Listen to Your Body and Trust the Answer

Have you ever experienced headaches, insomnia, allergies, irregular bleeding, fatigue, a panic attack, depression, irritable bowel, hot flashes, problems concentrating, mood swings? What was your reaction to these symptoms?

Unfortunately, it’s become engrained that when we experience a symptom, we need to have a specific treatment for that symptom. Television and magazine ads tell us that a particular symptom is equivalent to a certain diagnosis and that we should run to our health-care provider and demand a particular treatment.

One ad said: “Are you anxious, do you feel sad, is your zest for life gone? You are depressed! Ask your doctor for xyz medication.” Were we really depressed and did we really need to start taking a pill, a patch, drops, some herbs, tinctures, supplements, or a cream? Or, if we were already taking one of them, did we need to try another kind or double the dose? Do you really need to run to a drugstore, a health food store or to your health-care provider any time you are not feeling well?

In many instances, women “know” when something is not quite right. But women have been told so many times that what they are experiencing is “in their head.” Consequently, they stop listening to their own intuition. Intuition is a way of “knowing before you know.”

Over the years I have cared for many women with many of these symptoms. Often, if they had been taking medication, they wanted a stronger dose because they thought it was no longer working. After questioning them, I would often learn that their life situation was causing stress.

Women are more vulnerable to stress than men. We have been raised to become caretakers, good mothers, and spouses, and to care for our elderly parents and animal companions. When we begin to feel overwhelmed and ask for help, we are often told that we’re being selfish. People around us know very well how to play with our guilt.

Your body will tell you when something is not right. Listen to it as you would a friend and become more self-aware of the underlying cause of your symptoms before reaching for medication.

The next time you are experiencing abnormal symptoms, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have I been ignoring or denying intuitive messages from my body?
• Have I been reaching for a quick fix for symptoms?
• What is my body trying to tell me?
• Have I been practicing preventive health care to be able to handle normal stress?
• Am I under increased stress due to the way I’ve been leading my life?
• Is it time to do things differently?

Listening to your intuition can be a great self-protection tool. It can be the lifeline to what’s affecting your body and your good health.