Comments for The Sean Barkes Clinic http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine & Holistic Healthcare Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:39:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Illness and Responsibility by Vimalaprabha http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/11/05/illness-and-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-912 Vimalaprabha Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:39:19 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=208#comment-912 As the writer of the original blog, my feeling is that justice is probably irrelevant to this argument. Isn’t justice a social thing, a human creation? It does not seem to have anything to do with the natural world. I think therefore it is perhaps missing the point to say that it is unjust that one has an illness; it is neither just nor unjust. (It might be unjust that you don’t have access to the new wonder drug because of your postcode!). Similarly with fairness; one is wasting one's breath complaining that it is not fair one's village was hit by a tsunami, just as one is probably wasting one's breath complaining that it is not fair being born with an inherited illness. Anyway, I hope it is clear that I was not saying that all illness is totally self-inflicted. But even in the case of the child born with a genetic defect, once they are grown up enough to take responsibility for themselves, they have a key choice: do they feel sorry for themselves and complain it is not fair, or do they make the best of the hand they have been dealt? They can certainly live in a way which makes things worse than they need have been, or vice versa. Similarly, I was not saying that all illnesses that develop during the course of a lifetime are self-inflicted, but only that we should honestly examine whether, or to what extent, they might be arising out of the way we have lived. I agree with Sean’s point about it being difficult to make accurate judgements about ourselves; he is right about needing wise friends, but also one of the points I was trying to make was that if we do get ill, it might just be a hint (possibly a very big hint!) that we have not been living as well as we thought. Getting ill might be a call to reassess how we live. As to the Buddhist perspective on being born with a genetic defect, some Buddhists might say that is due to how one acted in a previous life, but I think the more sophisticated Buddhist position is really that it might be, but it might not be! There are, at least according to some Buddhist texts, five types of cause, only one of which is to do with our moral activity. Similarly, with whatever happens to us, it might be due to our moral behaviour, or it might be due to factors which have nothing to do with our moral behaviour. So if bad things happen to us, it might be that we brought it on ourselves, but it might be tough luck! (I think in the background of these ideas is a suspicion that compassion will or should be withheld from people whose illness is self-inflicted; which is not the case. I don’t think a truly compassionate person would have any less compassion for someone whose suffering was self-inflicted that for someone whose suffering is not self-inflicted. In either case the compassionate response is to do what one can to alleviate the suffering. In the former case, this compassionate response might include, if appropriate, trying to persuade the person to change their behaviour. So we should not, say, withhold treatment from people with lung cancer who have brought it on themselves by smoking.) Emotional difficulties are complex things, and I guess one should tread warily in considering them. A distinction I find helpful in thinking about this area is a key Buddhist distinction between a feeling and an emotion. A feeling in this context is essentially either pleasure or pain, and arises as it were automatically in us when something happens to us. For example, if a doctor tells me I have cancer, I have a painful feeling. If he tells me I don’t, I have a pleasant feeling. Emotion follows on from feeling, but emotion, unlike feeling, is something we have responsibility for. So if I am told I have cancer, I feel pain, I can then respond with self-pity, or anger, or resentment (perhaps railing that it is not fair), or I can respond with courage, kindness and equanimity. In the first case I am going to make things worse, in the second case make them not so bad. Of course it is not an easy choice between a positive response and a negative one, and it would take a great deal of work on oneself to be able to respond positively in such a situation. But essentially the buck stops with us as far as emotion goes, and a well-lived life is one in which we have trained ourselves to respond as positively as we can. This is not to underestimate the difficulties of people suffering from severe depression, for example, but I think it is important to acknowledge that in the end we can change our emotional response to even very painful feelings. As the writer of the original blog, my feeling is that justice is probably irrelevant to this argument. Isn’t justice a social thing, a human creation? It does not seem to have anything to do with the natural world. I think therefore it is perhaps missing the point to say that it is unjust that one has an illness; it is neither just nor unjust. (It might be unjust that you don’t have access to the new wonder drug because of your postcode!). Similarly with fairness; one is wasting one’s breath complaining that it is not fair one’s village was hit by a tsunami, just as one is probably wasting one’s breath complaining that it is not fair being born with an inherited illness.

