Heal Thyself!

(photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash)

The word “healing” means different things to different people. For some it evokes physical injury, for others it evokes past emotional traumas. I think we can all agree by now that mind and body are cohesive, and we cannot treat one without impacting the other.

I am a staunch believer in the miracles of modern medicine. Humans are living longer because of such innovations as pacemakers, stents, heart valve replacements etc. The majority of people over sixty are taking medications for cholesterol, blood pressure, or other conditions that would have killed us a century ago.

I also try to keep an open mind towards non-traditional medicine, such as herbal remedies, acupuncture, laser light therapy, etc. I took my friend’s advice and drank a bottle of colloidal silver when I got Covid and I recently tried prolotherapy for my chronic lower back pain, but unfortunately it didn’t help me. Acupuncture really helped me cure migraines post-partum.

It is challenging when healing demands that we change our routines or lifestyle. When I hit age forty, I has to give up running because of metatarsalgia in my feet. Luckily this was around the time when elliptical trainers came on the scene. So, this was a good alternative. It’s harder when we have to change our diet, like I recently had to give up soda because of reflux.

Healing myself from a sudden onset of anxiety at age thirty-eight required therapy, a lot of reading, medication, and gradual exposure to my fears using cognitive behavior techniques. Some people take years to overcome mental illness, trauma, or addiction and require plenty of support.

One thing is certain: it takes longer to heal as we get older. A simple finger cut can take two weeks for me now, when it used to heal in a few days, so cautionary prevention is key. We can less afford to take risks as we age.

What has worked for you? Please share a past experience.