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Alternative Health & Healing:
Medical Intuition- Tune in to Your Body and Improve Your Health:
Understanding Addictions
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by Caroline Sutherland |
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Many ill people have obvious patterns of addiction or low self-esteem running through their lives. An addiction is anything that has a "hold" on us, such as work, exercise, sex, food (especially chocolate, sugar, and coffee), alcohol, cigarettes, illegal drugs, medications, money, worry, material possessions, relationships, negativity, overachieving, gambling, and so on. People can even be addicted to illness.
These addictive tendencies begin in childhood with our constant need for attention. Our parents or caregivers kept us quiet with food, the breast or bottle, pacifiers, toys, outings, and other diversions. The minute we squawked, we were given something to keep us quiet. Now that we're adults, we rely upon our addictions to numb the pain and frustration of daily life. Our addictions give us a sense of power and control over our random, workaday lives.
Coffee drinkers, for example, can describe in minute detail the feeling of their special brand of elixir as it touches every inch of their alimentary tract. And yet, you wouldn't believe the number of people seeking optimum health while being addicted to caffeine, chocolate and sugars-not to mention illegal drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. Obviously, as soon as people stop taking these addictive substances, their health dramatically improves.
Seeing Addictions from a Spiritual Point of View
Some people have had very traumatic childhoods, and the comfort that their bad habits provide is justifiable. But the grapple hook of addictions can be an avoidance mechanism to take people off the path toward fulfillment, or can prevent them from exploring issues and subjects that expose their vulnerability. I believe that life is all about learning, growing, and mastering certain behaviors, the least of which are addictions.
On a higher, spiritual level, addictions are interesting. They have great power over us, and also carry negative vibrations, which can be seen energetically. These negative energies or "entities" attach themselves to the physical body. When I see an addicted person, I can tell that something has a hold on them. I will see black all around the person-they appear unclear or dark, as if they're engulfed in a murky cloud. Some negative force is sapping their life force or vitality-and I know that they're addicted.
From the spiritual perspective, nothing can have a hold on us-no substance, person, place, or possession. We must be free, clear, and available to be moved by the universe. Addictions derail us and keep us from fully entering life and heeding our true callings. Staying stuck in a bad habit of any kind means that we're not really ready to grow up and take full responsibility for the life that God has given us.
Another way of putting it is if we're addicted, we're not clear. We don't give off lucent, radiant energy from our bodies; therefore, our auras (or electromagnetic fields) are muddy. The emission of brilliant, pure energy from our physical selves is significant in the area of manifestation; that is, we desire to attract the best to us on a material and spiritual level. I believe that exuding this luminous energy is the cornerstone to materializing positive experiences. A clear and healthy physical body, and plenty of personal fulfillment, is necessary for optimum health. If we're blocked in any way, whether it's due to addiction or illness, our physical bodies become tired and worn down, and we cannot reach our highest potential.
Emotions and Cravings
On an emotional level, an addicted person has a very strong little child inside of them who's running the show. "Life is too difficult, and I must have my treats, my pacifier, or something to make me feel better," this child says. When people realize that the body they've been given is an instrument to carry them through to complete their mission and purpose in this life, they then seem happy to let go of their unhealthy cravings and addictions in favor of a healthier lifestyle.
I'm often asked how I manage my own food cravings. Like many of you, I have a formidable inner child that needs plenty of nurturing. I have to let the little child have her treats-treats that won't make me feel sick. Because I'm very aware of my food sensitivities, I had to do a lot of research and recipe-tweaking in order to find goodies that wouldn't make my Candidiasis proliferate, spike my blood sugar (which would give me that tired, low-energy feeling later on), or initiate a histamine reaction, which would trigger food allergies.
On occasion, I do enjoy a sweet dessert or a glass of wine. I indulge myself occasionally, but it has to be something really special. For instance, for a delectable slice of hazelnut torte or a dish of creme brflée, I might be willing to pay the price of feeling a little "off" the next day. But it's not worth it for me to jeopardize my whole program just for a mundane piece of pie or an ordinary cookie. When, like me, you know your body so well that you can tell when it's slightly left of center, the foods that you used to crave will no longer have a hold on you. The value that you'll place on a finely tuned, healthy body will just be too great.
Addiction to Medication
I can't stress enough the importance of competent, regular medical attention. The use of medication is between you and your doctor. There's a place for medication, just as there's a place for natural remedies-everything works together. Thanks to medication, hearts are regulated, diabetes is controlled, headaches are cured, and pain is alleviated.
