Has anyone found meditation,councelling,Carolyn Myss,Brandon Bays etc useful in curing lyme disease?

If so how???

Posted over in general about this.

My sister is on about if I meditate,accepting the disease,thanking it and then letting it go,it will go away.

What do you all think???

She also believes that I am not getting better because I need counselling to sort out childhood stuff that was nothing out of the norm at the time.I don't think it has a lot to do with my illness but she says that it could.She believes I am looking for nurturing because my parents were too busy to provide it when I was young and that's why I am not getting better.

Now I am really going nuts.

What do you all think?Is meditation and counselling going to get me better?

I can't see that it can hurt but I am still of the belief that she is not aware of the severity and ingenuity of this keet that is in our body.I would be better if it was up to the power of thought I am sure.

I am so confused and sad.I want to be better!!I am so sick of missing out on life ,feeling so insignificant and pathetic and dependant.

If I could think my way out of it like the people in the book,I would.

My sis' LLMD told her to look into the mirror every day and tell herself she is getting better (while still undergoing treatment).

We KNOW that music can also have a positive effect on healing too (the right music ;-). There are "healing" CDs, tapes. Really nice music. One is called, In the Key of Healing by Halperin.

Drinking good water, taking walks, getting out in the sunshine, eating VERY HEALTHY, praying (renewing your faith), etc. all play a PART.

"When you believe it, you will see it." says Dr. Dyer (?)

Would meditation and counseling alone do the trick? Not likely, in my opinion.

But it might HELP.

first of all, Lyme disease is real....it is a very physical, life changing, life dangering and even life taking disease....I feel we HAVE to take the right meds to kill the Lyme....

I'm a Christian so I rely on my faith and prayers alot....but only along with taking my meds and going to my LLMD for continued treatment....I feel that our body has to be attended to physically, emotionally and spiritually......

I hope this gives you a little more to think about and maybe shows you what keeps me going on my journey of dealing with Lyme disease.....God bless you and don't give up.....we're all in this together........

Simply if we all could think/meditate our way out of this, we would. I personally believe that praying is a better use of our time. And medical studies have proven it!

Now, is counseling helpful in dealing with chronic illness? Yes. Especially if the person is not getting the support they need from family and friends. And who doesn't have issues from their childhood? But working on them is not the cure for lyme.

Try to surround yourself with supportive people as much as possible.

Note to your sister that the supposedly most evolved avatars of all time have had illnesses that killed them. We're in physical bodies. We have genetics. Genetics made your hair the color it is, your eyes the color they are, your skin the color it is, etc etc. Genes interact with the environment. She would not tell an African American who inherited the sickle cell anemia gene which was adaptive to protect against malaria originally, that they need to heal their child emotions.

It is a subtle way of blaming the victim and not understanding invisible illness.

They think that I am depressed and that is causing my symptoms to be worse - I'd love to see how cheerful and happy they would be in my shoes.... chronic pain, etc.

Most outsiders also don't understand how lyme affects you psychologically.

You don't need meditation. Your sister needs an EDUCATION about lyme!

That said I do think that a positive attitude about healing is key. But not when it's forced on you by a "non-believer."

Certainly herxes make us feel worse before we feel better and then there are the side effects of the drugs that sometimes make us feel bad as well.

You may also have co-infections, parasites, candida, metal toxicity, mycoplasma, hormone imbalance to name a few.

Keep on reading and learning, better yet have your sister learn and read with you! Go together to a local support group meeting.

You may have unresolved issues from your childhood and it may be a factor. If so, seek out a professional to help you work through this. This person may also offer you much needed support while you go through this tough time of healing.

Meditation or any kind of stress management is a valuable tool to have and practice and will help. In fact I incorporate different types of active relaxtion techniques and believe it has helped me tremendously (visualization, music, yin yoga).

Hopefully you're working with a good llmd. This is first priority.

Maybe your sister feels guilty because she's not suffering and you are, and that comes out as anger at you. Who knows. You're the one fighting a nasty bacteria, so I would say that gives you the right to decide when it's best for you to work through your childhood issues.

Gotta love people who give unsolicited advice. How often does your sister meditate?

But if you feel you need a shrink go for it.
I prefer to talk to God and people who care and there few except on here

Just out of complete curiosity,.....
I would be interested to know if you sister would give the same advice if the illness were say cancer?........ The same treatment of only(therapy/meditation)? Please ask her....

interested in her reply......

