Healing entails more than just maintaining a state of physical wellness. Healing is concerned with the four major forces that make up our existence: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. If one or more of these areas is not functioning optimally, we require healing to restore balance to those forces.
We can be physically healthy, but if our relationships with others are tense, we need to heal. We may be physically compromised in some way, but if we have accepted that state and embraced a new way of life, we can consider ourselves to be healing because we are not rejecting what is physically not “working,” but rather seeing it as an integral part of what makes us who we are.
Following any major physical “insult,” as they call it, it’s all too easy to see yourself as a collection of symptoms rather than as a complete human being, including your spirit – and thus to become your illness… After all, healing is not the same as curing; healing does not imply returning to the way things were before, but rather allowing what is now to bring us closer to God.”
Why do we sometimes struggle to heal properly? How does a seemingly minor injury or illness spiral out of control, spawning new chronic conditions and wearing down the body? Why do some people struggle to move on after going through a difficult period in their lives?
Sometimes we don’t heal because medicine or counseling can only address one aspect of the problem. People who are chronically ill may need to make lifestyle changes – dietary changes, some form of exercise, stress reduction techniques, or setting healthy boundaries in their relationships with others – to see a significant improvement in their overall health quality.
People who have experienced trauma frequently experience symptoms in their bodies long after the event has occurred because the emotional or spiritual wound is still open. According to a study published in the January 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, children who have been traumatized by physical or emotional abuse are more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) as adults.
Other causes of CFS in adults may include environmental triggers or an inflammatory response that went haywire (both of which are traumas in their own right), but it’s important to note that unresolved deep traumas continue to play out in our lives long after the event has passed. Even if we acknowledge the traumas, we may not have fully integrated the experience to allow for deep healing. Depending on the nature of the trauma, healing may require time, commitment, and one or more approaches.
People do not always heal because they are resistant in some way. Either they have received so much negative reinforcement about being sick in the form of attention – from doctors, family, or other caregivers – that they are having psychological difficulties letting go of their identity as a “sick” person.
Another reason people do not heal is that they do not believe they are worthy of being well. If they have low self-esteem or were raised to believe that they do not deserve to be happy or have good things happen to them, it can be difficult to let go of negative mental conditioning that allows illness to manifest and take residence.These are not “bad” or “wrong” people. They have simply been conditioned to believe and integrate their experiences in these ways for a long time, and healing cannot begin until they recognize those patterns and process them differently.
Healing is a process that everyone can participate in, but some people are resistant to it. This block can be caused by a belief that healing is too difficult or impossible. However, this is merely a belief that must be altered. Anyone can access the healing they require by recognizing that healing is a process that is available to all and taking steps to remove any impediments. Healing can be an empowering and transformative experience when approached with the right attitude and tools.
Copywriter Pamela Jackson 2023. All Rights Reserved.
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