Anyway, I hope it is clear that I was not saying that all illness is totally self-inflicted. But even in the case of the child born with a genetic defect, once they are grown up enough to take responsibility for themselves, they have a key choice: do they feel sorry for themselves and complain it is not fair, or do they make the best of the hand they have been dealt? They can certainly live in a way which makes things worse than they need have been, or vice versa. Similarly, I was not saying that all illnesses that develop during the course of a lifetime are self-inflicted, but only that we should honestly examine whether, or to what extent, they might be arising out of the way we have lived. I agree with Sean’s point about it being difficult to make accurate judgements about ourselves; he is right about needing wise friends, but also one of the points I was trying to make was that if we do get ill, it might just be a hint (possibly a very big hint!) that we have not been living as well as we thought. Getting ill might be a call to reassess how we live.

As to the Buddhist perspective on being born with a genetic defect, some Buddhists might say that is due to how one acted in a previous life, but I think the more sophisticated Buddhist position is really that it might be, but it might not be! There are, at least according to some Buddhist texts, five types of cause, only one of which is to do with our moral activity. Similarly, with whatever happens to us, it might be due to our moral behaviour, or it might be due to factors which have nothing to do with our moral behaviour. So if bad things happen to us, it might be that we brought it on ourselves, but it might be tough luck!

(I think in the background of these ideas is a suspicion that compassion will or should be withheld from people whose illness is self-inflicted; which is not the case. I don’t think a truly compassionate person would have any less compassion for someone whose suffering was self-inflicted that for someone whose suffering is not self-inflicted. In either case the compassionate response is to do what one can to alleviate the suffering. In the former case, this compassionate response might include, if appropriate, trying to persuade the person to change their behaviour. So we should not, say, withhold treatment from people with lung cancer who have brought it on themselves by smoking.)

Emotional difficulties are complex things, and I guess one should tread warily in considering them. A distinction I find helpful in thinking about this area is a key Buddhist distinction between a feeling and an emotion. A feeling in this context is essentially either pleasure or pain, and arises as it were automatically in us when something happens to us. For example, if a doctor tells me I have cancer, I have a painful feeling. If he tells me I don’t, I have a pleasant feeling. Emotion follows on from feeling, but emotion, unlike feeling, is something we have responsibility for. So if I am told I have cancer, I feel pain, I can then respond with self-pity, or anger, or resentment (perhaps railing that it is not fair), or I can respond with courage, kindness and equanimity. In the first case I am going to make things worse, in the second case make them not so bad. Of course it is not an easy choice between a positive response and a negative one, and it would take a great deal of work on oneself to be able to respond positively in such a situation. But essentially the buck stops with us as far as emotion goes, and a well-lived life is one in which we have trained ourselves to respond as positively as we can. This is not to underestimate the difficulties of people suffering from severe depression, for example, but I think it is important to acknowledge that in the end we can change our emotional response to even very painful feelings.

