A diagnosis of cancer brings with it profound shock, fear, sadness, sometimes denial, and many other strong emotions. It is common for people to try and gain some control over their newly reconfigured lives by investigating treatments themselves.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a form of cancer that starts in the bone marrow and affects the blood. And while a diagnosis of this disease is shocking, it’s important to remember that many people will not actually require treatment. In any diagnosis though, it is critical that a person takes the advice of their medical professional.
Natural treatments for cancer should not be seen as a cure, but as a means of easing the distress, pain and nausea that often come with diagnosis and any treatment given.
Optimal Health is a Great Place to Begin
Since CLL is a disease that can remain stable for such a long time, it’s important for people diagnosed with the condition to stay in the best possible health, optimising their chances of a long and fulfilled life. Consulting a naturopath or nutritionist can help identify any unhealthy eating habits, if any, and guide a person towards using food as medicine.
Counselling can also help – it really is good to talk and express your fears, hopes and worries.
Dealing With Stress is Paramount
With the diagnosis will come an extra load of stress as a person - and their family and loved ones - comes to terms with the disease. Therapies such as massage can help relieve tension and assist the person in reconnecting with their body. Therapeutic touch can be extremely supportive and calming.
Using relaxation techniques or learning to meditate may also help with coping with stress by working on stilling the mind and creating balance between the mind and the body. Yoga is also very powerful for creating this connection and balance. Yoga and meditation are also very empowering as they teach techniques that can be used out of the class or learning environment and brought into everyday situations to maintain inner peace.
Consulting a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine may also be useful. He or she may be able to use herbs, acupuncture or lifestyle modifications to work with certain symptoms of the disease.
Energetic healing could also help to empower a person by tapping into the body’s own healing ability. Central to most natural therapies is the notion that the body’s natural state is one of health, and it is imbalances – whether they occur in the physical, mental, energetic or psychic realm – that cause illness and disease. By addressing imbalances a person’s natural state of health may be restored.
