Root Cause Healing

Is there something you have wanted to change about your current life, however, you have been ignoring the issue? Are you waiting to leave an unhappy relationship, find a new job, wear a bathing suit in public, or go on a trip until you get healthy, or feel better about yourself?  What if I told you that waiting might be what is making you sick, what is keeping you from taking the first step, making that change, or what is damaging your self-esteem in the first place?

Most people are aware that when we are experiencing stress, our adrenal glands produce cortisol. Although excess amounts of this hormone can impact your body and mind, the contributors to illness are at an even deeper level.

Root cause healing means permanent healing, rather than just band-aiding symptoms to achieve short term relief or remission. When you discover and treat all of the root causes of emotional and physical illness, you address the underlying causes.

For example, if you have been diagnosed with PTSD or experience recurring thoughts about past trauma, they may keep you stuck in the past, make you feel helpless, or make it difficult to feel strong and empowered. Damaging relationships do a number on our self-esteem by preventing us from expressing our feelings and being our true, authentic selves. Pushing down our feelings blocks us from connecting with our intuition, which means that we don’t feel safe, protected, or guided by a higher, loving force.  It also pushes the energy created by these feelings down into our body, where they are eventually expressed in unpleasant ways.

To understand this concept further, it is helpful to know about the emotional, physical and spiritual characteristics of the chakras. Chakras are energy centers in the body and when they are blocked or not functioning properly, this can lead to symptoms. For example, the fifth chakra is in the throat, physically impacting the thyroid, mouth and teeth, neck and shoulders and emotionally/spiritually impacting self-expression, will and communication. I frequently encounter clients with thyroid or neck issues who have difficulty expressing and addressing their feelings.  When they started allowing themselves to be more authentic, they have found symptom relief and actual healing. The first chakra is located at the base of the spine and physically relates to the immune system, the blood, lower spine, bones and skin. Emotionally, it impacts family and childhood relationships, trust, safety, security, autonomy and belonging.  I frequently encounter people with autoimmune disorders, bone density issues, skin disorders, and spinal injuries who have been brought up in dysfunctional family settings, have been bullied, or otherwise had stressful or traumatic childhoods. My upcoming book will discuss the concept of root cause healing in more depth.

These are some tips for starting to identify and address possible root contributors to your issues:

• Ask yourself when the symptoms started and what was going on in your life. It is common for people to begin feeling badly after stress such as losing a loved one, losing a job, the end of a relationship, or multiple life changes.
• Make a list of the stressful and traumatic experiences in your life. If you think about these frequently or are experiencing the symptoms of PTSD, seek therapy or treatment like EMDR, a multi-sensory way of releasing traumatic thoughts and feelings.
• Make a list of everything you are afraid of and putting off.  Fear and anxiety are significant contributors to illness.  Pick one thing on your list and address it.
• Make a list of what you would do if you were healthy. Start working on at least one thing now, like looking for new places to live if you want to move or buying a new outfit that fits you well and that you enjoy wearing.
• Try therapies that impact the whole person, such as acupuncture, reiki and other energy healing.
• Release stress with exercise, creativity, being in nature or anything else you enjoy. It helps clear the mind so you can listen to your feelings and intuition.
• Make a list of what it would mean for you to be your authentic self. You may not know fully because self-discovery is a constant process, but give it a try. Work toward addressing at least one item on your list.

Katie x