]]> Comment on Illness and Responsibility by sean http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/11/05/illness-and-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-906 sean Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:20:05 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=208#comment-906 Paul, I think you hit the nail on the head when you prefix the word 'seemingly' to 'healthy life'. Each of us are notoriously bad at making accurate judgements about ourselves. That's why its so important to either have a friend who is clear thinking, intelligent and caring enough to offer us direct but sensitive feedback about our deeds. Take the issue of diet, for example. In the west we have this very black and white view of what is good or bad food. In reality the same food can be good or bad according to the individual that eats it. A very stark example might be anaphylaxis as a result of even touching a peanut! Of course, there are much less stark examples that often go unmissed. The idea of food energetics in Chinese medicine enables us to see clearly why a banana might be medicine for one individual whilst being deleterious to the health of another. What's even more difficult to judge, either the individual or people observing them, is the workings of the mind. To everyone around him, Gary Speed had a great job, great family and plenty of money, everything anyone could have hoped for. Yet he was unable to articulate his pain in a manner that allowed him to receive the help he so badly needed. So, on the issue of 'Its not fair, they led a healthy life but suffer all the same', its often based upon incorrect assumptions because of incomplete information. There's more of a correlation between a persons choices and their health experience than meets the eye. Even in the case of Road Traffic Accidents, its easily conceivable how to make links between the choices victims make and their experience. If they had been to bed earlier over the last week and not worked so hard, would their reactions have been quicker? If they had chosen public transport, would they have been involved? My colleague who wrote this blog piece is a Buddhist. Therefore, I guess its easier for him to see that a genetic disorder might still have been caused by the child experiencing it. That aside, I'm a man of moving my efforts toward the most productive activities and ideas. Geneticists estimate that about 15% of our health circumstances are due to genetic causes. The rest is caused by lifestyle; in other words, our choices. For me, this is empowering and encourages us to take responsibility for our circumstances. I guess, what I'm saying is lets concentrate on the 85% that we can do something about, rather than use the 15% as an excuse not to take responsibility and live life magnificently. Paul, I think you hit the nail on the head when you prefix the word ‘seemingly’ to ‘healthy life’. Each of us are notoriously bad at making accurate judgements about ourselves. That’s why its so important to either have a friend who is clear thinking, intelligent and caring enough to offer us direct but sensitive feedback about our deeds. Take the issue of diet, for example. In the west we have this very black and white view of what is good or bad food. In reality the same food can be good or bad according to the individual that eats it. A very stark example might be anaphylaxis as a result of even touching a peanut! Of course, there are much less stark examples that often go unmissed. The idea of food energetics in Chinese medicine enables us to see clearly why a banana might be medicine for one individual whilst being deleterious to the health of another.

What’s even more difficult to judge, either the individual or people observing them, is the workings of the mind. To everyone around him, Gary Speed had a great job, great family and plenty of money, everything anyone could have hoped for. Yet he was unable to articulate his pain in a manner that allowed him to receive the help he so badly needed.

So, on the issue of ‘Its not fair, they led a healthy life but suffer all the same’, its often based upon incorrect assumptions because of incomplete information. There’s more of a correlation between a persons choices and their health experience than meets the eye. Even in the case of Road Traffic Accidents, its easily conceivable how to make links between the choices victims make and their experience. If they had been to bed earlier over the last week and not worked so hard, would their reactions have been quicker? If they had chosen public transport, would they have been involved?

My colleague who wrote this blog piece is a Buddhist. Therefore, I guess its easier for him to see that a genetic disorder might still have been caused by the child experiencing it. That aside, I’m a man of moving my efforts toward the most productive activities and ideas. Geneticists estimate that about 15% of our health circumstances are due to genetic causes. The rest is caused by lifestyle; in other words, our choices. For me, this is empowering and encourages us to take responsibility for our circumstances. I guess, what I’m saying is lets concentrate on the 85% that we can do something about, rather than use the 15% as an excuse not to take responsibility and live life magnificently.

