Posted by Hombre on September 6, 2010, at 21:22:05
In reply to Re: TCM, posted by Lao Tzu on September 6, 2010, at 16:49:12
> Can you say that the kidney tonic or another tonic was influential in helping one to gain more confidence in one's abilities? I definitely need help with that, plus also with the anticipatory anxieties I have about going out to look for work or to muster up enough courage to start dating again. I will say that when I was on Ativan (benzo), I did have much more confidence in myself because the anxieties were lessened. Can you say that herbal tonics if taken over time do in some way influence what we perceive as anxiety-provoking in our lives, even though there may be no reason to fear and no reason not to do something substantial with our lives?
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> I guess I'm looking for something to help motivate the self and to help change the perception of the self and others. Giving up anger and guilt, especially when it is unnecessary in most situations. Would taking a spleen tonic with a kidney tonic be more beneficial rather than taking either alone? I will say I have achieved a lot from medication and vitamins, including perceptions, but still, I look for improvement.
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> Thanks.
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> LaoI think the answer is: it depends. What I mean is that one will need to ask himself whether or not he is ready to make those changes. In my experience I was trying to work and exercise and be social but was completely shut down by the anxiety and fatigue. Of course this made me discouraged and angry with myself. I was also smoking and not smoking, and definitely felt better when not smoking. I got some energy and relief from the obsessive thinking and negativity from the medications, but still felt a bit unstable and jittery. The herbs seemed to be the final piece to the puzzle in terms of stabilizing and smoothing out the rough edges and helping to expand my capacity to generate and expend energy. I still have to exercise, eat well and make an effort to communicate to others when I feel that the relationship is unhealthy in some way. I'd say the exercise is the main element after meds and herbs in terms of creating positive change that can be felt. If I go several days without breaking a sweat I will still feel sluggish and less prone to getting out there and being active. That's because my energy capacity is decreasing and maybe my metabolism starts to slow down. This is a dangerous situation because I will then be less likely to exercise or get out. While I may not be paralyzed by anxiety or ruminating about the past, I am sort of couchbound and tend to accomplish very little. And of course I don't feel very good about myself if I am so inactive.
If you feel that you are trying to be active but your body (and feelings) making you feel like you don't have it in you to do it, the herbs may help. But, if you take a good honest look at yourself and decide that you may need to adjust your thinking and attitudes so that you have a fresh perspective towards new activites rather than conditioned thoughts (understandably, after years of suffering disability), the herbs can still help, but will need to go hand in hand with some baby steps towards making those psycho-emotional changes. This is in no way some attempt to say that I know what your situation is, just trying to be honest and give the best advice that I can given my limited perspective.
I do think it wouldn't hurt to give the herbs a try. They are pretty safe overall, and you've shown a remarkable ability to tune into your body and to let go of a new supplement/herb when it is not really helping. That is really the attitude of the herbalist and it will certainly serve you well.
poster:Hombre
thread:961091
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20100812/msgs/961526.html