In my search to learn how to live a long and healthy life I’m keeping an open mind about the causes of illness and how to achieve full recovery. So when  Caroline Myss’  book, “Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can” helped a friend overcome a long illness, I thought it was time to check it out.

Myss suggests that people can become attached to past abuse, trauma or a current illness because the pain brings some sort of benefit. This can range from the comfort of special treatment (such as the safety of a support group), to the ability to use a wound as a weapon (as in, “You have to do what I say because I’ve been through this major trauma and you haven’t”).

She recognises the importance of acknowledging trauma and the need for support, but for her that support can only be a way across the water, it’s essential to get off the boat on the other shore and move on.

There is a tendency to hold onto a ‘wound’ because it becomes familiar and we sort of know how to live with it. The friend, who recommended this book, saw this pattern in herself and turned it around. She said, “It created within me an excitement and I asked myself: Wouldn’t it be fantastic to connect with people through my strengths and have them acknowledged rather than my weaknesses?”

For Myss the healing process can be helped by transcending the physical level of illness. As well as the understanding the psychological level, she explores the symbolism of chakra’s, astrological ages and even divine will. She suggests that, “Transformation through illness is a time-honored spiritual theme, and faith in the Divine can yield dramatic insight and healing.”

Although I find some of this hard to accept, my friend found it helpful to look at the symbolic aspect of her illness, especially the bit about looking at archetypes.
It gave her an opportunity to step back and instead of seeing it as purely personal, she was able to get a new perspective which led to healing.

Catherine

Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can
A practical programme for healing body, mind and spirit
Caroline Myss, Bantam 1998