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First cracks in my belief system

Traditional Western medicine deserves kudos for many achievements! I wouldn’t want to see those missing. When Western Medicine keeps an open mind towards Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), we see the best of both worlds.
Being your own wellness coach means consulting with medical professionals as needed while honoring what only you know about yourself from your decades of 24/7 experience. Choosing to be the final decision-maker is empowering, and taking an active role ensures the best possible treatment result.

In 1983, I had some years of practical experience in dentistry under my belt, and the worst fear of making mistakes and inadvertently hurting a patient had subsided. The stress had taken its toll: I was suffering from severe allergies and chronic fatigue syndrome. It happened so that I came across some of Shirley McLane’s early writings where she talks about her experiences with the power of the mind, why she believes in reincarnation, and about homeopathy.

Deep down, I had known all along that mainstream dentistry's “drill-and-fill routing” couldn’t be all. I began to understand dentistry as a specialty of medicine and was on fire about using my dental skills to improve whole-body health for my patients.
I was learning all I could about homeopathy when I came across “Electroacupuncture according to Voll”, EAV in short. In the United States, the method is known as electrodermal screening.
In the late 1940s, Dr. Voll, a German physician, started using an instrument to measure points on the skin which he found to relate to specific anatomic structures in the patient’s body. China hadn’t yet opened up to the West, and the ancient meridian system was unknown here. Yet Voll’s research came up with mostly identical measuring points to those well-established in China for thousands of years. This fact fascinated me, and I grasped the opportunity to learn about acupuncture and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), deepening my understanding of homeopathy.

Now my problem was that my dental license ended at a patient's neck: I was not allowed to treat anything below. The solution came from training and licensing as a naturopathic practitioner in Germany. While I was not allowed to write “dentist and naturopathic practitioner” on one practice sign, I could have two almost identical signs, one presenting myself as a dentist, the other as a naturopath. Talking about professional organizations protecting their turf …

The first deep cracks occurred in my belief system. Now I thought holistic medicine could fix everything. Wishful thinking …

I think the woodpecker has to go.

Challenging Existing Beliefs

Part of my German heritage was a deep-seated belief that a “reasonable” amount of joy was desirable and allowed. Yet too much joy was an undue indulgence that would conjure up ominous consequences. We have a saying in Germany that goes like this: “Birds that sing in the morning are eaten by the cat in the evening”. Kids used to hear this warning to restrain their desire for unlimited joy.
In my twenties, I did not even question this belief. In practical terms, it meant that I could not be happy on a workday Monday because a week full of chores and responsibilities lay ahead of me - I had neither time nor reason to be happy.
My time was strictly regulated: the bulk was allotted to work and studying, and only AFTER I had achieved my quota was I allowed play and joy. I was brought up this way and, for decades, never questioned this rule.

The final exams at dental school in Germany were tough. I became very stingy with my time, carrying a textbook with me whenever I anticipated I had to wait somewhere, even for five minutes.
The day of the last exam arrived, and all had gone well. Together with my learning group, we had a celebration dinner and were so happy to be done with dental school. No chores for the next two weeks sounded like heaven.
After catching up on sleep, I was ready for fun … only to realize I had forgotten how to do it. How do you have fun?

Looking back, I know that my inner child had been strangled by beliefs and rules I took as written in stone. All of my twenties I spent pretty uptight. Only once I reached my thirties I started questioning my established mindset and looking for a better way.
Until then, my efforts were geared towards keeping up appearances and fulfilling imagined or real expectations. Now, I dared to ask “why”. I noticed that being a people pleaser was not necessarily what pleased ME or made me happy. A metamorphosis was on its way and is going on to this day. 

Take-Home Points

1. Life has a way of presenting us with challenges that produce cracks in the way we see the world.

2. You are the captain of your journey.

3. When keeping up the appearance of a proper, serious adult, don't forget to play.

TODAY'S WELLNESS TOPIC:
Homeopathy

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In my next newsletter, I will talk about the Immune System. 

With over 40 years in the medical field and 66 years roaming the planet, I have many topics that I would like to delve into. Please let me know which topics interest YOU so that I can prioritize them: [email protected]  🙏

Warmly,     
    
   

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