What if the symptoms of your illness or discomfort were actually your best ally?
Acute Versus Chronic – what’s the difference?
Physical symptoms are the main mechanism our body and its innate healing wisdom possess to raise the alert when our inner equilibrium has been disturbed. Without that feedback loop, there would be no way for us to know that, because of hunger or moodiness, aka hanger, we are running low on nutrients and therefore should eat something, preferably some nutrient-dense food first. Or that when thirst or maybe headache appear, we are low on fluids and therefore should drink something, preferably water first. Or, because of fever, body aches, or general malaise, we are now invaded by a viral pathogen and therefore it would be best to rest and give the body’s immune system a chance to fight it off.
Acute – In medical usage, “acute” refers to conditions or symptoms with a sudden onset and short duration — experiences that arise quickly and signal that the body needs immediate attention. Acute symptoms include fever, nausea, or a sharp headache that resolve when balance is restored.
Without those feedback mechanisms, we would not survive very long in a physical world. Typically however, through the mentorship of the various adults present in our immediate environment during our formative years, we manage to survive the challenging situations of our childhood with a less than adequate, let alone optimal, set of emotional feedback mechanisms. A large proportion of our fellow humans have developed emotional response mechanisms that are contrary and detrimental to their health and lead to chronic states of imbalance that, over time, manifest as chronic health conditions with symptoms that are often intertwined, complex, or otherwise difficult to eradicate.
Chronic therefore means lasting for several weeks, months or years, whether continuous or recurring at various intervals of time.
In a person in good health, acute conditions are short lasting even if intensely uncomfortable in the moment. If you have ever experienced acute gastroenteritis, or alcohol poisoning from over-drinking, you know what I mean. In a person with less than optimal health, and especially in those experiencing overwork and/or eating a poor diet, or for those with challenged emotional regulation, acute conditions can lead to chronic problems which require a different approach to healing.
Chronic is the topic I want to review today.
Chronic conditions – those lasting symptoms are your best ally
The first level of curiosity regarding any chronic issues is to examine whether there exists a dysregulation in one’s ability to respond to life’s challenges, physically or emotionally. For many, this dysregulated state began during their early years when they were still dependent on their parents and other adult caregivers for their basic needs such food and lodging, but more importantly for their sense of emotional and physical safety, for the basic need of loving touch, recognition, attention and support when faced with difficult situations.
When this is not available, the instinctual response activates survival mechanisms that can over time disrupt optimal regulation and contribute to chronic imbalance as they become the subconscious main mode of operation – generally affecting the ability to function optimally and leading to common presentations such as insomnia, OCD, painful menstruations, headaches, high blood pressure, indigestion and acid reflux, hyperactivity (many type As), restless leg syndrome, chronic bladder infections, debilitating migraines, skin rashes that come and go, IBS, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and so on.
To be clear, I am not by any means implying that your symptoms are not true, that you are not experiencing what you say you are experiencing. Our body is the most dense of all aspects of our human self – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Often, precursor signs appear in the more subtle aspects of the self which are easy to ignore when we are preoccupied by daily stressors like work, home responsibilities, school, children, etc. By the time the symptoms reach the level of the body, they are difficult to ignore – and the subtle aspects the underlying imbalance are drowned by the loud, painful and noisy physical symptoms.
This is also not a criticism – most of us have been improperly trained by our primary caregivers, as well as by medical caregivers, to pay attention to the subtle messaging that our inner wisdom uses when we are out of balance such as the lower back ache or mild headaches, or just plain feeling tired after a meal. Our society also strives on excessive response – ‘if a little is good, more is better’ kind of attitude. Physical activity is good – ultra marathon probably not as good. Vegetables are essential, often better when raw, but not always. Often, the end goal serves as a justification for these extremes – end of term exams, project deadlines. I remember clearly an incident during 2nd year of college when a college mate ended up at emergency because he was eating instant coffee by the spoonful during a stressful set of Christmas exams.
Since 2005, my therapeutic focus has been directed at helping those who regularly face chronic conditions for which other therapies seem to have little or no impact. The mentoring I received from Dr. Michael Greenwood MD and inspired medical acupuncturist who created Dynamic Interactive Acupuncture to help those suffering from chronic, debilitating pain was seminal in the therapeutic approach I offer through
I remain available for in-person sessions for those living in the Comox Valley, and via video calls for inner bonding sessions. To book a session or further inquire, call or text 250-218-2618 or email [email protected]
Physical symptoms are the main mechanism our body and its innate healing wisdom possess to raise the alert when our inner equilibrium has been disturbed. Without that feedback loop, there would be no way for us to know that, because of hunger or moodiness, aka hanger, we are running low on nutrients and therefore should eat something, preferably some nutrient-dense food first. Or that when thirst or maybe headache appear, we are low on fluids and therefore should drink something, preferably water first. Or, because of fever, body aches, or general malaise, we are now invaded by a viral pathogen and therefore it would be best to rest and give the body’s immune system a chance to fight it off.
