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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Caper on July 16, 2004, at 2:57:18
Just wondering if anyone has read the book "You Can Heal Your Life" by Loiuse Hay(s?). It's a self-help book about the power of affirmations. My therapist recommended it to me.
So I started reading and some of it made a little bit of sense at first because I know the power of acting "as if". Act as if you're feeling better than you are and you may end up actually feeling better. Telling yourself you're going to have a good day ups your chances of actually doing so. Things like that made some sense.
But...
Then I got to the later section of the book and became ENRAGED. That section in which the author lists medical conditions and then has the audacity to give a reason why someone became ill, and what affirmation would prevent/heal each illness.
She has the nerve to imply:
my twins were stillborn because I "feared the future"? What pregnant woman doesn't fear the future in some way?
my seriously ill diabetic brothers became diabetic in childhood because they didn't have enough sweetness in their lives? What?!? Where did she get that? Not from any study of medicine or genetics obviously.
my father got prostate cancer because he was "uncomfortable with his masculinity"??!!?? That's when I threw the book across the room.
I could go on with more examples of this woman's ....I don't even know the word to describe the person who'd write such unfounded, victim-blaming drivel, but you get the picture. I hate this book.
Did anyone read this book and like it? Am I taking it the wrong way? Twenty years after publication it's in it's 80th printing or something, so obviously some people liked it and were helped by it. But I just think this woman has one h*** of a nerve blaming people for their illnesses and assuming she knows the words to say to prevent and cure them.
With as many copies as this book has sold I can't help but think I'm missing something or taking something in it the wrong way.
Any thoughts from anyone?
Thanks,
Caper
Posted by KaraS on July 16, 2004, at 3:48:42
In reply to Enraged by this book, posted by Caper on July 16, 2004, at 2:57:18
I read that book many moons ago and was similarly enraged. It's so outrageous for her to make those statements. First of all, how could she possibly know what causes those things? Has she managed to find a book containing the secret answers to all of life or does she talk to G-d every night on her cell phone? What's so maddening is that she doesn't suggest these things as her own bizarre opinion, she throws them out there with such authority as if she couldn't possibly be wrong.
I think I remember her actually saying that AIDS was a result of people not accepting their sexuality. I wonder how she explains the babies who are born with it. It's just too ludicrous!
I am just someone who read it and found it offensive. I can't even imagine what you must have felt having had twins who were stillborn.
I think the book is very popular because the affirmations and advice in the rest of the book are quite good. Unfortunately there are plenty of people out there who are gullible and will buy her nonsense at the end of the book (as did my friend who initially showed me the book). Hopefully most people will see it for what it is, complete garbage!
Take care,
Kara
Posted by Jai Narayan on July 16, 2004, at 15:44:05
In reply to Re: Enraged by this book, posted by KaraS on July 16, 2004, at 3:48:42
I too felt uncomfortable when I read problems I was experiencing.
I read it and felt responsible emotionally for my poison ivy????go figure?
Sorry you had to suffer so...
Posted by Noa on July 16, 2004, at 19:21:17
In reply to Enraged by this book, posted by Caper on July 16, 2004, at 2:57:18
Yes, this is the kind of thing that would annoy me, too.
I was in a Tai Chi class last year where the teacher said that if we remember to do the exercises every day, we won't get cancer. That made me very angry. There might have been people with cancer in the room for all we know!! I quit the class.
Posted by partlycloudy on July 16, 2004, at 19:41:01
In reply to Re: Enraged by this book » Caper, posted by Noa on July 16, 2004, at 19:21:17
OMGD NOA RETURNS!!!!!
hello.
Posted by Noa on July 21, 2004, at 21:26:41
In reply to Re: Enraged by this book » Noa, posted by partlycloudy on July 16, 2004, at 19:41:01
Hi, PC! Yeah, I'm back, but not online very often. Thanks for the welcome, though!
Posted by Shadowplayers721 on August 6, 2004, at 23:54:25
In reply to Enraged by this book, posted by Caper on July 16, 2004, at 2:57:18
I agree with you, Caper. I have seen her book, but I didn't buy that one. It was, because of that very section. I have bought her affirmation cards.
I take what I can from that author and leave the rest in the waste basket.
Posted by alexandra_k on August 28, 2004, at 20:11:05
In reply to Enraged by this book, posted by Caper on July 16, 2004, at 2:57:18
Have to admit I try to avoid the bestseller 'self help psychocrap' myself. Sorry, I know that some people find some of it to be insightful and helpful, but in my experience many people do more harm than good trying to make themselves rich of the bestseller lists because of the huge numbers of hurting people out there willing to try anything for some relief.
Posted by Noa on August 29, 2004, at 8:44:14
In reply to Re: Enraged by this book, posted by alexandra_k on August 28, 2004, at 20:11:05
And I usually avoid it because it is so repetetive--usually one or two chapters would have been sufficient but they stretch it out. Most of the self help books I have bought, I have not read cover to cover. I skim and then use as a reference from time to time. But I only buy rarely.
This is the end of the thread.
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