But there are people who are overmedicated and will reach for "magic bullets" whenever a symptom of any kind appears. That is, they're addicted to the concept of taking medication for every ailment that they have, instead of trying to figure out where the problem originated. On some level, people can often be addicted to the emotional drama that they've created in their lives, and they prefer to look to medication as a remedy, instead of dealing with what caused the pain in the first place. When a person is medicated, this presents an interesting challenge for me intuitively. When I tune in to a body, it normally looks like a road map to me-but when someone is medicated or especially overmedicated, I can't see the "map" because it's covered with clouds. Much like a person with any kind of addiction, the medicated person appears not to be a "real" person, but someone wearing a disguise, which masks who they are on a physical level.
Inge's Case
Forty-year-old Inge came to me seeking help. She was on eight different medications, and I could hardly look at her body intuitively. Energetically, she was as scattered and discordant as an orchestra with every single member playing off-key. Her body was laboring under the strain of trying to deal with all of these medications. She took antidepressants and hormone-balancing medication, as well as pills for sleep, to prevent asthma attacks, and for high blood pressure. On the surface, she appeared to be a bright, positive person, but underneath, she was dealing with plenty of emotional issues.
Every day, she drank coffee and ate copious amounts of dairy products, to which she was obviously allergic. She was also addicted to chocolate. Yet, even at 50 pounds overweight, Inge seemed very motivated and anxious to conquer her health issues, and although I was skeptical and reluctant, I agreed to work with her.
We identified her food allergies and checked out her home for environmental factors that might have been triggering her asthma. I suggested simple supplementation to support her body, and emotional counseling for her soul. (The reduction of her medications was between her and her doctor.) Today, Inge has lost weight, no longer has asthma attacks, and has greatly reduced her medication.
Paulette's Case
People are often addicted to their illnesses. The experience of being in pain can bring great rewards in terms of care, nurturing, and most important-love.
Paulette is a perfect example of someone who used illness in an addictive manner to gain the attention and helpful concern of her husband. When I met Paulette, her chronic illness was the center of her focus. But as is the case with many people I work with, I knew that Paulette didn't have to be ill. She walked with a cane and was obviously in a great deal of pain, yet I knew intuitively that her body had every capacity to be fully functional.
I suggested a very simple program of food allergy avoidance, yeast eradication, and supplementation. Two days later, I had the opportunity to see her again at a medical intuitive training session. In the 48 hours since I'd first seen her, she was able to get out of a chair without help. I was fascinated-how could this body that was so out of balance start to correct itself so quickly? I decided to keep track of Paulette's progress, and I called her a week later. She continued to improve and had gained more mobility. She joked that she might even have to go back to work.
A month later, I placed a follow-up call. She'd slipped back into her old habits and addictions. Why wouldn't Paulette want to help herself and recover? The price of losing her doting husband's constant care and attention, coupled with the looming possibility of returning to work, was just too much for her to contend with.
It's sad that so many people forget this basic concept: The body knows what to do to get healthy. Paulette's brief glimpse at a level of wellness that she'd only dreamed about confirms this important truth. Optimum health takes a deeper level of commitment than some people are willing to make, and as a medical intuitive, I find that the unraveling of this multilayered puzzle can be both disturbing and rewarding. It's very sad for me to watch the grip that addictions have on some people, and how they can never reach their best health-physically or emotionally-until they come to terms with their "demons."
Bones and Skeletons
I'm going to include a very brief chapter on skeletal imbalances, since I don't usually "see" them. My instincts aren't trained in this manner, and it doesn't appear to be my domain. My aptitude lies in perceiving the organs and organ systems in the body, as well as the environmental factors we've been addressing. So, I prefer to leave the skeletal structure to the practitioners who have expertise in that area. However, when organs, systems, and processes are supplied with proper nutrition, the skeletal system is also nourished. Toxins circulating around in the bloodstream can hinder the supply of nourishment to the bones.
People are often delightfully surprised when, simply by reducing body toxins, their stiff necks ease, the pain in their lower back improves, and their muscles become more flexible. Many people comment about the suppleness of their necks and joints after several weeks on a specific toxic-reducing program. One woman remarked that for the first time in years, she was able to turn her head comfortably to the side during her square-dancing classes.
