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| Alternative Cancer Treatments Methods |
Having worked with cancer for 20 years and having had it
myself, I understand what everyone else does--that cancer is shocking,
harrowing, painful and sometimes fatal. But there is much more to the story,
and as a psychotherapist, I am on the front line watching lives open, deepen
and heal, regardless whether patients live or die.
The room is filled with both the preciousness of life and
the inevitability that we all will die. The conversations vacillate between
both realms. The presenting concerns are urgent and important: How can I protect
my kids? Not so with cancer patients, who are bombarded with physical and
emotional pain and discomfort, and for whom the veil between life and death has
been lifted. Cancer forces accelerated growth and change, much of it dreaded
and unwelcome at first.
Cancer patients bring to therapy topics of great importance;
big picture topics; matters of the soul. What aspects of my life are no longer
important? What legacy do I want to leave my children if I die or even if I
don't? Physical and emotional pain affords them the possibility of cultivating
courage and strength beyond what they have known. Fear of dying affords them a
reason to clarify priorities and to bring to life parts of themselves which
have been asleep.
In 1996, one of my first clients was "Mark," a
23-year-old police officer with stage IV lung cancer. Like Mark, for many
cancer patients there comes a time, whether they live or die, when they find
the space to respond to cancer rather than primarily reacting to it; when they
have it instead of it having them. It means that though they have faced and may
still be facing fear and pain and grief, they have stayed open to life itself,
and to the difficult path life has given them. It's the most beautiful process
I've seen in people. And gifts to people who brave this journey are precious:
Clarity of priorities, deeper compassion, stronger connection. Not too
depressing, huh?
People without cancer or impending death have recognized the
power of crisis as transformative. Stephen Levine wrote the book A Year to
Live, which offers people a chance to intentionally and systematically treat
the year ahead as if it's their last. My supervisor in 1996 ran a group based
on this concept and made massive changes to her life. The bottom line is, it is
harder to find the best of life's treasures without the intrusion of a terrible
crisis.
Working with cancer patients is piercing, engaging,
meaningful, transcendent, but not depressing.
If you or your loved one is suffering from cancer, you may be wondering if
it is possible to beat this disease. Is there a difference between the
treatment methods offered? Read on.
Alternative cancer treatments
If you ask around or search online, you will know that there are a lot
alternative treatment methods for cancer. Authorization or validation
Alternative treatments are not validated or authorized by any authority,
such as government. So, the treatment products don't follow any regulations. Usually,
the methods involve natural things, such as diet changes, herbs and a lot of
manual procedures. Governments don't back these methods because of the lack of
evidences and solid facts, as the treatment methods don't go through any tests.
Treatment centers
Many treatment centers offer differing options about the natural treatment
methods. However, most of them believe that the cancer should be treated with
the latest chemo, formula and medicines since they are proven methods.