Fear-Based Medicine
Today, more than
ever before, our culture is impacted by fear-based
conventional medicine. Pharmaceutical companies spend
millions of dollars to convince people that they should
fear disease, take this or that drug to treat this or that
disease rather than cure it, that natural medicines are bad
and pharmaceuticals are good, and that treating a
non-existant condition in order to avoid developing the
problem. This might be worth it if our health was better
today than ever before, but it isn't!
At the same time, conventional medicine advocates
prophylactically removing body parts that might become
cancerous at some point in time (removing health tissue
before it might become diseased, mostly female sex organs
like uteri and breasts), increasing the number of cesarean
births to produce "perfect babies," inductions to make
birth more convenient and safe (for whom?), performing
unnecesary tests, and a host of other practices that have
no proof that patients will be healthier. Most of the
"value" lies in avoiding malpractice suits.
And why do people allow this? Because they live in fear!
Because they listen to well-meaning friends, family, care
providers, etc. who provide them with doses of more fear
instead of focusing on prevention and making choices that
carry the least risk of harm.
Take for instance your well-meaning family member who tells
you, "You know all your aunts and uncles have diabetes and
there is a high incidence of stroke and heart disease. You
just can't beat it. It will catch up with you some day and
then you'll be in same boat as the rest of us!" Or, how
about this encouraging affirmation: "You know every body in
our family seems to buy it young. Live it up while you can,
because all the men our family are either sick or dead
before retirement age!"
We internalize these messages. We fear disease, worship at
the altar of conventional medicine and hope and pray it can
make us well but seldom choose a health lifestyle that
would most likely protect us from the things we fear the
most. The end result is often that the thing or things we
fear the most, come to live with us when just a few changes
in our lifestyle and in our thinking could prevent it.
The outcome of living in fear is to keep high levels of
stress hormones running our bodies. This ages us faster and
causes us to be more suceptible to illness because it
depresses the immune system. It taxes our body organs and
causes them to function less efficiently and burn out
easier. It costs us sleep because we worry about what might
be around the corner. It steals our joy because the good
might be temporary and the bad might be premanent. It
causes us to speak what we don't want, focus on what we
least desire, and fail to appreciate what we have.
The Bible says, "You
are snared with the words of your lips, you are caught by
the speech of your mouth." [Prov. 6:2]
or
"Death
and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who
indulge in it shall eat the fruit of
it."
In other words, What you speak, you reap. Romans 4:17 puts
it this way, "(He)
speaks of the monexistent things as if they already
existed."
Unity puts it this way, "We
are co-creators with God, creating reality through our
thoughts, beliefs and words."
Or, more familiarly put, "Thoughts
in mind reproduce after their kind."
In case this isn't perfectly clear, let me state it clearly
and affirmatively: You create your health by the focus and
content of your thoughts and words. When your focus is on
health and wellness, your situation will shift in the
direction of better health and a greater sense of
well-being. When you live in fear of disease and poor
health, your reality will shift to follow that fear.
Let me give you a concrete and real life example. My father
has for years warned me about family members who have poor
health, often at an early age, and assured me that I would
reap similar consequences. My response has always been
"Don't curse me with poor health! No thanks, I don't want
any of that!" To this day, in my 50's. I have focused on a
healthier lifestyle, good nutrition, and a thorough
knowledge of what is needed for me to live my life in good
health. People often observe me and tell I look at least a
decade younger than my age. I am seldom ill, and when I am,
it lasts a short period of time. My choice for healing is
to avoid drugs and surgery and seek natural means to move
me from whatever condition promotes the dis-ease into a
place of healing.
I don't live in fear of poor health or any other kind of
fear. We have sufficient financial resources to meet our
needs and to share with others. We don't fear a poor
economy; instead focusing on thankfulness for what we have
and acting with good stewardship with what we have. We
don't fear tomorrow, but instead believe that we will reap
good now and in the future. Our experience tells us this
positive focus works!
So what would I recommend instead? Understand your past and
focus on strategies and a lifestyle that is full of good
health, abundant resources, happiness, peace and love. Use
the knowledge you have to eat nutritiously, keep your body
functioning well and maintaining a positive outlook. When
faced with discomfort and dis-ease, choose options that
will quickly and efficiently return your body to good
health with the least risk of negative outcome. Avoid fear
and fear-based thoughts, and affirm that you are living in
a state of health that is improving and providing you with
the kind of life you want. Meditate and affirm you are
healthy and getting healthier; from the cellular level up.
Choose love over fear; peace over panic; thanksgiving over
complaining. You choose your reality - make it a good one.
Contact
Information:
Kathy
Barr, CCD, CCCE, CCM, BE, PE, CVE, Traditional Naturopath
817-819-8457
