Well this is timely. I'm sitting here hacking up my lungs as I read this. Still recovering from a cold/flu.
I'm wondering if I have unresolved grief from the passing of an in-law who I didn't get along with. She died in 2020. Can you grief the loss of someone you didn't like?
that's what I call complex grief...when you are letting go of someone or some thing that challenged you. it still leaves an emptiness than needs some kind of healing.
Every time stress overwhelms my existence, my left eye twitches. Sometimes it goes on for hours, other times days, and twice in my life for months. Unabated. It's nothing like what you describe, and I feel deeply for the way your body was holding and trying to expel your grief. When my eye begins to twitch, though, I know now that the only salve is to release whatever it is I'm holding. No medication, therapy, or sleep has ever cured it. Only I can do that. The body is such a powerful truth teller...and healer. Thank you for sharing your story.
I have a similar eye twitch that happens during stressful times. The body really is a truth teller. I've also found that the morning body is more honest than the evening body, especially in terms of tight muscles.
Oooh…now that’s fascinating. Some mornings I can’t even walk because of the tightness of my ankles or the ache in my knees, but I chalk it up to just needing to “loosen up.” Maybe I’ll start paying closer attention.
ankles are about agility, the ability to shift from one thing to another quickly. they may be telling you that you need more agility, or that you are being too agile. depends on the circumstances.
knees are about the balance of pride and humility. when they ache, are you being too prideful, or are you being too humble. I had a client say to me “my knees hurt again, so I have to ask myself who I’m putting myself on bended knee to that I shouldn’t.”
This resonates in so many ways. Whenever I travel on a plane and/or spend lengthy time in air conditioned places, I get a really bad cough. It’s been happening for several years now and my husband and I call it the aircon cough. I never used to have this problem. My husband also developed an allergy to pet hair this year, when he’s never had it before and has always spent loads of time with dogs and cats. His allergy manifested as itchy and sore nose, throat and eyes and a rash around his eyes that looked like he’d been scalded. The Chinese medicine doctor said it was an imbalance in his lung meridian. Clearly we both still have some grief to process. After losing 16 loved ones suddenly and unexpectedly in the space of 8 years I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise!
no surprise at all. you aren't just dealing with loss of loved ones, with all the moves and moving you have done, you probably have grief about various homes and places as well. No wonder aircon and pet hair are triggering your lungs. I do believe allergies like this are signs for us to process stuff, and they come and go in phases and intensity.
that's what happened to me the first time. this story was from 30+ years ago. I've since treated the allergy and I can get along fine with any cat as long as I have some Allegra and drink enough water before I visit. but I know how your friend feels.
Well this is timely. I'm sitting here hacking up my lungs as I read this. Still recovering from a cold/flu.
I'm wondering if I have unresolved grief from the passing of an in-law who I didn't get along with. She died in 2020. Can you grief the loss of someone you didn't like?
that's what I call complex grief...when you are letting go of someone or some thing that challenged you. it still leaves an emptiness than needs some kind of healing.
Every time stress overwhelms my existence, my left eye twitches. Sometimes it goes on for hours, other times days, and twice in my life for months. Unabated. It's nothing like what you describe, and I feel deeply for the way your body was holding and trying to expel your grief. When my eye begins to twitch, though, I know now that the only salve is to release whatever it is I'm holding. No medication, therapy, or sleep has ever cured it. Only I can do that. The body is such a powerful truth teller...and healer. Thank you for sharing your story.
I get a similar eye twitch too!
It drives me nuts, but it’s clear my body kicks in when I’m not listening to anything else.
Yeah, that's super relatable
I have a similar eye twitch that happens during stressful times. The body really is a truth teller. I've also found that the morning body is more honest than the evening body, especially in terms of tight muscles.
Oooh…now that’s fascinating. Some mornings I can’t even walk because of the tightness of my ankles or the ache in my knees, but I chalk it up to just needing to “loosen up.” Maybe I’ll start paying closer attention.
ankles are about agility, the ability to shift from one thing to another quickly. they may be telling you that you need more agility, or that you are being too agile. depends on the circumstances.
knees are about the balance of pride and humility. when they ache, are you being too prideful, or are you being too humble. I had a client say to me “my knees hurt again, so I have to ask myself who I’m putting myself on bended knee to that I shouldn’t.”
This resonates in so many ways. Whenever I travel on a plane and/or spend lengthy time in air conditioned places, I get a really bad cough. It’s been happening for several years now and my husband and I call it the aircon cough. I never used to have this problem. My husband also developed an allergy to pet hair this year, when he’s never had it before and has always spent loads of time with dogs and cats. His allergy manifested as itchy and sore nose, throat and eyes and a rash around his eyes that looked like he’d been scalded. The Chinese medicine doctor said it was an imbalance in his lung meridian. Clearly we both still have some grief to process. After losing 16 loved ones suddenly and unexpectedly in the space of 8 years I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise!
no surprise at all. you aren't just dealing with loss of loved ones, with all the moves and moving you have done, you probably have grief about various homes and places as well. No wonder aircon and pet hair are triggering your lungs. I do believe allergies like this are signs for us to process stuff, and they come and go in phases and intensity.
I grieved the kind of grown-up-after-college life I imagined I’d earn if I did everything right🥹💔
oh I know that feeling, grieving something that lived only in my imagination…grieving what never became real. ouch.
I almost killed my friend’s wife when she visited… us with three cats. She ended up in the hospital with anaphylactic shock!
that's what happened to me the first time. this story was from 30+ years ago. I've since treated the allergy and I can get along fine with any cat as long as I have some Allegra and drink enough water before I visit. but I know how your friend feels.
And here I complain about my pine allergies!!
I feel bad for you cat sufferers!! It is so bad. My SIL is similar…