It has also lead me on a path to pursue this for my career. I am currently working on my masters in Holistic Psycology.

I think people who are ill need a combination of both eastern and western treatments... Being able to release blockages and learn how to calm and control your body helps you to empower yourself and better respond overall to any western Medicine you embrace.

Good Luck

Great question. I just got back from dropping my son off at school and was listening to Carolyn Myss on the way back. Although I feel awful and planned on going back to bed as soon as I got back, just hearing her voice put me in a better mood. Interestingly, instead of going right back to bed, I am here responding to your post, so one can not underestimate the power of alternate healing approaches. However...

Although I am sure your sister loves you very much, she probably doesn't have a clue.

You stepped into an area that I think many of us deal with on a daily basis. I think that the people that are around us are so confused about our state of being. And, until someone walks in our shoes they will never understand the severity of our pain and limitations.

I believe that they fall into several categories:

Don't understand, but try to be supportive and helpful without offending our own sense of capabilties towards our recovery.

Frightened to the point of panic and mention everything they come across without a lot of thought or research.

The healers are the ones who actually believe that they know what is best for us and that we don't yet have the right prescriptions, methods and/or haven't found the right doctor. According to them, we may not even have the correct diagnosis yet. They are the ones who believe that they are going play a part in finding "the cure" for us. For example, their recommendations will range from shark stem cell injections to essential oils and meditation.

Those that are in denial. They don't believe or don't want to believe that we are that sick. This group is the trickiest to deal with because this group morphs. The denial keeps them in a perpetual state of awareness without the awareness. For example, one day they acknowledge that you are sick (this may be the day that they see you puking your guts out), the next day they don't seem as concerned because "you look so good." They know something is wrong with you, but they won't allow themselves to get that close to the info. to really acknowledge the true state of your existence. Because you may have good days mixed with bad days, or as I like to phrase the cycles: I have bad days, I have really bad days and then I have horrific days (the last category is saved for ER and/or hospital visits). Because this group may have a little info, just enough, but not enough - this allows them to be the most critical of the groups. They will allow themselves to get a tiny piece of info., become an instant authority, make a suggestion, take offense when you don't jump all over this suggestion and then back away again. This keeps them a safe distance from your disease.

The ignorant don't want to know what is happening -- it is probably too frightening to them at this point in their life.

I know there are other categorical types, but I'm too confused to remember others that I have come across.

I am now just learning how to protect myself from all of the unsolicited advice. Each person will need a different response, based on their personality traits. I know that I don't owe anyone explanations, rationalizations for my treatments - it's my body and it's personal.

However, there are some who just don't give it a rest, and some are the best-intentioned. I know that some people are so sincere and genuine and I don't want to hurt their feelings. One of my best responses has become, "I can't do anything without my lyme doctor's approval, especially because I am on so many different medications."

Because our disease has not been validated, we are left defending ourselves. In addition to trying to learn how to get well, we are also learning how to respond to a society that still has very distinct thoughts and beliefs of their own about what Lyme disease is and how it should be treated.

What you can do to protect yourself is knowing that you will encounter judgements and trying to cultivate your own set of responses IF you feel the need to give a response.

From my point of view, there is no way to cure this without anitbiotics at this time. However, I also believe we need to use anything and everything we BELIEVE is useful in helping our bodies repair themselves. Meditation and counseling maybe useful for you, IF you believe in their power.

For example, for me, just hearing Carolyn Myss' voice is healing. Then if I can incorporate her philosophies into my thinking this day, they might actually inspire me in a way that nothing else could.

Most days I don't even have the energy or clarity of mind to even meditate (properly? because of all the pain meds) - nor do I even care on some days, to be honest. However, on the days that I am hopeful, capable, willing and lucid I want every single healing technique available so that I can pull it into my body and my conciousness and hopefully heal a cell or two. Then ideally, those healed cells can carry on some of the work.

I have several of Carolyn's CD's and I am absolutely fascinated by her teachings. One of the CDs I just finished listening to suggests from her research that the difference between people who are whole spiritually (even though they may be physically a mess with cancer or aids (she doesn't mention Lyme disease, but of course it needs to be included on her short list of devestating diseases) are the people who live in the present moment.