]]> Comment on Illness and Responsibility by Paul Shackleton http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/11/05/illness-and-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-903 Paul Shackleton Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:04:56 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=208#comment-903 Interesting topic. How about the issue justice/fairness? Is illness is fair. The "helpless victim" syndrome may stem from a sense of injustice. Why should I should I be victim of this terrible disease, when I have lived a seemingly healthy life. Whilst others who have smoked, drank and not exercised seem to remain healthy. Is it luck or genetics? Western medicine tends to view illness as a random attack of bad luck, whereas Chinese medicine is more likely to view illness as self inflicted. Where I stand on this issue depends on the illness. For me back pain is nearly always self inflicted (except when caused by car crashes). However it's difficult to use the illness is self inflicted argument for young children suffering from genetic diseases. What about "emotional difficulties". Are they completely internal? Or can they have other causes. Clearly some people are able to remain happy despite suffering extremely difficult lives, whilst others 'have it all' yet suffer from depression. But there is evidence to suggest that our genes can also a major impact on our emotional well being. Interesting topic. How about the issue justice/fairness? Is illness is fair. The “helpless victim” syndrome may stem from a sense of injustice. Why should I should I be victim of this terrible disease, when I have lived a seemingly healthy life. Whilst others who have smoked, drank and not exercised seem to remain healthy. Is it luck or genetics?
Western medicine tends to view illness as a random attack of bad luck, whereas Chinese medicine is more likely to view illness as self inflicted. Where I stand on this issue depends on the illness. For me back pain is nearly always self inflicted (except when caused by car crashes). However it’s difficult to use the illness is self inflicted argument for young children suffering from genetic diseases.
What about “emotional difficulties”. Are they completely internal? Or can they have other causes. Clearly some people are able to remain happy despite suffering extremely difficult lives, whilst others ‘have it all’ yet suffer from depression. But there is evidence to suggest that our genes can also a major impact on our emotional well being.

]]> Comment on The Myth of Getting ‘Old’ by sean http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2012/01/16/the-myth-of-getting-old/comment-page-1/#comment-898 sean Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:09:30 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=216#comment-898 Perhaps! Although its an awful long way to come! ;-) Maybe you have a local acupuncturist over there? Get your knees fixed sooner rather than later and you'll be feeling even younger before you can say "Jack Robinson" BTW, I can show you a 1001 exercises you can do which will not affect your knees at all. Options only limited by the confines of our creativity :) Perhaps! Although its an awful long way to come! ;-) Maybe you have a local acupuncturist over there? Get your knees fixed sooner rather than later and you’ll be feeling even younger before you can say “Jack Robinson”

BTW, I can show you a 1001 exercises you can do which will not affect your knees at all. Options only limited by the confines of our creativity :)

]]> Comment on The Myth of Getting ‘Old’ by Martyn Cleasby http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2012/01/16/the-myth-of-getting-old/comment-page-1/#comment-897 Martyn Cleasby Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:04:59 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=216#comment-897 Sean, interesting...I feel young at 72 and a half, but I have lots of things wrong with me and cannot exercise because of bad knees. Perhaps I ought to come and see you ;-) cheers Martyn Sean, interesting…I feel young at 72 and a half, but I have lots of things wrong with me and cannot exercise because of bad knees. Perhaps I ought to come and see you ;-)
cheers
Martyn

]]> Comment on Labels, medical and otherwise. by sean http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/08/30/labels-medical-and-otherwise/comment-page-1/#comment-890 sean Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:49:56 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=186#comment-890 A common story! Thank you for sharing it. I guess, for many, the pleasure comes from the relief of a diagnosis, not the specific diagnosis. The not knowing what's wrong can be unbearable. My take, which sort of follows the author of this blog, is that, whilst reaching a diagnosis (the label) can provide relief, it can also distract from the underlying issues that have caused the symptoms in the first place. In many cases, these are self-inflicted through diet, lifestyle, ignoring relationship issues etc. etc. For example, I tend to contract a common cold if I've been working late without breaks for a few weeks. I totally agree that the ultimate pleasure is when the sufferer realises they are responsible their own symptoms and, therefore, have some control over the situation. From that they feel empowered. Empowerment feels great! A common story! Thank you for sharing it. I guess, for many, the pleasure comes from the relief of a diagnosis, not the specific diagnosis. The not knowing what’s wrong can be unbearable. My take, which sort of follows the author of this blog, is that, whilst reaching a diagnosis (the label) can provide relief, it can also distract from the underlying issues that have caused the symptoms in the first place. In many cases, these are self-inflicted through diet, lifestyle, ignoring relationship issues etc. etc. For example, I tend to contract a common cold if I’ve been working late without breaks for a few weeks. I totally agree that the ultimate pleasure is when the sufferer realises they are responsible their own symptoms and, therefore, have some control over the situation. From that they feel empowered. Empowerment feels great!

