Last May I wrote an introduction post about my search for health - although health is not a new topic on my blog this certainly is a whole new adventure I started. And I can definitely say: it's starting to show some results!
First steps in PNI
The (clinical) PNI is based on the idea that all kinds of systems in our bodies can be affected and then affect each other. Layer by layer fixing those systems, sometimes individual organs, can lead to better functioning in other systems, in the end getting a person healthy by simply getting the body back to function the way it was supposed to function. But first you need to understand why each and every system started 'walking out of pace', and make sure the person (me) who is visiting the therapist experiences deep understanding, as understanding why you're sick can already attribute to feeling a little better.
This is why my search for health started with writing up a timeline of my life: literally from birth (and before, the pregnancy of my mother was very important in laying out the pieces of the puzzle) to bigger life events my therapist created a 'movie' of my life which showed where and why in life I had gotten problems - in my case, as a teenager pain in feet, extreme back pains, then in my twenties stress, burn out (I never called it that before though), extreme migraines that made me literally want to stop living, and then of course at the end of my twenties arthroses/cartillage damage in my feet, weight gain and depression (which I also never called it out loud before).
Those are just the outcomes: the causes lie in a stressful birth, some life events that I had to carry the weigh of for way too long, and, surprisingly, the periods of rest that followed the stressful ones are when/why it goes wrong. As long as your body is under stress it will carry you through it, but then, when you finally stop/get some rest, systems in the body 'allow' you to collapse. Which is why I experienced my most painful years after the years I had had a difficult time, not during it.
Whenever I tell people this they often recognize it: "Ohhh, so THAT's why I always get sick in the first week of my holidays? Never while I'm still working that deadline?"
Yes, indeed. I might write up how all of this works in a later post because it certainly opened my eyes to quite a few things.
But on to my journey for now.
Fixing the systems
The first fixes my therapist proposed were basically redirecting my stress signals - where my thyroid gland would now send all energy sources directly to my stress systems, it would have to learn to redirect to for example my metabolism and sex systems again, equally. I would also have to get that stress system down, by doing multiple smaller interventions like 20 minute uninterrupted 'hugging therapy' each day (I don't mind :D) to increase Oxytocine, but also by sleep better (quality, not quantity), and take in more mind supporting vitamins and minerals that would result in a more calm mind.
And hell that was a journey!
I started with a bunch of vitamins and mineral supplements, all already present in the healthy body, but not present enough in mine, and from there on it was a rollercoaster.
I had nights where I didn't sleep, nights where I slept but woke up too early to get enough hours in my nights, nights where I wanted to scream because my mind was sooo awake but my body so tired, or where my mind was tired and I couldn't sleep.
Basically I had a quite strong reaction on the stress-reducing interventions, which meant my mind wanted to start the day earlier than I was used to, but other systems in my body why were running their own clock were not yet ready to accept I needed to go to sleep earlier :D
Very complicated stuff, but as I studied psychology I understand a bit of how those clocks (yes, we have multiple, not one as is more commonly thought) in our body work and started to slowly accept it needed a lot of time to adjust - as probably many of my clocks have been out of pace for 20 years at least.
The first night I slept early and woke up at a normal hour I was thrilled. The day after I said to my boyfriend: "I feel so weird - I'm totally rested but I want to chill on the couch all day? I don't understand?"
He looked at me, face smiling, half-believing I was serious, and said: "You mean you feel... relaxed?"
I almost cried, and laughed, because WHOA, yes, I was relaxed, and it was a glorious feeling, and at the same time I felt so incredibly sad I had forgotten the word for it.
The impact of sleep on, well, everything
As sleep is the basis of so much it is finally time to go on to the next few steps. I can honestly say it took me two months to 'fix sleep' - which explains why I haven't been super active on Hive or anywhere else really. I've been surviving for the most part. The first few weeks I had a job, a writing one, and ohhh how impossible was it to write with nights with no sleep at all! So I had to cramp a lot of the work in the last week, while still struggling with sleep, but getting a bit better at it.
I felt like every waking hour where I was also mentally sharp needed to be used to the max - so I wrote and wrote and wrote and finally ended up delivering a decent report. I had another job after that one, which I realized I was able to handle a lot better: this was after I had already experienced I could feel relaxed again, and I immediately noticed that I had less stress, and when I felt anxious it wouldn't be all over my body. A huge change.
