In chronic disease, the mental & emotional symptoms wrap themselves around the physical symptoms creating a tight knot that takes more than positive thinking to unwind.

Any of you who have suffered from chronic health struggles will know the frustration of a well intentioned friend who suggests, “having a positive attitude” or “don’t let yourself be limited”. If only it were that simple.

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Chronic health conditions by their very nature become a complex web of physical, mental and emotional symptoms. Over time, even ailments that start out as physical invariably end up triggering mental and emotional symptoms along with them.

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I’ll share a personal story from a time when I tried to break free from a condition that was hindering me. I was at a yoga and music retreat and one of the leaders was guiding a shaking practice. People were standing and shaking their bodies more and more vigorously. “Let go of your hesitation, shake out your stress, let yourself be free,” shouted the instructor over the pulse of live music.

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I was hesitant. After several years of post-concussion syndrome, I knew shaking was risky but I found myself wondering how much of I was holding onto old fear. Maybe I could step into a new reality and stop protecting my brain so much. So I started to shake, gently and I felt fine. I kept going and it felt so good to be able to join in, to feel like a ‘normal’ person the group. I didn’t go crazy. I stayed somewhat cautious but I did move freely.

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About thirty minutes later I knew I was in trouble. My nervous system went into overload and gradually the familiar shut down crept in.

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I had been feeling so well. Lying in my bed, dizzy and brain-fogged, I was crushed. “When will it end?”

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That episode took a few days to settle. I haven’t tried shaking since.

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It’s true that fear was in my way but so was a compromised nervous system that needed to be rebuilt gradually.

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To heal we need the right balance of physical support, emotional process and energetic medicine.

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Please don’t pressure yourself to talk your way out of it. That’s not realistic for most long-term conditions.