Sensitivity on a Spectrum - Part 4

The benefits of knowing your boundary type don't stop with an appreciation of the kinds of chronic illness to which you may be susceptible. Since specific forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are known to alleviate the symptoms of particular kinds of chronic illness, you could conceivably develop a ‘menu' of therapies that would be most appropriate for the chronic condition you have (or are susceptible to). This is what I and my colleague, CAM authority Marc Micozzi, MD, PhD, have attempted to do. The aim is to provide health care consumers with pertinent information, based on sound and current medical science, to effectively guide their decision-making. This brings the concept of "personalized medicine" down to earth, making it more immediately accessible than any genotype assessment could be.

Chronic Illness is Different than Disease

It's important to realize that the health conditions mentioned above are distinct from diseases. A disease is an illness (even a run-of-the-mill illness, such as a cold) that is not conditioned by personality type and the way a person registers feelings. Anyone can catch a cold, and everyone wants to get rid of it. The most serious diseases, such as leukemia, smallpox, AIDS, malaria, cancer - are something our bodies fight precisely because they are alien and threaten our survival.

In contrast, science is showing that a variety of chronic conditions are more directly related to our thoughts and feelings. (link: www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/blogs/the-human-condition/2010/02/01/the-limited-power-of-placebo-when-the-strength-of-suggestion-is-not-enough.html) Rooted in our emotional biology, these types of illness include:

- Allergies
- Asthma
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Depression
- Fibromyalgia
- Hypertension
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Migraine headache
- Post traumatic stress disorder
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis)
- Ulcer

These conditions - call them the Dozen Discomforts - are far more constitutional than a disease. They affect a person, yes, but they are also "of" him or her. They don't owe expressly to germs or genes but are rooted in how we handle stimuli, the most important kind being emotional. These illnesses won't be resolved through standard medical interventions (drugs, radiation, etc.) for the simple reason that they are not really alien to us.

Allopathic medicine, which fundamentally views sickness as originating outside the person, fails in many cases to successfully treat chronic pain and illness. CAM, however, can often do so. That's because complementary and alternative approaches are psychosomatic in the literal (and appropriate) sense of the term. They address the whole person: the emotional/mental ("psyche") as well as the physical ("soma"). Distinct from conventional practices that treat a given symptom or set of symptoms, CAM treatments proceed from a holistic perspective that considers the entire patient - mind and body.

CAM Treatments for You

There are, of course, many CAM therapies but seven of them stand out by virtue of being well established, safe, and effective. Indeed, based on an analysis of CAM therapy type matched against boundary type conducted by Dr. Micozzi, the relative merits of these seven become clear. (Jawer and Micozzi 2011) The "Super Seven" are:

- Acupuncture
- Biofeedback
- Guided Imagery
- Hypnosis
- Meditation
- Relaxation/Stress Reduction
- Yoga

These therapeutic approaches have been extensively studied over many years. They are not ‘off the wall' or in an early stage of development. They have helped millions of people already and saved them a substantial amount of money in the process. I am not arguing against conventional medicine, but I am advocating sound, safe, cost-effective treatments that - based on your boundary type - have a reasonable chance of improving your health.

Notes:

Jawer, Michael A. and Micozzi, Marc S. Your Emotional Type. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 2011.