I hosted an Instagram LIVE in September and loved engaging with you all - follow me on Instagram to catch the next one!
I was asked so many great questions and one of them was: What's the difference between Acute and Chronic illness? Simply put, acute illnesses resolve on their own and symptoms are usually intense, come on quick, and are well defined. Chronic illnesses are in it for the long run; they have more subtle but constant symptoms, come on over time, and tend to require some external support to resolve. Chronic cases should always be treated by a professional.
The most important distinction between these two is that acute illness can be a sign of good health, whereas chronic illnesses are the opposite. The body is dynamic and acutes are a way to flow with incoming offenders, in fact acutes are sign we are healthy. Yep - never getting sick isn't necessarily a good thing.
Acutes serve a purpose:
a hangover tells the body to drink some water
a bee sting causes local inflammation to expel a poison
a cold/flu slows us down, tells us to rest, helps expel old tissue and discharge
a fever activates our body's defence mechanisms
When does Acute turn Chronic? You may have noticed the Acute/Chronic list above shared some similarities. The reason for that is that Chronic illness is typically what I call "Acutes gone wrong".
So you got a concussion (acute) that never quite healed and now you have migraines (chronic). You got a cold, turned bronchitis (Acute), that you had to treat with antibiotics, and now you get it every year (chronic). You spent your prime years nursing hangovers (acute), and now you're on the gout train (chronic) and off the red meat.
Think of it as your body failing to heal an acute, becoming unable to let it go - now it's stuck in your system and your body is in a constant state of trying to fight this illness. Exhausting, right? What can we do about it? 1. Suppress Less
Every time we fall ill, our body is trying to get stuff out! Every symptom serves a purpose to healing. Anytime you find yourself in a cycle of repeating a therapy/medication at a higher intensity to treat a symptom, the body is telling you it's stuck. It doesn't mean that therapy is wrong, it just means it's not getting to the root. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over, expecting different results! Let your body get sick, rest, get fluids, experience discomfort, blow your nose, get a massage, see your homeopath; nurse those symptoms up and out! 2. Heal Chronic Complaints Chronic illness takes energy. It stagnates the body, it creates (chronic) inflammation, it affects mental health. It's exhausting. Homeopathy gets to the root of chronic illness and heals it once and for all, allowing you to live the life you're meant to live, free of complaints.
If you're struggling with chronic illness, know that you can heal, your body is made for it. Homeopathy is a great place to start, but if you want to explore some other great practices, check out: Osteopathy, Acupuncture, Nutrition, Reflexology, Naturopathy, Physiotherapy and Therapy.
Send me an email or book a free meet and greet - find out if Homeopathy is right for you or if I can refer you in the right direction.
Just know that health is in your future - your body is ready to heal!
Paula
