Dr. Gabor Mate "When the Body says No"

Went to a great lecture by the venerable Dr. Gabor Mate, author, physician and innovator in the realm of linking spiritual/mental/physical health with ailments.

I feel a particulare resonance with his message of stress afflicting us in physical ways, last year I was hating life when I was commuting 1+hr each way to work. It ate into my time, I hated the bus/skytrain and everything about it, except for my actual job. Eventually I brushed my hair behind my ear and felt a lump on my neck. It worried me, but I thought I had knocked my jaw or something, and didn't press into it. the next day I had another lump, on my neck. I was seriously concerned and got it checked out immediately--the dr. thought it could be mono, or infection or worst-case scenario, lymphoma. That looming spectre of blood cancer scared me shitless.

Got blood tested and it was all good, just an infection. I am never sick. I was never sick before that, and haven't gotten sick since. It was my body rebelling at my phsyical dislike of my current situation and bang-you can't ignore lumps on your neck, ever.

I got lucky. Many people end up with MS, ALS or cancer after a lifetime of suppressing their emotions or hating their situations. Gabor Mate's message was important, but there is no real easy answer rather than 'relax' and 'be less stressed.' Yoga is good, a drink after work is good... but one of the keys I think is to 'let go'. Work stress? You go home and forget it, leave it at work. Family stress? Learn to say NO, feel guilty but rejoice in that guilt b/c it means you are standing up for yourself, for once. (loved that one!)

The good Dr. has books out, "When the body says No" "In the realm of hungry ghosts" "Hang on to your kids" and they're all doing fairly well. He is a deadpan humourist, and a very intelligent human. Read him and absorb some of it--it might save your life!