Some quotes from people around me the last few weeks show me I'm noticeably changing:
- "You look less hurried/restless"
- "Your skin is glowing"
- "Something in your face has... changed?"
- "You look very well-rested"
These are all remarks about my face from people unrelated to each other, and I think it's fascinating the remarks are so similar in a way.
I personally noticed my skin looks better, I think clearer, I feel less groggy right after I wake up, I find it easier to do small tasks, I even think I can remember more from texts I read - and I definitely smile easier and feel more energetic and happy.
To be continued
This is going to be a long journey, as it's natural healing there's no quick fix but I'm very excited about the first results, the amount of energy I already have, and the fact I have been able to do so much with Vitamins, Minerals, and of course, food. Because although I've not yet written a lot about that, the basis of (c)PNI is eating the right things - mainly skipping a few foods that actively disturb systems in the stomach, which is often the start of all chronic illnesses that come after.
I really hope I can find some time to write a decent explanation of the full therapy as I haven't found a good source in English, yet. But I'm already looking into studies that I can follow as I might want to become a PNI therapist myself - that's how excited I am about it.
Sorry for the rambling post! But it was time to write one. With an extra wink to @fotostef. If you're reading this but haven't missed me since my last post in July I recommend you to unfollow me as honestly that's the longest I've been off Hive ever if you hadn't noticed I don't think I make enough of an impact on your timeline :D
I was expecting this post and I am so, so happy for you!
I have read a bit about clinical PNI and it is the first time that the western medicine is starting to make sense. Actually after hundreds of years of treating the symptom and dividing the human essence in tiny parts they have returned to the basic knowledge that was known from the ancient years. Hippocrates said that “it’s more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.” So yes, I think that you have every right to be excited and optimistic! And I am sure that you are on a right path and there are only better days ahead :)
Now, did I missed you on our small peak-universe?
No I didn't!
Because I wasn't here :)
If you check my account you'll see that I haven't posted anything since the 3rd of August. I'll probably write a post about it but the main idea is that I was on a trip of discovering parts of Crete that I have never seen before, revisiting places I love and finding out something about me in the way!
That doesn't mean that I had forgotten or didn't care about your new adventure. On the contrary. You are very often in my thoughts and I can tell you that I relate to your troubles much more than you can ever imagine.
My best, deepest and more sincere wishes!
Looking forward for the sequel :)
:-) There you are! I indeed checked your blog and was surprised to see a huge gap in posting, but I also knew you were traveling from your lovely partner's Instagram, so I wasn't worried (yet).
I'm happy you've been reading about cPNI a bit and understand a bit more what I'm talking about :-) It's indeed way more sensible than what our General Practitioners are doing, and I'm happy to tell you that there's one General Practitioner, close to my home even, who recently wrote a book with a title that roughly translates as: "Did we study Healing or Medicine?", criticizing the way doctors are mostly prescribing meds where healing should be the focus. She actively forwards her patients to cPNI therapists (amongst which is the one I'm consulting right now :D) because she fully backs that type of healing and even did the studies herself!
It's exciting because the book she wrote was meant to be read by other GP's and so she's actively promoting this 'new' way of looking at food/others for healing.
And you're right, Hippocrates was waaaay ahead of his time :-)
I hope to once hear your (health) story too @fotostef. I might ask you about it if I can't keep my curiosity :-)
Hope you're well and enjoying your travels - and discoveries about Crete and yourself. Those stories I hope to read soon (but not sooner than you want :D)
Cheers!
I don't know how widespread cPNI is in the Netherlands but I think you are lucky to have a GP with that knowledge close to your home! I have looked if there are any in Greece and I have only found 2 homeopathic doctors that are following cPNI's principals but I am not sure how deep they are into this!
It is the 4th day that we are back home but I am not in a writing mood yet, I guess that this will change soon though :)
Cheers!
2 cPNI doctors in the whole of Greece? That's not a lot, but it's something, as it's indeed only starting to grow. There's a Dutch expert spreading the knowledge around here, so I'm lucky as I do believe in Europe the Netherlands is now on taking the lead in cPNI therapy. They've already expanded with a splinter in Belgium and Germany as well.
