one day the person is

left

> > with the realization that s/he can't do the things s/he loves,

and

> > s/he is really sick. This can be a very traumatic moment of truth

> > for the individual. A watershed moment. If the person had any

ideas

 

This can be a real difficult time. Sometimes, if a healer will just

say, " Oh. This happens in CFIDS/ CFS. It will pass, " this can be

soothing to some PWCs. Just to know that others have gone through

it, and it's " normal " for CFIDS.

 

BTW, the truer the person can be to his or her self, the better the

person is going to cope. By inclination and training, I am an

engineer. See the problem, analyze the problem, solve the problem.

(Or at least make the situation better.) Except when I was the

sickest, I didn't stop being an engineer. The inclination and

training got switched over analyzing and solving my health problems.

 

I love to garden, so when I got well enough to do some limited

gardening, I was very happy. I have to rest a lot even today, but I'm

still getting to do something I love to do.

 

As a general rule, people in the healcare professions tend to have an

advantage in dealing with CFIDS. Except when they are the sickest,

they don't stop being healers. I frequently have told PWCs who are

healthcare professionals that for a while their job is going to be

medical research on themselves. And they do tend to come up with

things that not only help themselves but others.

 

One PWC I knew was a businessman who belonged to service

organizations and civic clubs. When he got well enough, he still

gave speeches, but now they are about CFIDS. The truer one can be to

one's self, the better. CFIDS does not have to rob anyone of having

quality of life. It won't be the life that any of us planned for,

but it can be very satisfying nevertheless. If the person can get

enough help. This includes disability if the person needs it.

 

> > I believe this is where the re-evaluation, transformation, and

self-concept

> > come into play.

 

Yep.

 

> > ...more of the same, plus lifestyle changes and taking care of

the physical

> > body.

 

Wish I had known about the lifestyle changes way back when. The

triggers for CFIDS for me was gall bladder surgery followed by coming

down with mono-induced hepatitis. But the fact that I also was going

to school and working played a role. Eventually I was able to go

into partial remission. So what did I do. I went back to school and

work, though at least that time I wasn't working full-time.

Eventually I had major flare-up #2. This time I was sicker than

before, and it took a lot more to get me into partial remission. And

I never fully regained what was lost with each major flare-up until I

discovered TCM. Wish I had known about TCM back then.

 

> > Yes, of course,...again, I did not say total responsibility just

personal

> > responsibility. One should only try to change oneself not the

> > world around them....goodness w/CFS that's hard enough in itself.

 

Sometimes insisting on and working for change in the outer world is

the healthiest thing a person can do.

 

>> > Boy, I do know this one!! I certainly wish mine had come to my

knowledge

> > 15 yrs previous. When, I'm feeling particularly whiney, I

do 'boo-hoo'

> > over 'lost years'. Dangerous, tho, to do it for very long or

take it

> > very seriously!

 

I have a teddy bear that I take to bed with me when I'm feeling

particularly bad physically and emotionally. It definitely helps.

It's soothing. Sometimes I have a good cry. Sometimes I punch a

pillow. Then I'm fine.

 

> > I was merely saying what I prefer because I am surprised

> > at the number of people who think that it is an autoimmune

> > syndrome.

 

I'm always delighted and shocked when someone realizes it's not

psychological. <G> But seriously, my personal preference is CFIDS

because CFS makes it sound like we're just a little bit tired. Sort

of like calling diabetes " Chronic Urinating Syndrome " or

pneumonia " Chronic Coughing Syndrome. Descriptive of only one symptom

and doesn't begin to convey how serious the condition is.

 

> > I don't see that we are in disagreement only reiterating the same

in

> > different words. ... or translating.

