I am learning about what C.S.'s believe. I am not one nor have I been one my entire life as he has. I will say that he does not dismiss that an illness exists. He won't look at you with a 104 fever and say "You don't have a fever". Of course you do. He is more concerned that I don't just medicate myself and not cure the root of the problem. For instance, I have had those stomach aches. Well, he and I had figured that it was wheat that was a culprit of those reactions. But that is also a clearly medical view. To heal one's believe that they are sick is more where C.S. comes in. Do you see the fine line there? Many think that C.S. just shun all medical care sight unseen and end there. This is not the case- at least not with Christopher. I know this is hard work. When you are are your wit's end with medical treatments- esp. re: my stomach aches, and now sort of with them not diagnosing me properly as bipolar- and prayer and caring of a deep friend DOES help, of course you will take whatever you feel helps. Its not blindly jumping off the deepend, if that makes sense. The same goes with me and Depakote. Yes the medication is helping me with the worst of my symptoms, but to just say "Well I have this drug and now I am cured of my problems" is a) the easy answer and b) not going to truely heal the problem. Its like taking Nyquil. Sure- your symptoms go away for a while and you can sleep but you still have the virus in you and your body is still trying to fight it off. It hasn't suddenly ridden your body of said virus. In fact, with both Nyquil and Depakote, you are trading one bad set of effects- aching, fever; mania, etc.- for another- grogginess, sinus weirdness, whathaveyou; muted emotions and extra-sleepiness, while still your body is fighting off the virus or you are working out the root cause(s) of your bipolar.