Sounds so simple, but it is difficult to do. When I really apply it to my life, I have found that it keeps me from being so pretrified and I have even risen above my pain in those brief moments.

For example, last night I was in so much pain that I didn't want to give my son a bath. Let me rephrase that. As a mother, there's nothing more that I would like to do, than to take care of my children. However, this disease has sucked the joy out of being a mother - for me on some days - I usually feel so awful that I just want to be underneath the covers and heavily sedated.

So last night, I would have preferred my husband help out with this task, but my son pleaded for me to give him a bath. I reminded myself to try to enjoy the moment - that he is only going to be young once. I did manage to enjoy it last night and as he was getting out of the bath I said, "oh please don't grow anymore." He said, "I have to - I'm a man." (He's 4, but found peachfuzz under his arms and believes he is on his way to manhood). I could not stop laughing, which is a rare event for me and I really did rise above my pain for that short time. I am so grateful for that precious moment with my son. For some reason, it will be one of my most memorable.

By the way, don't even feel like you need to educate others about Lyme disease, if you feel as though they are not truly listening. I made the mistake of trying to educate my mother once with a very interesting post here on LymeNet. She She rejected it almost immediately. She wasn't even going to try to read it. But she was able to clarify her position at that time. She was not going to be a Lyme disease advocate for me, just as she was not going to be a MS advocate for my sister. Ouch - that one hurt.

That is what she chose to believe I was asking of her when I brought that article to her attention. I was trying to get her to read an article about how sick we are and how many different forms the illness takes, because it affects so many different organ systems. She couldn't even read that article because she didn't like "the tone". Go figure. This is my mother - the person that I would think and hope to be the most supportive and least judgemental. If I had really tuned in, I would have noticed her body language - she does not want to hear about any of the politics of this disease and she only wants the facts. Her facts. As much as I don't want to admit it, this disease has affected my relationship with my mother (as well as others). How sad. One would think that it would make us closer. But it's not cancer - it's lyme disease. This disease provokes people. It's just weird.

I hope that this makes some sense and that you are able to find the treatment you need to recover your health.

And I feel altering the way we feel about ourselves either by holistic self healing techniques, mediation or whatever appeals and speaks to you is the most important thing.

If you are in a positive zone you are better inclined to heal to your capacity and not allow negativity from those who are ignorant interfere with your well being.

I remember a very good friend at the time writting me a long email ( right before I was getting married by the way) to tell me she thought I was " coping out" and using my sickness as an excuse for not living etc etc...and how I was so thin that she thought I was killing myself with all the meds I was taking.

Funny b/c I think it was more that I was happy, thin and marrying a wonderful man...when she was in a horribke marriage ..had her kids already so nothing else to show off for since that is her personality, and in a go nowhere life...

I think if you really look at the poepl that say negative things to you you will see that it is motre b/c of their unhappiness and insecurities about themselves then anything else.

Needless to say I told that friend where to go and have never spoken to her again..

A positive attitude, faith and hope can lighten the lyme load, but you cannot wish Lyme away. Do not let anyone suggest to you that if your faith were stronger you "then" would be healed.

Sometimes the most caring people can say something really silly and that silliness can have a neg affect on someone ill.

Even in the midst of pain, fear and dispair remain hopeful. Do not let circumstances have power over your faith.

I know how difficult this is, for chronic pain robs the soul and when you are in that dark place the only thing you can see and feel is the pain.

Fear and stress increase pain.
Relaxation, meditaion, prayer does have the ability to relax you, but not remove Lyme.
Prayer can bring healing, but that is not your choice, but Gods.
God Bless you.
Peace,
BJG

Well, my friend is now on extremely high doses of allopathic medications because the illness spread to many parts of the body and became crippling.

This person uses both natural/spiritual and allopathic means to heal now, after many years of not getting well. I have learned much from this person about the spiritual aspects and have incorporated those things into my treatment.

I think when those who advise us have walked in our shoes they tend to see both aspects of the healing process a little more clearly. I tried to treat without abx for 3 months and became extremely ill. It was a test that taught me to accept and embrace aspects of allopathic medicine. Before Lyme it was a struggle to get me to take even an aspirin.

Do what feels right for you, not what feels right for someone else. Accept their well meaning intentions but don't let others control you, not even your LLMD.