Dr Carol Ministries

What is Your Body Telling You?

New MessageOur physical body takes a hit when we experience stress. Even if that stress is not especially negative or traumatic, our body takes the wear.

And if the stress involves danger or trauma, or continues over a significant period of time, our body may just “shut down” in some way.

It has been estimated that 75% or more of the time a patient visits a primary care physician the true reason is stress, psychological difficulty, or something related. In other words, most of the time the problem did not BEGIN with a physical problem or body dysfunction.

That doesn’t mean the physical symptoms aren’t real. It means that our entire being is connected together, and what affects one part affects all the others as well.

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Grief, Tears, and Pain

Grief, Tears, and Pain

Man Alone in GriefAt one point every one of us will have to face grief – the loss of someone we love.

There’s no way to make grief easy. It just hurts! So many emotions may be involved: sadness, loneliness, guilt, regret, shock, hopelessness, and more. The loss of a loved one in death causes more psychological and physical stress than just about anything else.

The Dr Carol Show tomorrow, Saturday August 11, 1-2pm Central, will be a special broadcast dealing with grief. And we would love for you to be a part. Find a station near you, or listen to live streaming.

We’ll also have a special guest on the program, Sam Hodges from GriefShare.

Leave your comments on this post. Send a confidential message to Dr Carol here. Or call 888-537-2276 during our program 1-2pm Central on Saturday.

Who was the loved one you lost? What were they like? How did that loss affect you? Did other people say or do things that made it harder? That helped? I’d love to hear from you!

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“Sometimes I Cry”

Man in GriefI don’t like to cry. But sometimes that’s the only thing left to do.

Yes, sometimes I cry. And sometimes you do to. Tears can be very healing.

We shouldn’t be afraid of those deep feelings. And that goes for you men as well! Having a good cry may be the healthiest thing you’ve done in a long time.

What tears can mean is the central idea of our Totally Free Ministries newsletter this month. Read it here online, or download it to your device.

I hope you already get these regularly. If you haven’t signed up, you can do so here.

Sometimes you’d rather get this kind of material in your mailbox, with the shiny paper that you can read more than once. If so, just let us know your name and mailing address, and we’ll be glad to send it to you right away.

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When Only Tears Will Do

When Only Tears Will Do

Last weekend I was around plenty of tears. This time they were not mine, but those of other women sharing their stories.

I had been invited to be part of a conference on domestic violence, addressing the emotional, physical, legal, and spiritual aspects of this terrible reality. During the final session the participants were invited to say whatever they wished, and they started sharing their stories.

And they cried!

Some of these brave women had experienced physical and sexual child abuse and had grown up to believe that was the only thing they deserved. Some had watched their mothers be abused, had experienced it themselves, and now were struggling with their own children’s experience of trauma. Men were there too, and told of their own victimization.

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Doctor, Doctor, Tell Me

Sick ChildI do it almost every day. Someone doesn’t feel well. They come to see me as a doctor and talk about their symptoms. I ask questions, do an exam, order tests, and prescribe treatment. For some “simple” medical problems, that is enough.

But more often than not there are so many more issues beyond just the physical symptoms. If I ignore these other factors, the patient may or may not get better. And I have done the patient poor service.

It has been estimated that perhaps 75% of the time a patient goes to see a primary care physician the primary problem is not physical. Instead, the problem is primarily psychological. That doesn’t mean symptoms are “all in your head.” It means problems such as anxiety, depression, and stress are extremely common, and they have strong effects on our physical bodies.

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