The attitude that I am currently finding difficult to deal with comes from people who think you bring your illness on yourself, no matter what the illness is. That ill health is part of the consequence of 'wrong living' and even wrong thinking ........

Has anyone else come across this kind of attitude? It has suddenly hit me, and my friend who has MS - she is further in her disease progression than me, and is being treated as though she has this awful disease because in some way her view or her thinking is unhealthy. She is one of the kindest and most generous people I know, a very strong person with a cruel disease. I am astounded by this attitude, my friend is losing many of the autonymous day to day things that we take for granted, she's had MS for 25 YEARS, how much wrong thinking would you have to clock up for that amount of suffering!

To add to my original post there is also a fairly big emphasis on 'you can heal yourself of anything, if only you believe that it can happen', thereby adding another aspect of wrong thinking to the pot.

I have a hard time comprehending this particular lack of compassion. I can deal with people who put their head in the sand and tell me how wonderful I look, but this is not something I can cope with, simply because life has taught me otherwise. If everything was simple cause and effect life would be very fair, but it isn't, it is profoundly unfair in so many many ways.. aaaargh, I must stop this rant,

Would love to hear your views on this.......

Lindy

Hi Lindy,
You're right, I too have come across these type of (they think) helpful but incredibly unhelpful ignoramuses as well.
I'll start with the massage therapist in the early relatively unsymptomatic days of P.D. who told me I had it for a reason.
The acupuncturist who was giving me ways to get my chi going because I was down on it.
Not to mention the friends (now known by me as fair weather friends) who couldn't see any difference in me in the early days so thought i'd be "okay."
Later on in the course of my career path with P.D. I was "dropped" because I was apparently too sick to be asked to join in their various activities...
Let's just say they've all been replaced or in the case of friends the list shortened so that I now have a more accepting bunch of health care workers and friends who several years down the track with P.D. have weathered me through the bad, the ugly and the nutty moments then cheered me on as I emerged to live the good times again.
Cheers,
Lee

We all know that if anyone wants to be well, it would be me,
I hate PD, Cancer,Autism, but I believe that most of us did not purposely
eat or drink something "TOXIC", just for the hell of it.
I does help to think more on healing, then it does to think about dying
There are certain people who have told me from a certain religion/
that they could not pray for me - because PD is demon possession?
This of course was in my opinion -insanity on the pastors wife's uneducated
"Jim Jones" - cult type of being brainwashed by (can I use initials?)
okay -BS!
Common Sense would tell us:
if we are depressed, watch something funny- maybe you need to eat?
talk to a friend etc.
as far as I am concerned no one has to believe anything just because it is written in a book, or verbalized in the speech of powerful people.
We have the right to choose: the persons who make laws, as an act of patriots/ rebel, or any government spewing propaganda.
anyone who wants to control a person by scaring them with fear, or the feeling of terror. (this in itself is mindcontrol)

WE have free will.
we can choose for ourselves.

The folks who say such things usually have never had a serious disease. Positive thinking is very valuable, but get out of my face, people!

If we are to believe what some theorists think, there is a certain type of personality that appears to be more prevalent in the PD population. [intelligent, type A]. Never have I read that any evidence exists to suggest that our own thinking brings on an illness.

The new theory emerging is that by the time we go to the neurologist for movement problems, other symptoms have already emerged long before that. These include sleep disorders, hypertension, gastro intestinal problems, stress and others. [Langston, 2007] In his willingness to completely define Parkinson disease, and perhaps after all this time an overhaul of what the disease is - is overdue - I did not hear Langston suggest that negative thinking or anything we've done as a result of negative thinking or any thinking has caused the disease.

Lindy, it sounds like a completely human judgemental way of thought. Other than agree with the need to remain hopeful and positive, and to take care of yourself through proper nutrition and exercise [we all know the mantra], I doubt that I have anything in common with that way of thought. There's enough toxin out there to poison us all; we have no need for guilt-inflicting ways of thought based on false ideology.

my two cents worth,
Paula

Lindy, the world is full of weak-minded people who are cannon fodder for all kinds of sects propagating cosmic mysticism. I believe it's mostly city folks without solid family ties, who fall prey to all this "alternative" thinking. They're a bunch of very confused individuals and you shouldn't let them confuse you. Tell them there's such a thing as science and things like genetics, viruses, bacteria, fungus, germs, etc. and no amount of strained thinking and wishing will make them go away.

Curiously enough, I find that older and less educated generations, who however were raised within solid religious traditions, know there's no such thing as bringing diseases on yourself.
I have no patience with mysticism whatsoever.

The idea that "wrong thinking" can cause persistent illness is sheer stupidity.

"Wrong living" is a different matter, depending on what "wrong living" means.

If somebody drinks a bottle of vodka or smokes 100 cigarettes every day then they are bringing illness on themselves. Somebody who misuses drugs will make themselves ill.

Nutrition, hygiene, sleep, exercise, fresh air, avoiding infections and toxins have a huge effect on health. They are largely, but not always, within our control. So by our own choices we can do a lot to avoid illness. Unfortunately, most people are not made aware of what it is they have to do. Others wouldn't do what they should even if they did know.

Blame is an easy get out.We can control some of our environment but not all.I have most of my adult life been considered a healthy eating /life freakrganic, the works. My husband execised regularly:he was a marathon runner.He is a very positive person yet he gets Parkinson's.When he was first diagnosed I was angry as I felt this should not happen to us;where is the justice?Now I realise we cannot control everything and must just try and live life making the best of the hand we are given.We have not yet faced the blame culture but when we do I shall ask them whether I should have encouraged my husband to smoke and drink gallons of coffee.

...is that one of the factors that sets the stage for later PD involves certain happenings in the womb. These factors also affect our stress response in ways that make many of us "worriers" when viewed from outside. But from inside we (or at least I) view it as "it needs doing right so I better do it". Often we are seen as "driven" or "over achievers" or "serious" or "anxious" etc Actually we are just more comfortable being in charge instead of trusting some other klutz won't screw it up. I bet a Parkie first said "If you want it done right, do it yourself."

So, what many may label "negative thinking" is really because we can't count on bozos like them to do it right. We need tee shirts that say "I'm not negative, it's just that you are incompetent."

How I empathise with you. I am lucky in that I have a wonderful bunch of true friends who have only ever shown me kindness,love and true support.Not that I am inferring that you don`t have such a lovely group of friends...I am sure there are those people in your life who have the grace to refrain from such insensitive and potentially damaging remarks and you would do well to keep surrounding yourself with such folk.
I have,however,been on the receiving end of such notions from folk who are of the belief that we either bring damnation upon ourselves because of our "wickedness" or "lack of belief"....or have to suffer this illness as a punishment because of immorality etc etc.
All I can say is...be thankful you are the lovely warm compassionate person that is clearly evident through your posts,and have pity for the narrow blinkered thinking of anyone who feels it necessary to utter such nonsense.
Why do they think along these lines? Why do they feel it their business to convey such banal and trite opinions?
I really don`t know the answer except in my humble opinion they would be best off either doing something useful for the community [obviously they have time on their hands and are consumed by their own graniose ego`s]...or better still...they should just shut their traps and grow up.

Lindy...I have met some wonderful people through my illness...not least on here..this forum,and I for one would choose to spend my time with ill folk who have some substance and have shown bravery and courage in the face of adversity...over some healthy individuals who can`t even cope with a cold.

I say "healthy" with tongue in cheek..cos it is clear they are only healthy in body...not in "mind".

You are ill because you are unlucky.Not for any other reason.

Hugs
Steffi
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