Acute – In medical usage, “acute” refers to conditions or symptoms with a sudden onset and short duration — experiences that arise quickly and signal that the body needs immediate attention. Acute symptoms include fever, nausea, or a sharp headache that resolve when balance is restored.
Without those feedback mechanisms, we would not survive very long in a physical world. Typically however, through the mentorship of the various adults present in our immediate environment during our formative years, we manage to survive the challenging situations of our childhood with a less than adequate, let alone optimal, set of emotional feedback mechanisms. A large proportion of our fellow humans have developed emotional response mechanisms that are contrary and detrimental to their health and lead to chronic states of imbalance that, over time, manifest as chronic health conditions with symptoms that are often intertwined, complex, or otherwise difficult to eradicate.
Chronic therefore means lasting for several weeks, months or years, whether continuous or recurring at various intervals of time.
In a person in good health, acute conditions are short lasting even if intensely uncomfortable in the moment. If you have ever experienced acute gastroenteritis, or alcohol poisoning from over-drinking, you know what I mean. In a person with less than optimal health, and especially in those experiencing overwork and/or eating a poor diet, or for those with challenged emotional regulation, acute conditions can lead to chronic problems which require a different approach to healing.
Chronic is the topic I want to review today.
Chronic conditions – those lasting symptoms are your best ally
The first level of curiosity regarding any chronic issues is to examine whether there exists a dysregulation in one’s ability to respond to life’s challenges, physically or emotionally. For many, this dysregulated state began during their early years when they were still dependent on their parents and other adult caregivers for their basic needs such food and lodging, but more importantly for their sense of emotional and physical safety, for the basic need of loving touch, recognition, attention and support when faced with difficult situations.
When this is not available, the instinctual response activates survival mechanisms that can over time disrupt optimal regulation and contribute to chronic imbalance as they become the subconscious main mode of operation – generally affecting the ability to function optimally and leading to common presentations such as insomnia, OCD, painful menstruations, headaches, high blood pressure, indigestion and acid reflux, hyperactivity (many type As), restless leg syndrome, chronic bladder infections, debilitating migraines, skin rashes that come and go, IBS, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and so on.
To be clear, I am not by any means implying that your symptoms are not true, that you are not experiencing what you say you are experiencing. Our body is the most dense of all aspects of our human self – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Often, precursor signs appear in the more subtle aspects of the self which are easy to ignore when we are preoccupied by daily stressors like work, home responsibilities, school, children, etc. By the time the symptoms reach the level of the body, they are difficult to ignore – and the subtle aspects the underlying imbalance are drowned by the loud, painful and noisy physical symptoms.
This is also not a criticism – most of us have been improperly trained by our primary caregivers, as well as by medical caregivers, to pay attention to the subtle messaging that our inner wisdom uses when we are out of balance such as the lower back ache or mild headaches, or just plain feeling tired after a meal. Our society also strives on excessive response – ‘if a little is good, more is better’ kind of attitude. Physical activity is good – ultra marathon probably not as good. Vegetables are essential, often better when raw, but not always. Often, the end goal serves as a justification for these extremes – end of term exams, project deadlines. I remember clearly an incident during 2nd year of college when a college mate ended up at emergency because he was eating instant coffee by the spoonful during a stressful set of Christmas exams.
Since 2005, my therapeutic focus has been directed at helping those who regularly face chronic conditions for which other therapies seem to have little or no impact. The mentoring I received from Dr. Michael Greenwood MD and inspired medical acupuncturist who created Dynamic Interactive Acupuncture to help those suffering from chronic, debilitating pain was seminal in the therapeutic approach I offer through
- Transformational Acupuncture, to restore flow and balance,
- Medical Qigong, to regulate energy and release held tension, and
- Inner Bonding®, to heal the emotional roots of chronic stress.
I remain available for in-person sessions for those living in the Comox Valley, and via video calls for inner bonding sessions. To book a session or further inquire, call or text 250-218-2618 or email [email protected]