Don't hurry with the writing, let the mood come whenever :-) Starting to believe I treated Hive as a job for way too long, time to do it differently :-)
Im glad i stumbled across this post and you. I feel like i am doing much of the same thing you are. Im taking magnesium which has helped reduce anxiety immensely. Melatonin for better sleep. I feel more level and normal the following morning.
I also discovered that my emotional, physical well bring was spiraling out of control downhill. I eventually had to remove myself from my "life" all together and just start completely over. I found that all the pains that haunted me. The wreckage of my past. I had to just let them go. Move on.
Im now in the process of becoming whole again. The long process.
Following your future posts as im interested to see how your story develops. And because i found nuggets of usable wisdom in this one. Odds are your future posts will help me too.
I'm glad you stumbled upon this post as well! I live it when something I write resonates with people :-)
I too have done Magnesium and Melatonine, plus a ton of stuff that are not just meant for the brain but will help indirectly, and a specific mixture of herbs that can only be prescribed by this therapist as it has such a specific effect on hormones/thyroid.
I've been there too but I've also learned that 'removing' yourself from life is actually a side effect from the body's systems - it slowly shuts off organs and functions that are less 'needed' will be shut off in order to 'serve' the bigger/evolutionary more important stress system. Which is why you can get depressed, burn-out, be more irritable (for me it was sounds that made me crazy) and less social (why spend energy on social events when you need to save up to get the basic system going after all!)
Well, I will write about all that in a separate post :-)
I hope you find ways to become whole again as well! Seems like we're on a similar path indeed, thanks a lot for sharing that with me :-)
Yeah for me its also removing myself from a toxic environment and my own toxic association with things. Had to hit the default switch to heal.
Good for you - sometimes it's necessary to have a hard break with things :-)
Yeah. I had toxic friends. And a lifetime of problems dealing with that that one day i decided i had outgrown that, didnt need the burden of friends that want to keep you in your place nor a city that was like anathema to me. I backed my bags and just moved on all together.
Read it all, missed your posts, glad you are back but most importantly - I am really happy to know you have had such amazing results on your epic search for health Rosa :) Yay! Sounds really good and promising. I can definitely relate to some parts of it, especially the sleep part (been working on that too). Fingers crossed and I cannot wait to read the next update ;)
:D YEAH! I'm very happy about it too, and it really is just the beginning so it can only get even better from here :-) I hope you find some way to fix your sleep as I've now felt what it can do to you, and how much you can win by sleeping well. I've had a lot of help though, and had to take a lot of supplements to sort of 'knock me out' after which I could start healing :D Will start writing a bit more, I promise!
Oh yeah :) It´s cool to say "sleep is overrated" these days but in fact, it´s the very opposite - sleep is underrated. It´s absolutely crucial to our well-being both physical and mental. I think I have already figured what affects my sleep in what way and I have made a lot progress lately thanks to it ;)
Keep up the momentum Rosa. It would be great to have regular updates from you but don´t worry about it too much ;) We will be here for you whenever you show up again :D
Yeah, there's a lot of applause for 'tough talk', like 'I will sleep when I'm old' or 'No time for a break', but I just shake my head at it. Self-care first :D Had to learn that too though,
Glad to hear you're on the right track for your sleep! Maybe write a post about it as well ;-) I will not worry about my writing indeed - I plan to write the more technical part in Dutch first because that is easier, and maybe then write an adapted version in English as well. Personal updates will be more frequent though :-) Cheers!
Well I didn't know that instigating the mind somehow in therapy can actually be good for one's physical health condition. It's actually been a journey for you and then the excitement and then the stress of waking up to repeat again. I'm glad however that it's going great for you.
Well I also use to get sick after going through stress and have to relax. Those period I relax is always when I get sick and it always proves how incredible our body system really.
It's been quite a longtime my friend but then this one is quite lengthy, of course describing the whole process is.
