Therapies to Heal ME – Part 1
After my diagnosis with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I was determined to cure my ME, despite the NHS saying that it is an incurable, lifelong illness. I refused to accept that I had to suffer for the rest of my life.
So I set about researching on the internet for therapies that may help. I tried out so many therapies over the 3 years of being housebound with ME. Some would give temporary relief to my symptoms, while others allowed me to make huge shifts in my health that have had a lasting effect on my life. I have learnt something from every therapy that has added value to my life.
It was when I visited the nutritionist and started gradually changing my diet to include more fruits, vegetables and whole grains that I experienced noticeable increases in my energy levels and a reduction in my brain fog, dizziness and weakness.
Here is a list of the all therapies to heal ME that I tried out between December 2009 to December 2010 in an effort to cure my illness, including dates, and my experiences with them:
2009
December – Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Caveman Diet – recommended by my Dad who had a friend from work whose daughter had ME and was trying this diet. It consists of eating only meat and non-starchy vegetables. Unfortunately I had an intense detox reaction and was excreting a lot of dark, smelly material (toxins) and it was overwhelming for me. I became even more frail and started dreaming of bread, so I stopped the diet and started on a simple diet of steamed fish, veg and rice.
2010
February
- Gupta Amygdala Retraining Programme – This involved watching DVDs for hours, which I found difficult because I had to concentrate for so long. There was a floor map to act out a sequence of movements and phrases whenever I had a negative thought. I had to say ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ and use hand gestures to break my negative thought. Once I had memorised the sequence I was supposed to do it around the house wherever I had a negative thought. I found it embarrassing doing it in front of my family. However after a few weeks I felt much more calm and happy and my mind was more relaxed.
March
- Acupuncture – it involved lying on a table and having needles inserted into in specific points on the body which unblocks your meridian channels. I felt no pain, just a slight sensation as the needle went in. I remember on one occasion I experienced a feeling like an electric shock shooting through my foot as she unblocked a foot meridian! It gave me temporary relief from my symptoms, but the benefits quickly wore off. Fortunately she recommended that I visit a nutritionist she knew, as she could see I had severe digestive issues.
- Bush Flower Remedies – the acupuncturist asked me to select 5 bush flower remedies that I was drawn to and made up a tincture for me to take. I used then on a daily basis but they did not have a very strong effect. Although, I do remember that in one therapy session I got very upset and she gave me a few drops of one bush flower remedy and within a minute I felt calm again.
- Aromatherapy – I was drawn to aromatherapy and bought the excellent book Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy by Julia Lawless. I would often put a few drops of essentials oils in a vaporiser which would fill the house with a calming aroma that left me feeling very relaxed.
- Feng Shui – I remember vividly the first day of Spring. The sun was filling the house with bright light and I was drawn to pick up a book on Feng Shui from the bookshelf which had been sitting there for years unread. I became very interested in Feng Shui and started applying it in the house. It was an interesting hobby that kept me busy. I learned that the flow of energy through your house affects your life. I moved the furniture and placed crystals around the house which vibrate at high energy levels and protect me from ElectroMagnetic Radiation (EMR).
- Acupressure – after visiting the acupuncturist, I became interested in acupressure which does not require needles and can be practised by anyone. It involves using your fingers to putt pressure on sensitive points on the body which clears any blockages in the meridians. I ordered a book called Acupressure for Common Ailments and used the technique at home. It immediately relieves muscle tension and gives a feeling of peace and calm.
April
- Clutter Clearing – I started spontaneously clearing out my clutter in the Spring. This process went on for about 6 months until I had got rid of most of my clutter in the house. Strangely good things started happening in my life. In August I read Karen Kingston’s ‘Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui’ book which inspired me to let go of the last items of clutter which I had an emotional attachment to. It helped me to deal with stuck emotions from the past and release them. I cleared out most of my wardrobe because the clothes reminded me of being at university and working at Premier Foods where I got ill. I moved on from the past and new things came into my life.
- Crystal Healing – I become interested in crystals and using their different properties to heal emotional issues. My favourite crystals were amethyst for protection from negative energies, rose quartz for acceptance of others and healing the heart and citrine for positivity and abundance. I would also cleanse my chakras by laying down and placing 7 tumblestones of different colours over each chakra for 10 minutes or so to rebalance my body.
May
- The Chrysalis Effect Supported Recovery Programme – The Chrysalis Effect was the most helpful programme I have done. Once a fortnight I was emailed exercises to do such as a questioning my beliefs, values and lifestyle. I had many realisations and made lots of changes which improved my life. The staff provide great support via email as they have experienced and recovered from ME themselves.
- Holosync – I discovered Holosync Audio meditation in the Chrysalis Effect Programme. This is another one of the best things I have ever done. Whilst resting for an hour everyday laying on my bed, I allowed my body to get into the healing state and quietened my over-active mind. I became a more peaceful, calm and happy person. My stress tolerance improved.
