Holistic Psychology Answers, Alternative Therapy Solutions

Dr. Jeanette, Licensed Psychologist, Holistic Health

Mind- Body Incontinence Question

Dear Dr. Jeanette, I experience incontinence. Eight years ago I had surgery for stress incontinence and a hysterectomy. The doctors said a big friboid was causing it because my uterus was on top of my bladder. It went away for a while and how I am experiencing both stress incontinence and leakage. The medical doctor wants to do surgery again. This time I am committed to healing it holistically. Believe me it is effecting my sense of being a free spirit as well as my sexual expression. Do you have any experience with this? Or do you know anyone who does that I might turn to for help. Thank you. Love, AC

Mind- Body Incontinence Answer

Check out all physical aspects of this problem with some physician, like Dr. Christine Northrup, who recognizes the role emotions play in creating physical imbalances. Information about her work and referral list are available at 1-800-211-8561. I have found that approaching problems from all angles usually works best. It is as if each level, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual has its own requirement that needs to be addressed for optimum health.

The secret to good health is allowing your emotions to flow. A lot of people THINK that they have been feeling and working on themselves, when in fact they have not come close to feeling their real feelings. When you feel your real feelings, you will feel better afterwards and you will begin to radiate. Radiation is healthy energy flow, the same thing a physician refers to as a healthy resistance. It is literally energy flowing in your cells and through your body and out and around your body. ( My audio tapes can help you recognize, understand and experience your own feelings.) When your physical and emotional body starts to radiate, all of your cells will become healthier no matter what your disease or dysfunction is. This explains why some people can smoke cigarettes and live a healthy and long life while someone else who does all the "right" things dies early of a heart attack.

I assume you have been exercising that pubococcygeous muscle? If you can stop your urine flow and start it up again and stop it again, it will help you locate this muscle. Exercise it often until it becomes strong and healthy.

Anxiety can cause and worsen incontinence, so it is extremely important to get to the root of the fears that are stuck in your autonomic nervous system. Move far, far beyond normal relaxation into a new, deep, relaxed state. Any of the body awareness and energy approaches can help you, but what is critical is to begin to affect the fear that is stuck in your cells.

For help with fear and anxiety visit read the anxiety article in the free holistic psychology library. You need to understand how fear is held in the body. Fear is literally frozen energy; it can be transformed, ie melted!! It is learned and can be eliminated!! It is not the real you.

The level of fear I am talking about can be anything from being in an incubator, having surgery, having your Mother toilet train you too early or too rigidity, to being yelled at just once when you wet your diapers.

Given the location of the problem, your kidneys and bladder, Chinese medicine would also say that fear is held there. Your chakras and hormones would suggest that the problem has to do with physical security issues and sexuality. It sounds as if you are not energetically connected to the earth. You may think that you are connected but the only way to tell is to measure it. Use a pendulum to see how the energy is moving in your first and second charkas. Begin to increase your awareness of how your energy opens and closes in the bottom two chakras. It appears that you do not trust others and allow yourself to connect intimately with them.

I just checked Louise Hay and she says that Incontinence is a result of "Emotional overflow. Years of controlling the emotions." I say right on!! Her affirmation is, "I am willing to feel. It is safe for me to express my emotions. I love myself."

As you know, easier said then done. I would say the trick is to not pretend like things are OK. Really admit there is a serious problem and stay with it until it is resolved. The physical resolution will come as you truly allow authentic emotional flow. You can tell what is real by how the incontinence problem will fluctuate. There may be a lag time, but begin to notice when it is worse and when it is better. It will give you direct, undeniable feedback as to how in touch with your emotions you really are.

Feelings occur all the time, just like thoughts. Begin to increase the seconds in your day that you are aware of your real feelings. Unlike thoughts, feelings can go in all directions at once. Allow them to move and change the way they want to!! When you feel them, they never stay the same!! It is only when you deny them, that they get stuck and become frozen energy.

Sound and Color have proven to be powerful medicines. Sharry Edwards has done a lot of research in this area. I use them myself and in my sessions with others. Sound is extremely effective because it directly affects the fear that is frozen in the body. Just as a glass can be shattered by the soprano's high note, so too can frozen energy in the body be shattered by the right sound.

I also work effectively with the little child inside of us that can truly reveal the authentic emotions. I work with the emotions and the energy flow in the body simultaneously. In a good session you can usually expect to have one or two releases, where the frozen energy breaks up and begins to move.

When you are ready, find a practitioner who knows how to help you affect the fear energetically. You may need to use two or more people. There is a problem because psychologists are usually not aware of energy flow and are uncomfortable with emotional expression. They talk incessantly about feelings rather than allowing direct experience of them. Body practitioners are aware of energy flow and are extremely helpful in this way, but they are frequently uncomfortable with emotional issues and don't know what to do.

Find someone you can trust who will lead you into your real emotions and stay with you. This of course will be someone who is comfortable with their own emotions. You may find an acting teacher who can help you, some of them are excellent with authentic emotions. Then use body practitioners to increase your awareness of your own physical energy. You do not have to share your emotions with the person. You can just feel them while they are working on you. The real work is up to you anyway, but I find that I need others outside of myself in order to expand my awareness of what is really occurring. Stay with yourself emotionally and physically until the fear transforms into excitement. It will vibrate out of you, like a passing storm. When your body changes physically, you have resolved your emotional issues. I hope this helps, let me know.