Well hello there. Let's start with a question:
Q:What do the following have in common?
Aromatherapy, Osteopathy, Cranial Osteopathy, Spiritual Healing, Reiki Healing, Sound Bath Healing, Exclusion diets, Homeopathy, TM, Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness, Acupuncture, Allergy testing, Vega Testing, Muscle Testing, Breath Control, Air filter, Naturopathy, Bach Flower Remedies, Staying at a private hospital, Deep Tissue Massage, Crystal Healing, Counselling, Psychotherapy, Yoga, CBD, Liquid Oxygen and Tumeric lattes...
A: They are all therapies I have used over the years.
Some have been really helpful, others have failed to have any effect whatsoever, (other than making me poorer and sometimes in debt). Some have been a lot of 'woo- woo', and some have become part of my ongoing maintenance routine- ( thank you Meditation, Aromatherapy and Homeopathy!)
After seeing overworked Doctors, it can be bliss to consult an alternative practitioner who has time to listen sympathetically, and may seem to offer a solution. All this will be music to the ears of the typical ME patient, who may have spent years trying to convince their GP that they ARE really ill.
My advice after 30 years of a vicious tango with this illness, is never to pay anyone more money than you can afford to lose. If this sounds harsh, it is tough love, because you may be helped, you may find great benefit...but equally you may not! Chronic conditions are not easily cured, and ultimately you need the basic necessities of a roof over your head, heating and food, more than you need any therapist or healer...so don't get yourself in debt because of alternative therapy!
You are also likely to have had all kinds of friends and aquaintances recommend the local person who cured their friend with ME ( who is now mountain climbing/bringing up triplets/taking part in a triathlon). The therapist might be the best in their field, but they might still be unable to help you, ( as has happened to me more than once).
I have 4 rules of thumb for judging practitioners, that I have honed over the decades:
RULE 1**The more they promise- the less they deliver. If someone is really competent, then they will know that people are variable, and what has worked for one person, won't necessarily help another. Anyone telling you they, ' ...Can definitely cure you,' definitely can't. Only an idiot or snake-oil salesman, would make such a rash claim.
RULE 2**If you do not see any progress within a short time, you are unlikely to get a result with a longer time. Do not get duped ( as I have done in the past) into trying something for 3 months '..Because it will take a while to work.' or 'Things have to get much worse before they get better,' only to realise, that you have wasted all that money and time, and the practitioner was actually clueless.
RULE 3**Anything described as 'miraculous wonder drug/vitamin' probably isn't. Also be aware that many supplements are unregulated in terms of ingredients, eg, CBD. This is worrying in the sense that you may be paying for poor quality, but also, that you may be ingesting something that has God knows what in it. They can also be insanely expensive.
RULE 4** If the person makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, or intimates that your attitude changing is what will effect a cure, leave as fast as your knackered body can get you out of there!
Do not work with anyone who gives irresponsible advice such as stopping the medication you are on without consulting your Dr, or having all your fillings removed ( multiple local anaesthetics are not something to sign up for voluntarily, in my view). I have also had a couple of experiences of wildly inappropriate behaviour from a therapist- If in doubt- get the heck out.
Trust your gut feelings: YOU are the expert on your own body and mind, as you live with them every moment of every day.
THE BENEFITS OF SEEING A GOOD PRACTITIONER:
There are good, helpful, kind practitioners out there and they can be someone to help you manage your symptoms, and to review your health with. Decide on manageable goals together, and make a deadline to review progress: 'I want to take less pain medication' is more achievable, and more likely to happen, than 'I want to be completely cured'.
A good practitioner will NOT want to keep seeing you if they cannot help you. They will also not be short on clients, so don't need to work with folk they can't help.They will manage expectations and not offer miracle cures, or simplistic explanations of why you are ill. They can collaborate with you, and advise you when you have to manage acute problems on top of the usual chronic ones.
I have generally found that the things that have helped me the most have been things that I have been able to learn to use to self manage - again, Homeopathy, Meditation, aromatherapy.
WITHOUT SPENDING OUT ANY CASH, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOURSELF?
My last piece of advice is never to give away your agency and power. I know how desperate being chronically ill can make you feel, but you do not need anyone in your life who leaves you feeling sad, bad or just plain out of pocket!
THANK YOU FOR READING AND SUPPORTING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. PLEASE SHARE THIS BLOG WITH ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE INTERESTED.
Q:What do the following have in common?
Aromatherapy, Osteopathy, Cranial Osteopathy, Spiritual Healing, Reiki Healing, Sound Bath Healing, Exclusion diets, Homeopathy, TM, Buddhist Meditation, Mindfulness, Acupuncture, Allergy testing, Vega Testing, Muscle Testing, Breath Control, Air filter, Naturopathy, Bach Flower Remedies, Staying at a private hospital, Deep Tissue Massage, Crystal Healing, Counselling, Psychotherapy, Yoga, CBD, Liquid Oxygen and Tumeric lattes...