Yes, the mind and body are very closely related, if you have ever felt a stomach ache/shaking hands just because you were nervous for an exam/presentation/deadline than you have experienced it yourself :-) So even though explaining in itself will not heal me, it definitely gives me some piece of mind, because for the first time since I started experiencing physical problems someone is able to tell me why. The first time my therapist explained to me how I got damage in my feet at a young age I was like 'well THAT makes sense!', and that was a huge relief after years of going to 'regular' doctors who never gave me such answers.
I'm very curious about the rest of my trajectory and will keep you updated :-) Thanks for the comment and support! <3
Seems your doctor currently has been instrumental to your journey to wholesomeness so far that's really great.
Well with the examples you've stated so far, I understand how the mind is uniquely connected to the body in the most surprising ways.
At one time I usually have sweaty palms just by having anxiety of you know talking to a pretty girl or something.
I have serious health issues anyway but then I keep a positive mindset and sometimes I'm fine.
I'll look out for your updates as you continue and you're welcome, cheers and good luck
I hope you can find a doctor like mine who can really help you - health is the basis of our happiness and productivity :-)
Yeah, well I'm actually managing mine, it's a genetic health issue though. Thanks a whole lot again
Here you are :)
Glad to read that progress is being made, it must be nice to hear so many positive comments from people. Glowing!
It truly is very nice! They started commenting before I thought they would notice something, normally you have to drop 20 Pounds before anyone will be like 'hey something is happening to you!' - so the fact they comment on something that should be so subtle as a better glow/relaxed face is really telling me something :-)
And yes, HERE I AM! - Never really leaving but definitely gone long enough to feel like 'I'm back again' ;-)
A good sign, both the comments and your presence here. Good luck with the continual improvement :)
<3
@tipu curate
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Would love to knit more.
Agree with sleep better (quality, not quantity).
Happy to have you back with our HIVE
Thanks @nathanmars :-) I'm glad to be here again, for now it's a sign I'm doing well :D
Very happy to read all the good changes you are going through.
Thanks a lot @santigs! I will try to get back to things I've been wanting to do on Hive again - also your lovely community :-)
Heath is always first so spending some time in BCN with us whenever you feel good to travel and Covid19 starts calming down gotta be in the agenda :)
Hahaha - ohhh definitely, a trip to BCN would be the Cherry on top of my health journey :D My personal feeling is after this winter things will become more normalized again and I hope to start traveling again :-)
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heheheh I like ramble posts, and how cool you have seemed to find a direction in where to head to. I am curious about the process and th results madame..
and pics of that glowy face please :)
I'm writing parts of this journey in Dutch and once I've published them I will share them with you - it's just sooo complicated and I don't know a lot of the terminology in English. This is a more personal rant :-) Glad you liked it :D I'll think about posting pics of my face :P Hope you're well @karinxxl!
brabanders zijn altijd goed jonguhhhhh
Daar trap ik niet in :D
"become a therapist myself " ... één stap tegelijk he! Succes!
Ahahaha - Ja, ik had afgelopen 1 september kunnen beginnen maar dat was echt nét te snel. Maar ben serieus de opties aan het afwegen - ik denk dat er veel toekomst zit in deze vorm van geneeskunde, er zijn zelfs huisartsen die nu doorverwijzen naar kPNI/orthomoleculaire therapeuten omdat ze er steeds meer achter gaan staan.
helooo. i though yesterday, should i send a massage on the evil social networks to check what is going on. and i just seen ginabot says soyrosa made a post (i did not check gina for notifications for ages :) )
glad you are doing good, would be interesting to hear more about all of this.
You can always send me a message :D Glad Gina is still doing good in the world though ;-) I will definitely write more about this but having trouble writing the complex material in English, so I will finish writing in Dutch first. Will keep updating on the personal aspects of it for now as that needs less terminology :D
Hope you are well too!
i thought my english is really ok, until i tried to translate some medical stuff for a friend of mine :D
it feels a bit like a groundhog day last few months, it was a bit stirred up this last week so it is probably getting better :D other than that, overall, i can't complain :D
Haha, yes, I thought I would find it easier too :D
Okay okay, so that sounds like life has been a little more 'exciting' than you've been sharing on your blog :P I can't be the only one sharing how they're doing on here! :D Glad to hear it's going to be getting better for you though <3
Oh, Soyrosa! There is so much good news in that post! You literally transformed an 'out of sorts' day into a really good one. Seriously, it says right on my calendar that it's my day to be crabby.
