Today I address briefly many of the problems particular to women, since as practitioners, we find that though we’re into the 21st century, women are often silent sufferers. Even though the practice of medicine has advanced tremendously since former times, very few people are aware that our body symptoms have meaning beyond the immediate health problem they are warning us about. We can benefit emotionally, physically and spiritually if we pay attention to our body’s messages.
Emotional factors are usually involved in common gynaecological problems along with diet, heredity and other causes. Women’s problems are often related to the context of their lives. By understanding that these illnesses are often wake-up calls, the first step to healing can begin. Our illnesses often exist to get our attention and get us back on track. With a new outlook about ourselves, women can begin to heal mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.
The health of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes depends on a woman’s feeling able, competent and powerful to create financial and emotional abundance and stability, and to express her creativity fully. Feeling good about herself and about her relationships with other people in her life, lead to good internal pelvic health. Stressful and limiting relationships can adversely affect the health of these organs. The health of the uterus is at risk if a woman doesn’t believe in herself or is overly self-critical. In comparison, ovarian health is affected by the quality of a woman’s relationships with people and things outside herself. Ovaries are at risk when women feel controlled or criticized by others or when they themselves control or criticize others.
Chronic pelvic pain sufferers often have complex psychological and emotional histories. The physical pain is often related to unfinished emotional pain in either past or current relationships with partners or with jobs, or emotional or sexual abuse. Emotional stress in a woman’s personal or professional life that she perceives to be unresolvable is a big cause of pelvic pain.
Endometriosis is an increasingly common condition today. The tissue that forms the lining of the uterus which normally grows inside the uterus, grows in other areas of the pelvis and sometimes even outside the pelvis. Endometriosis develops when a woman’s innermost emotional needs are in direct conflict with what the world demands of her.
Fibroids often develop when there are conflicts about creativity, reproduction and relationships. If the underlying energy patterns, life questions, conflicts, and emotional issues are addressed, and changed, the fibroids usually do not grow or cause problems. Whilst we talk about mind-body issues, it is also essential to draw attention to the fact that since the uterus is sensitive to the hormone oestrogen, anything that changes circulating oestrogen levels can affect it. A diet high in partially hydrogenated and saturated fats, high in refined carbohydrates and low in fiber can increase circulating oestrogens. This puts a woman at risk for fibroids as well as endometriosis and breast cancer. Hence it is better to change to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. Reduce refined sugar, flour products and dairy foods.
As mentioned earlier, ovarian problems result from a woman’s perception that people and circumstances outside herself are preventing her from being creative. Mental patterns of vengeance and resentment also affect the ovaries. Benign ovarian growths differ from cancer only in the degree of the emotional energy involved. Extreme need for male approval while giving her own emotional needs least priority can result in ovarian cancers over a prolonged period of time. Such a woman may feel helpless to change an abusive situation. Ovarian cancer can develop rapidly due to a precipitating psychosocial trauma.
Problems in the vulva, vagina, cervix and lower urinary tract are usually associated with a woman’s feelings of violation in her relationship with another individual or in her job. Chronic vulvar problems like pain and itching may be associated with stress from anxiety and irritation at being controlled either by a partner or a situation.
This article does not provide a complete understanding of the deeper issues involved in such conditions, but the idea of writing such an article is to make women aware of the extent they damage their bodies unknowingly when they give in to the pressures of society and do not value themselves.
Homoeopathy is a system of medicine which takes a holistic view of every problem and learning about the life situation, relationships, working lives and diet as a totality, provides us with clues to the source of the body’s distress. Homoeopathic medicines are not chemical medicine, but energy medicine, and hence work deep in the organism. With the benefits of energy medicine, we can hope to set right wrong energy patterns in the human system. Only with time and a commitment from the patient to seriously look into one’s life patterns as co-operation in the curative process, can real healing take place.
In connection with this topic, there is an interesting book by Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D. – Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom.