My journey into the exploration of the Mind Body connection started early on in my life, as my first patient told me the personal story behind her systemic lupus erythematosus. Many years later, as I woke up one morning with an awful skin rash, I remembered that case and had the insight that allowed me to heal almost instantly. This set me off on a journey of study into the power of the Mind Body connection in healing. Symptoms are symbolic of the emotions and thoughts we experience. When seen as indicators, symptoms can guide us to the aspects of our lives that need profound healing.

Ever since Descartes, and for the last 4 centuries, mind and body have been separated in medicine. Things started to change at the end of the twentieth century with the advent of psychoneuroimmunology. But does the neuro-hormonal model explain the intimate link between mind and body? What if there was a matrix of information that dictates the characteristics of our anatomy and physiology?

Mind and Body are co-emergent qualities of a person.  The stories we have adopted for our lives are translated into how we think, how we behave, as well as what we look for in reality. Our interactions with other people are also based on those stories, creating a circle of self-perpetuating experience that traps us even more. 

Your physical symptoms are closely linked to the meanings or stories you construct about your life events. The magnitude or the nature of the event itself does not dictate the amount of suffering connected to it, and all suffering can lead to physical illness.  This is important because incidents that seem minor or trivial can have a profound impact on people's lives.  Even those who seem to have perfect childhoods can stay hooked to stories that cause them terrible pain. 

A good starting point in exploring the MindBody connection behind physical symptoms is the timing of their appearance. What was happening in the person's life at the time when the symptoms appeared is an essential piece of information that opens the path to exploration. 

Physical symptoms seem to be the symbolic expression of the patient's lived experience. The interpretation of these symbols is a gateway that can open the path to healing. In this episode, we explore different ways to explore the symbols behind illness. 

We have all heard expressions of language that refer to the body. "I am heartbroken", "I am sick and tired of...", "I can't stand".  These are important clues pointing to the nature of the issues lying behind physical symptoms. Another way to explore language is to ask the patient to describe their symptoms and to reflect those words back to them. 

We are constantly trying to adapt to our ever-changing world. Sometimes, a person feels trapped. They can't find a way to solve a problem or to deal with their circumstances. In those cases, illness might be the subconscious mind's last resource. Illness allows people to rest and be looked after,  step down from excessive responsibilities or walk away from stressful situations with a valid reason. The question to ask here is "how is this illness the solution"?