A: They are all therapies I have used over the years.
Some have been really helpful, others have failed to have any effect whatsoever, (other than making me poorer and sometimes in debt). Some have been a lot of 'woo- woo', and some have become part of my ongoing maintenance routine- ( thank you Meditation, Aromatherapy and Homeopathy!)
My advice after 30 years of a vicious tango with this illness, is never to pay anyone more money than you can afford to lose. If this sounds harsh, it is tough love, because you may be helped, you may find great benefit...but equally you may not! Chronic conditions are not easily cured, and ultimately you need the basic necessities of a roof over your head, heating and food, more than you need any therapist or healer...so don't get yourself in debt because of alternative therapy!
You are also likely to have had all kinds of friends and aquaintances recommend the local person who cured their friend with ME ( who is now mountain climbing/bringing up triplets/taking part in a triathlon). The therapist might be the best in their field, but they might still be unable to help you, ( as has happened to me more than once).
I have 4 rules of thumb for judging practitioners, that I have honed over the decades:
RULE 1**The more they promise- the less they deliver. If someone is really competent, then they will know that people are variable, and what has worked for one person, won't necessarily help another. Anyone telling you they, ' ...Can definitely cure you,' definitely can't. Only an idiot or snake-oil salesman, would make such a rash claim.
RULE 2**If you do not see any progress within a short time, you are unlikely to get a result with a longer time. Do not get duped ( as I have done in the past) into trying something for 3 months '..Because it will take a while to work.' or 'Things have to get much worse before they get better,' only to realise, that you have wasted all that money and time, and the practitioner was actually clueless.
RULE 3**Anything described as 'miraculous wonder drug/vitamin' probably isn't. Also be aware that many supplements are unregulated in terms of ingredients, eg, CBD. This is worrying in the sense that you may be paying for poor quality, but also, that you may be ingesting something that has God knows what in it. They can also be insanely expensive.
RULE 4** If the person makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, or intimates that your attitude changing is what will effect a cure, leave as fast as your knackered body can get you out of there!
Do not work with anyone who gives irresponsible advice such as stopping the medication you are on without consulting your Dr, or having all your fillings removed ( multiple local anaesthetics are not something to sign up for voluntarily, in my view). I have also had a couple of experiences of wildly inappropriate behaviour from a therapist- If in doubt- get the heck out.
Trust your gut feelings: YOU are the expert on your own body and mind, as you live with them every moment of every day.
THE BENEFITS OF SEEING A GOOD PRACTITIONER:
There are good, helpful, kind practitioners out there and they can be someone to help you manage your symptoms, and to review your health with. Decide on manageable goals together, and make a deadline to review progress: 'I want to take less pain medication' is more achievable, and more likely to happen, than 'I want to be completely cured'.
A good practitioner will NOT want to keep seeing you if they cannot help you. They will also not be short on clients, so don't need to work with folk they can't help.They will manage expectations and not offer miracle cures, or simplistic explanations of why you are ill. They can collaborate with you, and advise you when you have to manage acute problems on top of the usual chronic ones.
I have generally found that the things that have helped me the most have been things that I have been able to learn to use to self manage - again, Homeopathy, Meditation, aromatherapy.
WITHOUT SPENDING OUT ANY CASH, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOURSELF?
- Keep a symptoms diary- this has been game-changing for me and useful to see whether new supplements/medications/foods etc are having a positive or negative effect. It has been incredibly useful for medical appointments, but was also a helpful reminder when I had to fill in benefits forms.
Maintain a routine- it is very easy when you have symptoms that can vary from day to day, not to have any kind of routine- you're not at work, your social life is zero, why not get up when you fancy, or eat at random times?! For me this would be full-on-elephantine-chaos, as I need routine as scaffolding to get me through the day. I use alarms every hour, so I get through planning a bit at a time. When you feel this crappy an hour is a L-O-N-G time! - It is also nice to have some difference in routine at weekends- Give yourself a treat of some kind, or have your favourite meal.
- Keep hydrated.
- Don't neglect basic health maintenance. If you are unable to brush your teeth, then swill some mouthwash, if you can't wash, use wipes, etc. If you can attend basic health checks, pap smear, cholesterol tests, etc you will be really doing something good help yourself. Mine often take quite a few goes ( my last dental check had been cancelled 4 times, but I finally did it!)
- Find something to smile at everyday.
My last piece of advice is never to give away your agency and power. I know how desperate being chronically ill can make you feel, but you do not need anyone in your life who leaves you feeling sad, bad or just plain out of pocket!
THANK YOU FOR READING AND SUPPORTING THE CHRONIC ELEPHANT. PLEASE SHARE THIS BLOG WITH ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE INTERESTED.
Really good post... wise advice!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am so glad you found it useful.
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