Are you Incurable? Emotional Gratification

This week I am continuing to explore the concept those traits that make our diseases incurable.  In the Butterfly Express published book Butterfly Miracles with Herbal Remedies it lists the third type of incurable person as

"People whose illness is feeding some emotional need or pattern, or people who are deriving some benefit from their illness"

This is a hard one to deal with because in charity we are to think no evil of someone's illness or their intentions, however I'm sure we have all came into contact with someone we suspected got an emotional gratification from chronic illness.

Symptoms to look out for in yourself and those you love that indicate this emotional gratification would be:

• Does their description of the illness accompany an expression of an emotion in the same conversation?  For example "I was so mad at my husband and then later that day I got a migraine" or "That woman makes me so angry the way she talks to me.....  I am having that pain in my chest again"
• Does the person use their illness to gain sympathy from family and friends?  Does their life and their every conversation revolve around the illness?
• Does their countenance reflect the symptoms they describe? 
• Do they use their illness to get out of obligations or as an excuse to avoid dealing with situations or people in their lives?
• Are they actively seeking a solution to their illness?

After fighting with a neck injury for many years I can definitely see in myself the emotional gratifications I seek through the illness.   I can see how it sometimes feels good to have others giving me attention and using my illness to get out of things I don't want to do.  It can be a convenient excuse.  If you see yourself in any of these symptoms evaluate your heart and choose today to walk a different path through your illness.  Just because you are seeking some emotional gratification doesn't mean that the illness is any less real.  It does mean that you may be standing in your own way of getting better. 

If you believe you or someone you love is making themselves incurable because the illness is meeting an emotional need consider sharing or trying the following suggestions.

1. Pray and seek God's attention for your illness.  Share your symptoms and emotional needs with the Lord and try to unburdon your friends and family.  
2. Focus on serving and listening to others for a while.  Ask about their lives and bear their burdens, getting the attention off of yourself.
3. Try to improve your countenance.  Yes your back may hurt or you may be tired, but attempt to uplift your countenance. A merry heart is as good as medicine.
4. Seek attention for positive things in your life such as your accomplishments, service to others and your talents.
5.   Forgive!!!!  If you have anger and bitterness you must forgive for your own health.  You may say "They don't deserve it" or "They haven't said they are sorry".  So What???  You will hurt yourself the most by your unforgiveness.  In my experience Anger and Bitterness are the leading causes of illness in this country.
6. Count your blessings.  Focus on all the good things in your life and take your every thought captive.  Focus on those things that are good and pure not on the negatives in your life.  

Encourage yourself this week to get well and stop standing in your way!!