 

I'm going into detail for readers who aren't familiar with

CFIDS/CFS. BTW, if a healer can treat CFIDS/CFS, s/he becomes more

proficient at treating other things as well. There are literally

dozens of symptoms that can manifest in CFIDS. For example,

hypoglycemia, glandular problems Mitral Valve Prolapse, blood

pressure problems, digestive problems, allergies, arthritic pains,and

headaches to name just a few. Sometimes it's important to know what

to concentrate on first. The most pressing problems often are

digestive problems and allergies. If the person can't take the herbs

(and/or supplements) or the digestive system is not absorbing, the

person can't get what s/he needs to heal as easily as a person whose

digestive system isn't as messed up or whose allergies aren't so

severe.

 

Victoria

[Guest guest]

Hi Victoria,

This is obviously a very sensitive and loaded issue for you. I have not had

the

same misfortune. I am way too obstinate to believe someone when they tell

me something is all in my head yet I am feeling physical symptoms. Anyway,

since you were using the words in my post, I took it as an anwer to me,

obviously

since posted, for the benefit of others. I don't have anything more to say,

so you

can make your point without the interference of my experiences.

All the best and I hope you feel better soon,

Kit

 

 

At 04:47 AM 10/15/02 +0000, you wrote:

>

> > I think I might have been misread.  I never said that is was just

> > psychological.

>

> I posted for for others reading here. Some of the healers on here are

> going to be treating PWCs or already are. And some have been

> convinced that it is psychological.  I am very concerned about that

> b

[Guest guest]

I came in late on this discussion, so forgive me if I misunderstand the issues, but what struck me is the references to "it's psychological". What paradigm are we using that would have "psychological" be any less important or different or separate from the physical in ANY disease? I am concerned that even with alternative healing such as TCM that people are still being trapped by old ideas that say something which is psychological should be dismissed as somehow not being real or valid. As healers, are we according less credibility to people sufferering with real pain who cannot "prove" a physical cause by lab tests or imaging? Why? Do they suffer less? Are they only imagining that they suffer? My personal thinking is that all disease states very probably involve the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical elements and that the lines between each are quite fuzzy indeed, if even a line exists at all. Pain or discomfort is a message that something in the person's life is wrong. For true healing to occur on all levels, it would be prudent for the person to investigate all possibilities and not dismiss any "cause" as unworthy of attention. IMHO

[Guest guest]

What paradigm are we using .....

 

 

Hi IYHO,

....the current western med one, where symptoms are dismissed or ignored as

imaginery due to them being " all in one's head " or " just psychological " .

I believe, the rest of what you say is right on.....thus, my previous posts.

Kit

 

 

 

At 10:36 AM 10/15/02 -0700, you wrote:

>

> I came in late on this discussion, so forgive me if I misunderstand the

> issues, but what struck me is the references to " it's psychological " .  What

> paradigm are we using that would have " psychological " be any less important

> or different or separate from the physical in ANY disease?  I am concerned

> that even with alternative healing such as TCM that people are still being

> trapped by old ideas that say something which is psychological should be

> dismissed as somehow not being real or valid.  As healers, are we according

> less credibility to people sufferering with real pain  who cannot " prove " a

> physical cause by lab tests or imaging?  Why?  Do they suffer less?  Are

they

> only imagining that they suffer?  My personal thinking is that all disease

> states very probably involve the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical

> elements and that the lines between each are quite fuzzy indeed, if even a

> line exists at all.  Pain or discomfort is a message that something in the

> person's life is wrong.  For true healing to occur on all levels, it

would be

> prudent for the person to investigate all possibilities and not dismiss any

> " cause " as unworthy of attention.  IMHO

[Guest guest]

> I came in late on this discussion, so forgive me if I misunderstand

the issues, but what struck me is the references to " it's

psychological " . What paradigm are we using that would

have " psychological " be any less important or different or separate

from the physical in ANY disease?

 

U.S. Instead of ordering the needed tests (which would cut into HMO

profits) or taking the time to ask questions and analyze (cuts into

doctor's profits), many (not all doctors)in the U.S. will diagnose

anything and everything as " psychological " and fob the patient off

with either psycholactive drugs or a referral to a psychiatrist.