Countless people complain of lower back pain. Often their bulging waistlines are putting great pressure on their back muscles. In most cases, once these people discover their food allergies and yeast problems-which are great contributors to distended stomachs-the weight will drop off, so the pressure of all that added weight on the back muscles is greatly reduced.
Elderly people often complain of hip, knee, and joint pain. A lady who came to the clinic was investigating having her knee joints replaced due to severe arthritis. It turned out that she was allergic to every food that she was eating. After a period of dietary management and appropriate nutritional supplementation, the pain in her knees was alleviated, and she avoided an expensive and complicated surgical process.
Elaine's Case
Elaine came to me because her teeth were falling out. Often loose teeth stem from a vitamin B deficiency. One of the most beneficial ways for the body to utilize iron and B vitamins, which we all need, is through the consumption of red meat. Red meat has received a bad rap over the years, and Elaine had believed this negative programming. Yet, despite what she'd heard, Elaine began to increase her intake of red meat. Within several weeks, her loose teeth began to feel more solid in her jaw, and she was spared the loss of more teeth.
No amount of dental work, chiropractic adjustments, or emotional processing would have corrected Elaine's problem. Her body knew what it wanted, and it was going to continue to tell her so with every loose tooth until the message was heard.
What Our Bones May Be Trying to Tell Us
On an emotional level, skeletal systems can be quite revealing. The skeletal structure is the foundation of the body. A weak or imbalanced skeleton may reveal where the structure of your outer life could be chaotic or breaking down. Teeth, in fact, can be linked to areas of pain in the physical body. Did you know that each tooth corresponds energetically to an organ or system in the body? A visit to your holistic dentist can identify which teeth may be compromised or infected-thus contributing to weakened organs and ongoing health problems.
There are ways of looking at painful areas of the body and establishing emotional correlations to them. One of the most popular books on the subject of the connection between emotions and health and disease is Heal Your Body, by Louise L. Hay (Hay House, 1984). This book lists every part of the body and the metaphysical reasons for disease in that area. In addition, it provides a positive correlation and affirmative statement to assist in healing each particular body part.
When I work with people, I'll get an intuitive "ding" (or message) about an emotional correlation for skeletal imbalances, and I often receive intuitive associations. For instance, the neck has long been seen, metaphysically, as the division between the head and the heart. Often people with neck pain, or even throat problems, can be experiencing a lack of alignment between what their head is saying to them and what their heart is feeling about a certain subject. As soon as this alignment is corrected, and body toxins are reduced, neck pain usually lessens. Shoulders are related to burden-the person is feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. Legs and backs are related to support-the legs support the body, and weak legs can't support a body that is unhealthy or emotionally overtaxed. Knees are related to money ("my-knee"), as well as bending to the higher will and surrendering (on our knees) to the Divine in our lives.
Back injuries don't just occur from lifting too much weight or straining the muscles-they're often related to financial or emotional support. The next time your back goes out, look at what might have occurred in your emotional life and where you feel unsupported, or look at possible financial strain.
Feet have to do with understanding-that is, what we're standing on, what our platform is, what we believe in, and how solid we feel in these areas. But I have witnessed many improvements in a person with foot problems when they're supplied with correct nutritional support. Just the avoidance of wheat alone can bring about an improvement in hot, swollen, or tired feet.
The head is related to thinking-usually too much of it. People who are "in their head" would benefit from the peaceful practice of meditation. When the pressure of mental strain is lifted from the body, healing energy moves in to assist in physical well-being. Meditation should be an important part of any health program. (In Chapter 16, I'll give you specific guidelines for meditation that will enhance this tool for optimum health.)
In the quest for ideal health, we need to remember that anything that we eat, drink, touch, or breathe can have an adverse effect on every area of our body. In the next chapter, I'll delve into the fascinating topic of the environment-both at home and at work-and show you how your home and work spaces can give you clues to the way you feel.
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Caroline Sutherland
Medical Intuitive,
Lecturer, & Author
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Caroline Sutherland is an internationally recognized medical intuitive,lecturer, workshop leader, and author of 15 books and audio programs onhealth, personal development, and self-esteem.
She is the founder of Sutherland Communications, which offers Medical Intuitive Training Programs;
Beautiful & Ageless® Programs for Menopausal Women;
Why Wait to LoseWeight®
® Effective Weight Loss Programs,
consultation services, and related products for adults and children.
She is a popular guest on radio and television. The Body Knows is her first book with Hay House.
www.carolinesutherland.com
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