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The Seven A’s of Healing

by Dr. Talia Marcheggiani, ND | May 4, 2012 | Balance, Healing Stories, Preventive
Medicine, Self-care, Spirituality, Stress| 5 comments

As soon as exams screamed to a halt, I embarked on my summer reading list

starting with When the Body Says No, by Canadian author and medical doctor,
Gabor Maté. This book explores the mind-body connection, the relationship
between stress, especially due to familial relationships, and the onset of
disease.
Health is achieved on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual level
therefore, according to Maté, disease is never only physical. Prolonged stress
and anxiety take a toll on the body and affect the immune system, making the
body more susceptible to disease and reducing the capacity of the body to heal
itself.
In the final chapter of When the Body Says No, Dr. Maté outlines the 7 A’s of
Healing, which one must embark on to heal from any disease.
1) Acceptance. People who suffer from autoimmune disease often suffer from
harsh self-judgment and self-criticism. They often feel unworthy of love and
unable to ask for help. In order to begin the healing process we must look upon
ourselves with the same compassion that we often reserve for our close friends
and family members. It doesn’t mean that we have to blindly love everything
about our personality and physical body, but to simply acknowledge that we are
good enough and worthy of the help that we would recommend a friend seek if
he or she were in our shoes.
2) Awareness. In order to heal it is important to develop awareness of our
emotions, rather than cover up how we’re feeling. Being in touch with how we
feel on a physical level on a regular basis and noticing when we’re under stress
is an important part of being in tune with the body. When practiced regularly,
this enables us to learn what our body is asking for and what it needs at any
given moment, creating better self-care practices.
3) Anger. Being able to express anger in healthy, constructive ways is crucial to
maintaining a life free from disease. Studies show that those who repress
anger or harbour hostility and frustration without expressing it, often suffer from
a variety of different diseases. In our society we are taught to be fearful of
anger but repressing anger triggers a heightened stress response, contributing
to an increase in physical, mental and emotional stress. Gabor Mate has this to
say about dealing with anger in a healthful way, “Anger is a physiological
process to be experienced. Second, it has cognitive value. Since anger does
not exist in a vacuum, if I feel anger it must be in response to some perception
on my part. I am greatly empowered without harming anyone if I permit myself
to experience the anger and to contemplate what may have triggered it.”
Once the anger is recognized, not repressed due to fear, we are able to decide
what to do with it. We may choose to simply experience it or to turn it into a few
choice actions; perhaps some words or deeds that may help to assert ourselves
or to re-establish the boundaries that may have been broken.
4) Autonomy. Creating boundaries is essential for health. it is important to
create boundaries to define who we are by asking the questions, “in my life or
relationships, what do I desire, want more of, or less of, what are my limits?”
When we begin to define ourselves by deciding our values and desires in life we
being to develop an internal centre of control, making us less susceptible to
stress and more in tune with our priorities and state of health.
5) Attachment. Numerous studies show that people who are surrounded by
loved ones and can count on social support are less susceptible to illness and
better able to recover from disease. Part of re-establishing social connection
involves releasing the fear most of us have of being vulnerable. Being human
means forming connections with others and it is important not to view a reliance
on others as a sign of weakness or a release from independence.
6) Assertion. Gabor Maté found in his interviews with patients suffering from
chronic disease that many of them felt undeserving of love. They often hid their
true personalities and emotions from others for fear that they would not be
accepted. Mate states that it is important to assert that fact that no one is
required to justify their existence. Assertion is simply a statement of being. We
are here and we are who we are. Everyone has the right to be here, to live and
be loved.
7) Affirmation. Affirmation involves finding a means through which to channel
creative expression in order to make ourselves heard and to hear our own voice
projected through another medium. It also includes the spiritual connection to a
power greater than ourselves, which is essential to any healing program. It is
important to feel connected to the outside world, in contact and surrounded by
love. Faith in a greater cause helps dissipate feelings of loneliness and
isolation, which are great causes of stress and, eventually, disease.
For more information on the mind-body connection and how stress can
contribute to disease pick up a copy of Gabor Maté’s book!

More from my site

 Listening to My Body (and why my pants are too tight)

  How to Reinvent Your Life in 20 Steps

 The Tiny House Revolution

 Put Away Your Troubles…

 Serenity

 The 6-2-6 Breath for Stress and Overwhelm

5 Comments

1.
Stewart on January 15, 2013 at 2:25 am

Thank you so much for posting this.


 Talia Marcheggiani on January 15, 2013 at 7:05 am

You’re welcome:) Thanks for commenting!

2.
Monika on March 10, 2013 at 12:16 pm

It’s all totally true… I’d been suffering from borderline personality disorders for about 15
years before I fell ill with scleroderma – autoaggressive disease of the connective tissue
plus sort of various neurological symptoms. Before the diagnosis I’d also been in
psychodynamic therapy that helped me a lot to mature and stop some self-harming
,,practices”. However, the disoreders were quite deep instilled in me and overa year ago
after a year of severe stress at work (which I finally quit), I was diagnosed with
scleroderma. Funny thing… the first light spots on my skin appeared in my dimples and on
my cheeks – parts of the face associated with laughter and expressing joy and happiness.
After a total change in eating habits (very healthy diet), sleeping habits, sports und sunlight
,,habits” almost all neurological symptoms disappeared. Scleroderma, however, is still
progressing. I know it all happened because it’s a sign from my inner self and from my body
that I did a lot of harm to myself and never loved myself, and it’s time to stop it. I feel ready
now to shift all my life values and start loving myself for the first time in my life. I feel I am
worthy of love and respect, of joy and happiness. My childhood was a sad story, always
striving for perfection, feeling not good enough, feeling unimportant and invisible, always
trying to protect my mum from my father – an alcoholic. I never respected my body, thought
it could stand everything. I thought I was made of iron and can always exploit myself in
order to please others and be the best one in anything I was doing. I know I’m on the right
path to get healed and I’m going to bring my beautiful health back to me. The first step I’ve
already taken is saying ,,no” to people whose wishes or requests aren’t in tune with my
needs or emotional well-being. At first I felt some guilt or remorses, but I’m doing much
better now. Of course, this is only the first step , the beginning of my journey… I’m ready for
this journey. Monika


Talia Marcheggiani on March 10, 2013 at 1:58 pm
 Hi, Monika,
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story. It sounds like you’ve been
through a lot but have also embarked on a wonderful healing journey of
growth. I wish you the best on that journey. Learning to love ourselves is
truly hard to do. I struggle it with daily. Thanks for visiting this site and for
commenting! – Talia

3.
Monika on March 11, 2013 at 7:19 am

Hello Talia,
thank you too. I came across your website when searching for some interpretations or
ellaboration on dr Mate’s 7 A’s of healing. You’re right, I’ve gone through a lot, but quite
recently I’ve managed to accept it all. It doesn’t hurt so much anymore. The best thing you
can do with a vicious circle is to break with it. I see you’re much into literature on mind-body
connection, so I can also advise you to read a book by Kurt Tepperwein. Its German title is:
,,Was dir deine Krankenheit sagen will” (,,What your disease is trying to tell you”.) I guess
it’s translated into English too, unless you speak fluent German. The last thing I need to tell
you (and can’t resist doing so) is the meaning of your first name in Polish. ,,Talia” means
,,waist” (especially in women) or ,,talia kart” (a deck of cards). Anyway, it sounds nice and
familiar in Polish. I’ll comment on how I’m doing after some time.
Best regards from Poland,
Monika