PinHave you ever suffered from chronic illness or do you know someone who is dealing with persistent symptoms that seem incurable? In my work with clients and their spirit guides, I’ve come to understand that the body uses illness and symptoms to send us messages, and sometimes the hard part is just figuring out what it’s trying to say.

Of course, sometimes the body is just sick. You pick up a virus or a bacterial infection someplace, you get treated and it goes away. But what about those illnesses that don’t go away no matter how many times you see a doctor, and no matter how many different therapies you try? It can be really frustrating and scary to be sick when no one seems to have an answer or a cure for you.

The 5 Things That Often Contribute To Chronic Illness

In my experience, when you’ve tried everything and nothing works, it’s a sign that there’s something deep within you that’s trying to rise to consciousness so it can be heard, witnessed, and acknowledged.

Here are some common underlying truths that contribute to unexplainable chronic conditions:

  1. Disliking your job but doing it for years because you feel like you have no choice
  2. Feeling guilty because you’re not attracted to your spouse (or feeling guilty for any reason that you’re not allowed to admit openly)
  3. Doing things to please other people that you’d really rather not do
  4. Not speaking up, or hiding how you really feel
  5. Feeling sad, afraid or angry, and not taking the time to notice or acknowledge that you’re sad, afraid or angry)

When you aren’t living an authentic life because you don’t feel like you have permission to show up exactly as you are, your body begins to fall out of balance. It tries to send you a message: “Hey! You’re not being you, and it hurts.”

Addressing The Underlying Issue

Going to traditional doctors, alternative healers and holistic practitioners, and trying new medicines might put a bandaid on the problem for a little while, but if you don’t address the underlying issue, the symptoms either don’t leave, or they go away briefly and then return.

The way to begin the healing process is to acknowledge, declare, and name what’s bothering you. You don’t have to leave your marriage, quit your job, or uproot your entire life. The only thing that’s required to begin healing is absolute honesty with yourself. Once your mind and body see that you’re no longer hiding the truth from yourself, it will quit creating symptoms to wake you up.

One thing you can do is to keep a wellness journal. Write down the symptoms you’re experiencing, and the thoughts and emotions you’re currently feeling. This will help you begin to see a correlation between your thoughts, feelings, and symptoms.

Sometimes the body will actually create symptoms to distract you from realizing the truth if the truth is really painful. For example, if your subconscious knows that it is way too frightening for you to acknowledge that you’re no longer in love with your spouse, it will send a message to the body to create symptoms so that you focus on your symptoms, instead of the awareness about your marriage that’s trying to rise to the surface.

The good news is that you always have access to the truth by getting quiet and going inside. Asking your inner child is also a good way to get information about what’s true for you. The inner child is an energetic presence that lives inside you long after childhood. He or she knows exactly what your dreams are, what you want, what you like — and just as important — what you dislike and don’t want to do.

Connecting With Your Inner Child

Start by asking her questions about herself: “Little Child, what’s your favorite color?” What’s your favorite food? Do you like what we do for a living? Do you like where we live?” Remember that if he or she screams, “No, I hate it!” that doesn’t mean you have to uproot your life. The purpose of this exercise is to get clear about the truth you’ve been burying in order to stay safe or get it right for other people. Once you have access to the truth, you’ll be able to use your problem-solving, adult mind to create changes that bring you joy.

Your symptoms will begin to subside when you get really honest with yourself about your life. Even just finally acknowledging that you’re walking around with a low-grade fear all the time has the power to initiate your healing. Naming your truth is one way of loving yourself, and self-love is one of the most healing forces in the universe.

Jessica McKay