I'm so glad you have found some relief and REALLY look forward to hearing more and more.
Sleep is gold. I'm so glad that has come round for you.
Thank you. Made my day!
:D Oh, you're sooo allowed to be crabby, but I'm also very happy I made your day a little better :D If this is the effect I can have on your day I will definitely write more! :D Hugs!
As a retired shift worker of 30 plus years, I know that feeling. Uninterrupted sleep is a blessing. I get very few of those and enjoy the feeling each time. I have had more of those nights lately this year so for me it has been a good year so far.
It has become difficult to get the needed nutrients in our daily food choices, choices we are allowed to make for food, cooking methods used for the food, and even time of day for the food eaten, I think it all plays a very big part in our health.
Ouch, yes, shift work can truly mess with your sleep and health! Actually, the boyfriend of my therapist has been a DJ for many years, and she told me he has needed three full years under her professional guidance! to get back to a natural sleep pattern, so that tells me something about how hard that is to do when it's been that disrupted for a long while.
My sleep patterns were more subtly disrupted, staying up late (until 2 AM), getting tired even later (at 3 AM), and only sleeping around 3:30 if I was lucky. (If not I would be awake frustrated because I knew I wouldn't be able to function normally the next day - of course not helping my sleep because I was angry :D)
Anyway. Glad you're experiencing more and more good nights of sleep - it's a magical feeling, only the once sleep deprived can know :D
Goodness me, this is so intense. I wish you continuing success in this quest for healing. It does take time. I've come to think about health, fitness and wellbeing issues as a lifetime marathon rather than a sprint as I'm getting older. I am happy to take the small, cumulative, wins day by day and no longer seek the giant leaps that are often easily reversed.
Oh, you're absolutely right, and this therapy is definitely a marathon as opposed to the sprints we're used to in Western Medicine. This movement of cPNI/Orthomolecular healing is slowly creeping into the minds of GP's as well though, so I'm hopeful for the future. But for now I'm patient and counting all the small wins I already made :-)
Weird, I was thinking of you this morning and wondering how this PNI was working out. That's sooooo exciting - and inspiring too, clearly, if you want to be a therapist! It's so encouraging, isn't it, when you have success after being ill for so long.
Relaxed? Wouldn't have a clue what that was. Clearly taking a year off hasn't helped - perhaps it's time for a complete overhaul. You're right about no quick fixes - people seem to think they can take a pill or a herbal tea and it's all over.
Great post, thanks for sharing your journey - it's really great to read stories like yours.
:-) Thanks for thinking about me @riverflows! <3
Yes, it's incredibly exciting and although this is so-called 'slow' medicine I'm actually baffled by how quick I've seen results, especially changing sleep patterns can take a long long time.
I'm sorry your year off isn't really working out as planned. When I tried a year off I actually got all the chronic troubles that now (almost 5 years later!) led me to this journey into health :-/ Sad about some of it, grateful about other parts of it. It's hard to make big changes, as sometimes knowing 'something different' is necessary doesn't always answer what is needed exactly. Sometimes the big change is actually smaller than you thought before.
Anyway. Hope you find your path <3 Hug!
Our 'fun' path is delayed by a couple of years now, but can't help thinking it's worse for a lot of people.
I remember that - you were on a trip weren't you when you hurt your foot!
I'm so glad you've found something that is working for you! It's been such a journey - but here's looking at the rest of your 30's and into your 40's with good health - you are not going to know yourself!
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This is a powerful post for many reasons. Not only do you offer sound advice on dealing with skin problems (cancer or otherwise), but you also do it with great joy. You definitely overcame the panic state, your words are peaceful, you even sound thrilled by your experience, and that's lovely. Blessings to you!
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Roooosa, good to see you back <3
Thanks for writing about this. I am going through some health issues now too. I sold my house. Actually, I think my house kicked me out. I started feeling bad once every couple months and when I traveled I always felt great. When the pandemic broke and I had to be home all the time I started feeling terrible all the time. It is time for me to start making some changes and strides to feeling better again. I will be watching for more posts about your journey and see if there are things I can learn and take into mine. Thanks!