Let's keep the faith!
xoxo

Monica, that's a GREAT question. I think words like that can act as a form of medical hexing. Perhaps the patient is well on their way to curing their own disease, but because they've been "hexed" and their belief in ability to be healed has been dashed, they may stay sick.

The placebo effect happens when people think they will get well- and do. While the placebo effect can be a potent healer, the "nocebo" effect comes into play when people believe they will get sick- and do.

One study showed that if you tell people you're giving them chemo- then give them saline instead- 30% of them lose their hair.

So yes, I think we should banish words like "terminal" and "chronic." Why hex people when miracles are known to happen?

Thanks for the great ? love
xoxo
Lissa

I think we are on the cusp of learning how to attune our inner energy with our physical body. We've focused for years on the hard physical science of healing but have done very little with the mind, spirit and general energy.

Do you think Lissa, given your experience and research, that words like "terminal" or "chronic" should continue to be used by doctors? My thyroid doctor told me my body would NEVER produce enough hormones on its own and I would have to be on medicine the rest of my life. "Never" is a pretty settling word for the mind. It's a difficult position for a professional who is trying to be honest,yet maybe they are unknowingly planting an outcome.

Hey Lissa,

You asked a couple posts ago to tell you about how I healed myself of Crohn's Disease, but I didn't have time to put it all into words. It's such a long story. But I was writing a blog back then (2006) and it's still out there.... so here are some excerpts that sum it up way better than I could now. It's funny to re-read the posts from that time in my life... since that time I've become a healer! I'm a Reiki Master, I do Avesa Quantum Healing, and I'm an advanced Spiritual Response Therapy practitioner. I even know a little BodyTalk and plan to learn more when the time is right. Each and every step I've taken has been both difficult and amazing, all at the same time. I feel oddly blessed that I had Crohn's Disease once upon a time, because it brought me to my purpose and passion in life: healing.

Shift in belief:

http://livablecity.typepad.com/livablecity/2006/04/rhetorical_part.html

What I'm doing is changing myself, piece by piece. I'm adjusting my perspective about my body, my mind, and my place in the world. I'm trying to let go of the perception that I'm diseased, that I'm destined to be plagued by this my entire life. I feel like I'm walking around with a limp just because someone told me I had a limp. The most important thing I have to do is let go of my disease. I want to be better and the only way that's going to happen is if I believe I can be.

*****
Going off of Remicade:

http://livablecity.typepad.com/livablecity/2006/10/lovely_remicade.html

I have an IV appointment next Thursday, the 5th. When I'm sitting quietly and I think about that appointment, I would be lying if I said I wanted to go. Part of me is excited that I feel, from my gut, that I'm ready to ditch the medication. I wasn't sure I'd ever get here... fear is a powerful motivator. The thing is, the fear has changed. I am starting to fear what the Remicade is doing to my body, instead of fearing what my body will do to me without it. The logical part of me wants to think this through, to not act hastily, and to stop getting the infusions when I'm 100% certain the time is right. The intuitive part of me says now is the time.

http://livablecity.typepad.com/livablecity/2006/11/remicade_what_t.html

I want to follow my instincts and reject the medication. I don't think any of the medications do much for me. I've always felt that I'm mentally blocking them in some manner and I'm not just talking about Remicade. I was on Imuran for YEARS before the Remicade (and I quietly removed myself from it when I went on Remicade, due to warnings of increased risk of cancer when taking both drugs) and I always felt that my stubborn attitude (I WILL NOT GET SICK MORE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE OF THIS STUPID DRUG THAT'S SUPPRESSING MY IMMUNE SYSTEM) kept Imuran from fully doing it's job.

*****
Choosing to heal:

http://livablecity.typepad.com/livablecity/2006/08/its_funny_excep.html

B. I choose to heal.

It can be rather difficult to overcome the things that have been ingrained in you from childhood. I was brought up believing that doctors know everything and what they say is The Gold Standard of Truth. To not follow their orders was unthinkable, and this was proven time and again when illness befell me and a week of the pink, gooey stuff would make me right as rain. So when doctors told me that I have a disease that will never go away, I may have consciously questioned them, but I subconsciously believed them. "I am sick," my subconscious thought. "I will have this problem for the rest of my life, it will never go away." I am spending time now telling myself and even other people that I HAD Crohn's disease. To truly rid myself of it, I have to let it go. I am choosing to let it go; I am choosing to heal. I am committed to both of these things, albeit a little afraid of going off the Remicade. But I will get there in my own time and get there I shall.

*******
Discovering the real reason behind my symptoms:

http://livablecity.typepad.com/livablecity/2006/12/love_in_the_tim.html

I've come to a diagnosis. Actually, I'd like to rephrase that: I've come to a truth. My interactions with my family are what's causing my disease. The pattern is unmistakable and even though the explanation gets pretty far out and hippified, it doesn't take a genius to see that every time I make leaps and bounds with my treatment, I experience a significant setback after seeing my family.

NOTE FROM 2011: I have a fab relationship with my family now. I had to do some major energetic work to shift the way we interacted to a healthier one and when I did, something magic happened... as I changed, my family members changed. We're all ascending at our own paces, but we relate to each other in more respectful and non-damaging ways now. It was TOUGH STUFF at the time, but it was so worth all the hard work.

Laurie, you bring up an important point. You say "For the first year, I had no idea if my approach was placebo or real. But an MRI solved the mystery. Fewer lesions. Smaller lesions."

But studies show that IS the placebo effect! Those getting placebo not only feel better in most clinical trials. They also have physiological changes- their bronchi dilate, their tumors shrink, their colons become less inflamed. Clearly, the power of belief mixed with the ritual of care causes potent physiological changes in the body. The body literally heals itself. The placebo effect is nothing to dismiss. It's something to fully embrace!

Lissa,

Thank you so much for delving deep on this. I'm a huge fan of Dr. Mark Hyman who has also dug deep into the lit. He would be great for you to connect with.

Anyway, I have healed myself of the "incurable" MS. There has been no single cure, but rather a comprehensive (holistic if you will) approach. Diet has been my foundation (an alkaline diet). Body work, guided imagery, yoga and mediation make up the rooms of my healing house. The roof is living a life of authenticity and congruity.

Placebo effect? For the first year, I had no idea if my approach was placebo or real. But an MRI solved the mystery. Fewer lesions. Smaller lesions. Yes, healing can happen.

Thank you for helping spread the word. Yes, we have the ability to heal ourselves. But we have to want it and believe in it. I used to be a skeptical person. I had to toss that way of being out the window to make room for healing.

xoxo