Health and the Empath

Has being an Empath affected my health? Well...let's see.

I suffer from Ulcerative Colitis, Osteoarthritis, Uveitis and possible Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis...and that's just the "itisis". My Doctor's tell me that these Diseases are all connected to an Autoimmune Disorder that appeared all at once when I turned forty years old or so. But it wasn't all at once, really.

For years whenever I'd see a Doctor for a "well" visit, they'd ask me if I had any infections or Flu like symptoms and when I'd ask why I was told that my white blood cell count was way off the chart! When I'd tell them that I felt fine they were very surprised. One of them even tried to push the issue stating that I must be ill, but I wasn't. Or so I thought.

Although I felt fine on the outside, something was eating me away on the inside causing me internally to break down and bleed. That something was Empathy. The years of taking everything and everyone in, had finally taken it's toll on the old system. Therefore, If you are an unskilled Empath and haven't developed the art of shutting down or shielding you may be in trouble yourself someday.

When I presented this theory to my Doctor's they understood where I was coming from with the whole mind/body connection thing, but without any hard evidence they deemed my opinions inconclusive and kept pumping me with steroids and powerful immuno-suppressant medications anyway. After many years of frustration and following traditional medical advice, I found my ncondition was not going into remission anytime soon and in fact hardly gotten any better at all.

This is when I began to do my own research and decided to adopt a more alternative lifestyle approach to my medical conditions. If it wasn't for the Internet I would've never discovered all the different avenues available to me, both as an Empath and an ill individual. I spent countless hours sifting out tons of information and through trial and error came up with a formula that seems to be working for me. I'm still on the medications but through meditation, diet and Empathic shielding I hope to be free of them all someday soon.

The shielding process is a necessary aid that must not be ignored and needs to be practiced daily. If not, the accumulation of emotions will slowly permeate every cell causing a mutation resulting in the immune system thinking it's being attacked and it will defend itself, even against itself. This is what I believe accounts for the accelerated white blood count in my system that results in the attack on my body.

What I do is simple. I take ten minutes each morning and evening, close my eyes and focus on my breathing. If your mind begins to wander don't fight it. Be aware of it, let it go and bring yourself back to your breathing. This works wonders for me but you must be diligent and practice it daily for it to be helpful. If my Arthritis isn't too bad I walk and meditate allowing for an even better way to relieve stress and keep depression at bay.

As far as my diet goes I'm eating about ninety percent organic now as I believe that processed foods tend to incite flare ups in me. This diet is both expensive and time consuming in preparation but extremely worth it. I've only been practicing this combination of diet, meditation and exercise for a few months now but am already beginning to see the benefits. I intend to stay on this path forever and am looking forward to a better, brighter future.