]]> Comment on Labels, medical and otherwise. by Brenda Gibson http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/08/30/labels-medical-and-otherwise/comment-page-1/#comment-889 Brenda Gibson Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:58:02 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=186#comment-889 Well, I recognise the scene, but not the central character. Pleased to be diagnosed with what is essentially a mental illness? Is this woman barmy? Pleased? pleased? I felt only astonishment and shame. Pleasure did indeed follow, but certainly not for the reason the blogger has given. Although I believe the seeds of my depression were sown as long ago as seven years with a family problem and its repercussions, it was not until recently, that three, shall we say, unfortunate meetings with one ENT and two orthopaedic consultants wrecked what was left of my self esteem and pushed me through that gateway into a hell. By their words and actions, all three told me quite emphatically that I was not worth their time. I then presented a variety of symptoms to my GP. But this wonderful man listened. He saw and treated an individual. "I'm not going to follow guidelines and prescribe, because I think you can turn this round yourself." WOW! This man, whom I liked, respected and trusted, actually trusted me! I was worthy of his trust! He believed in me! TWICE WOW! I must be worth something after all. That is where the pleasure kicked in, oh blogger. I was a human being again. I resolved not to let down my GP. I don't think I have. Well, I recognise the scene, but not the central character. Pleased to be diagnosed with what is essentially a mental illness? Is this woman barmy?
Pleased? pleased? I felt only astonishment and shame. Pleasure did indeed follow, but certainly not for the reason the blogger has given.
Although I believe the seeds of my depression were sown as long ago as seven years with a family problem and its repercussions, it was not until recently, that three, shall we say, unfortunate meetings with one ENT and two orthopaedic consultants wrecked what was left of my self esteem and pushed me through that gateway into a hell. By their words and actions, all three told me quite emphatically that I was not worth their time.
I then presented a variety of symptoms to my GP. But this wonderful man listened. He saw and treated an individual. “I’m not going to follow guidelines and prescribe, because I think you can turn this round yourself.” WOW! This man, whom I liked, respected and trusted, actually trusted me! I was worthy of his trust! He believed in me! TWICE WOW! I must be worth something after all. That is where the pleasure kicked in, oh blogger. I was a human being again.
I resolved not to let down my GP. I don’t think I have.

]]> Comment on TREATING PEOPLE, NOT DISEASES by JK http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/07/20/treating-people-not-diseases/comment-page-1/#comment-881 JK Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:13:59 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=180#comment-881 I really appreciate the in depth insight this article has given me in understanding the underlying and often deep seated roots around our illnesses. I would like to know if TCM can treat complex viral problems by looking at all the symptoms and history and bring the patient to a place of balance and health? I look forward to reading and learning through this blog site. Thank you. I really appreciate the in depth insight this article has given me in understanding the underlying and often deep seated roots around our illnesses. I would like to know if TCM can treat complex viral problems by looking at all the symptoms and history and bring the patient to a place of balance and health? I look forward to reading and learning through this blog site. Thank you.

]]> Comment on I feel good! by Cecilia Hall http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/09/27/i-feel-good/comment-page-1/#comment-877 Cecilia Hall Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:32:15 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=189#comment-877 It's really good that you are being specific! Keep talking to me! :) It’s really good that you are being specific! Keep talking to me! :)

]]> Comment on THE PERILS OF ‘NORMAL’ LIFE by Cecilia Hall http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/2011/07/07/the-perils-of-%e2%80%98normal%e2%80%99-life/comment-page-1/#comment-876 Cecilia Hall Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:01:00 +0000 http://www.theseanbarkesclinic.co.uk/blog/?p=178#comment-876 Well written article! Well written article!

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