Why People Don’t Heal

by Keli MacIntosh

“But I’ve done everything you said!”  blurted Mabel as she looked directly into her doctor’s eyes.  There was no need to ask the obvious question – Why had her cancer come back?  In another office a man sat listening as his doctor went over the lab reports that verified he now had a clean bill of health.  What is it that makes some people’s health continue to decline while others seem to rebound from physical challenges so easily?  Why is it that some people just don’t heal?

There are lots of obvious reasons why a person’s health would be poor; their diet could consist of fast food, chocolate, and caffeine; they could skip meals in hopes of losing those extra pounds and snack on foods with no nutritional value; they could smoke non-stop and drink too much alcohol; they might literally be working themselves to death; or they might live in an extremely polluted area and be full of toxins.

But what about the person who watches what they eat, exercises routinely, doesn’t smoke or drink to excess?  Why would a person who really tries to stay healthy succumb to disease?

Here are two interesting theories to consider – either they don’t have the energy to heal, or they are benefiting in some way from being ill.

Carolyn Myss, in her lecture Why People Don’t Heal, likens our bodies to an intricate maze of electrical circuits, each influencing the effectiveness of our cellular activities.  When a person invests too much emotional energy into keeping a past event alive, such as holding a grudge or continually fretting over something someone may have said when they were a child, part of their “energy” becomes unavailable.  Myss explains it as sending your soul back to nurture a past injury.  Only by “calling back your soul” (by letting go of the negative past event) can you regain your ability to heal yourself.

One example is of a woman who had justified years of staying with an unfaithful husband “because of the children”.  After they had grown and there was no longer that excuse for putting up with the man’s extramarital activities, she developed cancer and was failing rapidly.  During a meditation exercise she came to realize that she didn’t want to leave her husband; she had grown to love him deeply and wanted to stay with him.  And, more importantly, he would have run around no matter who he had married – she was not responsible for his behaviors.  Once she dropped the burden of feeling that she needed justification from others for staying with him, she began to heal.  She was able to reconnect enough of her “electrical circuits” to beat her cancer!

From a different perspective, people can often use illness as a way of getting attention.  When you were a child did your mother take time to stay with you when you had a stomach ache or a bad cold?  Do you find your friends are more attentive if your arthritis is acting up?  Doctors’ children sometimes feel that the only way they can command their parent’s attention is to be sick; after all, it works with the patients.

People frequently obtain secondary gains from an illness.  They can assume power over others, often by making them feel guilty because of their suffering; or they might take control of a situation by suddenly having an “attack” of something.

One woman found protection in her illness.  In a fit of anger her abusive husband had told her that if she “wasn’t already a cripple” he would really beat her!  She, left in her current situation, had the legitimate fear of not surviving her recovery!

Not all situations are as extreme as these.  Sometimes emotional eating can result from a parent constantly monitoring their child’s weight.  If facing a challenge always brings on a headache, that person may remember being told  “You’ll never amount to anything!”  Finding the “electrical” problem with your health may take some deep soul searching.  So be attentive to your behaviors and their associated feelings.

And the next time you feel frustrated by your unsatisfied efforts to conquer health challenges, take time to check out your circuits.  You just might need to figure out where your soul has gone and why you are unable to call it back!

May your lifestyle be a healthy one!

Keli MacIntosh has over 40 years of experience in the medical field as a Registered Nurse. She is also a Certified Nutritional Consultant and manager of Natural Health Specialists. For a health consultation, call Keli at (231) 946-3872.