The Healing Crisis ‒ Getting Worse Before Getting Better
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 13, 2022
- 7 min read
Written by: Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
One effect my body went through during my personal experience with a list of chronic issues from adrenal fatigue to a malfunctioning thyroid coupled with a mass and nodules on it was that as my diet improved and I began eating higher quality foods, I felt worse. As my diet improved, the fatigue increased. At first, I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. The joint pain intensified.
This is one of the most important articles I will share with you because I feel that due to misunderstanding the healing crisis many will stop from pushing through to the other side where optimal health and ultimate happiness lie because they think they aren’t improving.
Most natural healers call this phenomenon a healing crisis - "healing" because it expels toxins and brings about improvement in health, "crisis" because the symptoms associated with toxic removal can be dramatic. We may not feel well, but our organ function and immune efficiency are beginning to improve. While the body is cleansing, you may re-experience many of the illnesses you have had in the past all the way back to your childhood. This is called the “reversal process.”
Because symptoms of a healing crisis are mostly the same as those of a disease crisis (illness), healing crises are greatly misunderstood and are often viewed as an illness that must be treated to restore health. Yet the healing crisis is a positive event, a sign of improving health. A healing crisis is the result of the body overcoming disease, a disease crisis is the result of the body succumbing to it.
How does a healing crisis work?
As you embark on your natural healing program, you begin by eating organic foods which have had the least amount of processing and contamination, and by using organic whole food supplements, probiotics, enzymes, and whole food antioxidants. As your body puts these substances to work, excess fat, hardened mucus and toxic waste throughout the body emulsify and wash out into the bloodstream to be discarded. It is this influx of toxins into the system that brings on symptoms of discomfort.
In my case, I had occasional diarrhea, frequent urination, irritability, headaches, and my chronic fatigue worsened, I couldn’t even keep my eyes opened and no matter what I did the only thing I wanted to do was sleep. My bones and joints ached constantly with extreme heat and swelling in different places like in my legs, hips and back. I felt like I had the flu. Also, my sleep, I was waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat then couldn’t easily fall back to sleep. Of course, symptoms vary depending upon what toxins are being eliminated, the condition of the internal organs and the individual's vitality.
A healing crisis is ongoing until healing is complete.
After a healing crisis one often experiences short bursts of intense activity that take them to a new level of improved health. A single healing crisis will not purge from your body all the toxins that have accumulated over the years. Many will probably be experienced before optimal health is obtained, but each new level is a step closer to total well-being, feeling energized, well-rested and pain-free.
The healing process works in cycles. You will have feelings of health and well-being separated by periods of discomfort caused by the elimination of toxins.
Hering's law of cure
In the 19th century, a Hungarian homeopathic physician named Constantine Hering made a discovery that is now known as Hering's Law of Cure. He stated, "All cure comes from within then out, from the head down, and in reverse order as the symptoms have appeared in the body". In other words, healing starts from the inside of the body and works outward and from the top of the head and works down, in the reverse order in which sickness afflicted the body. I came to understand that my body was healing my internal organs first; liver, kidneys, thyroid ...etc. Taking medications during a healing crisis to address uncomfortable symptoms will stop this cleansing process entirely.
You might worry about your healing crisis
It is natural to worry about going through a healing crisis. When I started feeling more fatigued and I started incorporating more raw veggies and fruits, I worried a lot. The discomfort and the pain were nearly unbearable - I lived with pain and felt so tired. But because I knew that detoxification was the only way to truly heal my thyroid and adrenals, I endured the healing crises as they came and went. The end result was incredible healing, my thyroid restored, the mass and nodules completely gone, having more energy than ever before that lit a fire in me. I started to explore furthering my education, I had a thirst for knowledge. I wanted to know all I could about naturally healing the body. Feeling better gave me the courage to take a leap of faith and I changed my career. I had so much clarity, I started working on my book and was grateful to be pain-free. I finally felt inner peace.
Through years of intensely searching for answers to premature menopause, being plagued by adrenal fatigue and my thyroid that was failing me, I had numerous healing advances that were followed by devastating setbacks, until I discovered the hidden food allergies that were also causing my symptoms. I emerged from my ordeal with a deep passion for helping others do the same.
If you are dealing with a thyroid or adrenal disorder, you might consider the following:
Sometimes (most often is more accurate) the thyroid gland and in general the glandular system takes over the burden of detoxification (internal cleaning) when the regular channels of elimination are overburdened. Therefore, the number one thing on the “to do” list when you have a thyroid problem is to pay attention to and help your detoxification organs (intestinal tract, liver, kidneys, and lungs) to function at full effectiveness. Doing this job will assist in relieving any detoxification burden on your thyroid gland that can be relieved.
To explain the above concept further, here's an example of how the detoxification system is related to the glandular system. It is a well-knon medical fact, that certain forms of harmful bacteria can produce toxic substances in the intestinal tract. These toxic substances travel to the liver from the intestines and impair the liver's ability to manufacture and utilize T3 (T3 is a relative of thyroxin and it helps regulate the speed of metabolism in the tissues). Friendly bacteria are very important to stop harmful bacteria from producing these toxic substances. As a result of repopulating your intestinal tract with potent friendly bacteria, your liver should have an increased ability to function normally, and this could indirectly support your thyroid gland.
When you choose your friendly bacteria supplements, make sure they are micro-blended with a whole food rich in minerals such as: Acidophilus and Bifidus micro-blended with organic microalgae. The minerals in the algae enable the friendly bacteria to increase their speed of multiplication in the gut and will also increase the total number of organisms (friendly bacteria) that will eventually flourish in your intestines.
Number two on the “to do” list is to make sure you're getting enough minerals in your diet (iodine, iron and selenium). In the past, doctors used to think that a deficiency of iodine alone was a cause of the dysfunction of the thyroid gland. But it is known today that selenium is critical in activating an enzyme responsible for controlling thyroid function. However, taking isolated iodine and selenium supplements is not a good idea because humans require only a few micrograms of these nutrients each day to meet daily needs. Too much of either of these minerals can produce toxicity. It is best to find foods high in these minerals: organic microalgae, wakame, arame and other sea vegetables are high in iodine and selenium. When consumed as part of a whole food, these minerals can be assimilated and utilized for thyroid hormone synthesis by your body without fear of toxicity.
During a healing crisis, read books written by medical doctors that give you the comfort of knowing that what you are experiencing is normal. My book Healing Through Nature’s Medicine, A Story of Hope will also take you through my journey and is a step-by-step guide on how to start your wellness journey. The body was designed to heal itself and a healing crisis is a sign of improving health. Look forward to it and rejoice when it happens. Although you may feel uncomfortable physically (and perhaps emotionally) for a while, you’ll be healthier and feel better when it is over.
I am here to be of service and to help guide you to achieving victory and to finally start living your best life now. You can reach me via my website www.embodyvitality.net or email me at embodyvitalityconsulting@gmail.com.
Emanuela Visone, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Emanuela is a leading expert in restoring health and a Master Transformational, Health, and life coach. After 20yrs recruiting in the finance industry, she discovered her true calling for naturopathy and helping people and their pets throughout the US. The value she provides her clients has put them in a position to gain better health and live a more fulfilling life. Having restored her own health, Emanuela is excited to share her victory and help others do the same, from thyroid conditions, shrinking nodules, blood pressure, hormones, and much more. This inspired her to write her first book, “Healing Through Nature’s Medicine,” A Story of Hope. Having restored her St. Barnard’s health as well, Emanuela coaches many pet owners on how to become their own best healer. She loves spending time with her family and friends, the outdoors, and her deepest passion is helping others transform their health.