- Reduce ElectroMagnetic Radiation (EMR) – I turned my bedroom into a tranquil paradise and removed most of my electrical appliances such as my TV and computer to reduce nasty EMFs that affect my sleep.
- Dowsing for Earth Lines – I learned about dowsing and dowsed the house for harmful earth (ley) lines using coat hangers bent into L-shaped rods. I discovered I was sleeping with a ley line going right through my body and two diagonally crossing over my ankles – which would explain my constantly cold feet! These harmful earth energies disrupt the nervous system and weaken your immune system. The body is unable to heal while you sleep as it is constantly fighting to keep your body in balance from the disruptive Geopathic stress. So I moved my bed and began sleeping better immediately. Later on I discovered that copper pipes deflect the earth lines so I placed them in strategic positions around the house and everyone in the house began sleeping better!
June
- Hair Analysis for Food Intolerances – I sent off a sample of my hair for analysis of food intolerance by a laboratory. The results came back and were very interesting but did not seem to correlate with what the nutritionist later detected.
- Colonic Irrigation via Colease Herbs – I can’t remember the outcome of the Colease herbs but know it didn’t cure my chronic constipation.
July
- Nutritionist, Supplements & diet change – I went to see a Nutritionist, at the recommendation of my Acupuncturist. This was the best thing I ever did for my ME recovery. She used a Vegatest machine to detect that I had Candida, Glandular Fever and CytoMegalo Virus. She gave me a course of natural supplements to kill off the infections. Also I was deficient in Vitamin C, iron and Omega-6-fatty acids and she gave me vitamins to take. After taking these supplements for a few weeks I began to see vast improvements in my health. I could concentrate for longer, my mind was clearer; I could do more physical activities around the house such as cooking and washing my hair. All this time it had been viruses and a fungal infection giving me all my symptoms. She also discovered that I was intolerant to cow’s milk, Yeast, Sugar, and Beef. So I immediately cut all these foods out of my diet. I had to check the ingredients labels of all the food I ate. I felt much better after doing this, especially after cutting out sugar. I began eating healthier, experimenting with cooking new foods.
- Fluconazole – the nutritionist advised my to visit my doctor when she detected that I had a yeast infection. He prescribed me fluconazole for my thrush.
- Anti-Candida Diet – I felt weak and shaky the morning after cutting out sugar from my diet. This is the body’s normal response of withdrawal symptoms to suddenly stopping taking a drug. I replaced the processed white sugar with fruit.
August
- NHS Pacing Programme – I went once but did not like it as they were very patronising and only talked about the managing the symptoms and not things that might help cure them. They made us sit on hard, uncomfortable chairs which for people with ME who have aching bodies is not very comfortable.
September
- Space Clearing – I bought a sage smudge stick online as well as a shell and feather to represent to 4 elements of earth, fire, water and air. I lit the sage and wafted the fumes around every room in the house using the feather and catching the ashes in the shell. This cleansed the house of any stagnant, negative energies. Afterwards the energy in the house felt lighter, fresher and happier and the air looked visibly sparkly. I carry out a space clearing ceremony once a year to clear out and the negative imprints from arguments or negative entities.
- Relaxation Music – as I was housebound I would spend most of the day sitting in the conservatory watching the nature outside and reading and spent the evenings listening to relaxation music from Global Journey where you can get 25 free downloads. This really helped to slow down my overactive nervous system and get me out of fight-or-flight mode and into the rest-and-digest parasympathetic nervous system. The gentle sounds, calmed and relaxed me and left me feeling so peaceful and content.
October
- Positive Affirmations – I also read the most amazing book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ by Louise L. Hay. She taught me how to change my negative thinking habits into positive ones and how positive thoughts attract positive experiences and it brought miraculous events into my life.
December
- Gluten-free Diet – I bought the book Cooking Without Make Easy by Barbara Cousins and began cooking gluten-free food. I also used the Dove’s Farm recipe booklet that my Mum got at a gluten-free meet-up group. I started baking bread, cakes and biscuits as well as making oat flapjacks and trying out FreeFrom pasta and bread.
- Counselling & Hypnotherapy – the nutritionist recommended that I go and see a counsellor she knew. It was helpful to talk about traumas that happened in the past and my current problems. She gave me some great advise such as encouraging me to join a ballroom dancing club to be around people again and to learn to drive to get more freedom and independence. She also advised that I leave my parents house and rent a room to get away from a controlling family member. She did guided visualisations to get me into a relaxed state and then put positive messages into my subconscious mind.
If you have ME/CFS, I hope that these therapy reviews give you some ideas of healing methods you can try out. Everybody is different and what works for one person may not work for someone else. Still in my opinion it is worth trying everything that you feel may help until you find the one that works for you.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of Therapies to Heal ME which includes the therapies that I tried from 2011 to 2012.