Often, these patients are suffering from serious medical conditions

like cancer and are not receiving appropriate treatment. I'll

forward you a book review I did a few years ago on the book Making Us

Crazy which goes into this problem in detail and why it has arisen in

the U.S.

 

>I am concerned that even with alternative healing such as TCM that

people are still being trapped by old ideas that say something which

is psychological should be dismissed as somehow not being real or

valid. As healers, are we according less credibility to people

sufferering with real pain who cannot " prove " a physical cause by

lab tests or imaging? Why? Do they suffer less? Are they only

imagining that they suffer? My personal thinking is that all disease

states very probably involve the mental, spiritual, emotional and

physical elements and that the lines between each are quite fuzzy

indeed, if even a line exists at all.

 

Actually, this is the TCM viewpoint. It's understood in TCM that all

imbalances will have physical, mental, emotional, and physical

aspects. I and others have posted on here about how sophisticated

the TCM viewpoint is. It is understood in TCM that it is very much a

two-way (or rather 4-way) street in which emotions will impact on

physicial health but that physical imbalance will in turn make a

person more prone to feeling certain emotions.

 

The problem in the West is not just that the 2-way (or 4-way)

relationship has been forgotten, recognizing only the 1-way emotions

impacting on the body, but that as a result of this paradigm, all too

often inappropriate treatment is being given and the patient is not

receiving the proper treatment. I had two relatives who were

misdiagnosed as being " stressed " and " depressed " when what was wrong

with them was they had cancer. The appropriate treatment was delayed

because of the misdiagnosis. Both died.

 

Often when discussing this problem with Westerners, one usually has

to classify illnesses as primarily psychological/ psychiatric or

primarily physical in order to make sure the correct diagnosis and

treatment is given.

 

Some Western healers do recognize the problem with the current U.S.

paradigm and diagnosing anything and everything as psychological,

stress, depression, etc. An excellent book is Ill, Not Insane.

(Sorry, forget the name of the two authors.) For example, patients

with mild, undiagnosed, and untreated asthma frequently will appear

anxious. In the current climate in the U.S., all too many doctors

see the anxiety and automatically think tranquelizers and miss the

asthma which goes untreated.

 

Doctors and nurses in the West used to be trained to use emotions as

guides to making the correct diagnosis. For example, patients who

come across as angry often are in pain. Today, too many doctors

automatically think behavioral/ personality disorders and either

prescribe a psycho-active drug or fob the patient off to a

psychiatrist for additional evaluation. BTW, there is a TCM basis to

why people who are in pain often are angry. The Liver is the Organ

which has the most to do with Qi Stagnation, and where there is Qi

Stagnation, there is pain. The Liver is very vulnerable to anger.

Once Liver imbalance occurs from whatever cause (viral, bacterial,

toxin, injury, emotional, etc.) the person is going to be more prone

to feeling anger. Many Western doctors see anger and think behavioral

and psychological imbalance. The TCM healer sees anger and suspects

Liver imbalance.

 

BTW, I've heard some psychologists express frustration at doctors not

listening to them when they tell the doctors that they (the

psychologists) don't believe the patients' problems are

psychological. Instead of listening to the psychologists and ordering

the medical tests and digging deeper to arrive at the correct

diagnosis, the doctors keep insisting that the problem is

psychological even though the psychologists are telling them it

isn't. I know of one case where a psychiatrist was frustrated because

he knew that except for being skinny, a young patient had none of the

symptoms of anorexia. He didn't have the training to be able to

diagnose what the girl's problem was, but he knew it wasn't anorexia

(he treated a lot of anorexics), but her primary doctors wouldn't

listen to him and kept pushing the psychological diagnosis.

Fortunately, he did know someone who did have the expertise to

diagnose her correctly. It was a rare problem involving the splinter

between the stomach and small intestine. Seems like the muscles were

too thick or something and would not allow the passage to open

correctly. Food stayed in her stomach. This psychiatrist was ethical

and concerned for his patients. Not all are.

 

Victoria