I permitted myself to be a victim once. I finally realized that by
viewing my acne condition as merely a nuisance, I was at the financial
mercy of anyone that could offer me a cure. I spent thousands with
aestheticians and doctors and then one day I acknowledged: “These
people really do not have a clue as to why I have acne or how to get
rid of it.
I just keep coming to them for sympathy hoping for a miracle.
Meanwhile, they just keep taking my money, treatment after treatment.
And I still do not have any clue as to what causes my acne.” I was
helpless and still very ignorant.
Think about it- how long do you spend with your doctor at a checkup?
Five minutes, ten minutes. What do you get to tell him or her? For
example, can you tell them you get extra frustrated when you are in
traffic, that you cannot imagine going thru the day without coffee, that
you find red-heads especially attractive lately?
These comments may
seem inconsequential to you (and maybe even to your doctor) but
these are the type of daily side notes that give you insight into your
health and outlook on life. What you know and do not know about
yourself, or choose to ignore for that matter, will determine how much
you get to enjoy life.
The day I renounced my search for an acne cure and wholeheartedly
decided not pay anyone to cure my acne was liberating. Resolute that
acne was message, I opted to decode the message for all of the
information it would offer me.
This marked a substantial turning point
in my life. How many times have you said to yourself “I’d do anything
to get rid of this acne”? Well my friend, after you have read and
understood my book, I hope you come to embrace acne as a life
enhancing message that should always be interpreted and acted upon.
Thus, my book will serve as a guide to help you determine the myriad
of messages that your acne is trying to communicate to you. I present
acne as a message that is unique to each person dealing with this
condition.
I expect that while going through the methods and exercises
presented in this book that you will begin to better understand your
own body and improve your health in the process. Deciphering my
acne messages has enhanced my life a thousand fold.
For this reason, I
can earnestly say that I am glad that I had a severe acne issue to deal
with and that the Universe provided me with the tools to address it. I
am writing this book to share this message with you, so that you can
gain all of the blessings that come from understanding and dealing
with acne.
My words may sound far-fetched at first. I have dealt with acne for
almost a decade and I know how much you may want a quick and easy
solution to the problem. You should know that anything worth valuing
will take time to value.
That is, if I never took the time to learn about
the messages of acne, I would have never known that I do not digest
certain foods properly, that I need a certain amount of exercise or that
my liver was seriously overworked.
I do not imply that you may have
the same conditions, but somewhere within your body, acne is
diligently trying to give you a message so that you can live in optimum
health. You deserve this. Ignore the acne messages if you will. But I
promise you that if you do, you will miss out on the supreme well
being that the Universe wishes to grant us all.
Our bodies are designed to perform at the height of excellence. The
body requires the appropriate environment and support to sustain this
level of performance. Rest, work, diversion, and sound nutrition are all
keys to being a robust human. You, and only you can ensure that your
body is as it’s best. You, need to provide the appropriate environment
and support for your body.
Again, no person can make you healthy. Health is an internal state of
being and a choice. It is determined by psychological, social, physical
and spiritual factors.
Since 2002, acne vulgaris has become nearly
universal skin disease afflicting 79% to 95% of the
adolescent population in westernized societies. Not
only is acne prevalent among the young, but also in
men and women older than 25 years, 40% to 54%
have some degree of facial acne. Moreover clinical
facial acne persists into middle age in 12% of
women and 3% of men.
Source: Cordain L, Lindeberg S, Hurtado M, Hill K, Eaton SB, Brand-Miller J. Acne
vulgaris: a disease of western civilization. Archives of Dermatology. 2002;138:1584-
1590.
I am convinced that the reason for the explosion
in the number of acne cases that we have today is that humans are
alienated from their own bodies and just do what seems easiest. If
something is wrong with us, we are socialized to seek out an aspirin or
another panacea to cure what ails us. Also, as far as food goes, we are
conditioned to select what is easiest and requires the least amount of
thought or work.
Sadly, we have reached a state where we refuse to
delve into the deeper meanings of seemingly trivial ailments.
Fortunately for me, I was raised knowing “If you get sick, you’re not
going to a doctor.”
My family never had health insurance and it was
rarely heard of in my community. This constant reminder – heard
everyday as I ran out into the woods with my cousins- filled me with
an obligation to be extra careful with my body and very creative in
seeking out solutions if I were to fall ill. No, I did not play doctor in
the juvenile sense, but I clearly understood that I am responsible for
keeping me healthy.
There was really no pity for the ailing in our
community. This may sound crude but it sure kept us out of hospitals
for the most part. (I must interject that I did come from a loving
community all the same.)
Nevertheless, as I moved away from home and acquired health
coverage, I used it to seek out a cure for my acne. Only after coming
full circle did I realize that there is not cure for acne. You cannot
“cure” or “treat” a message, you have to respond to it. I want to help
you interpret your acne messages as well.