Diseases that Know No Gender

Men are beginning to acquire health problems such as lupus and breast cancer long associated primarily with women? What does this mean for the human species?

I’ve always been amazed that some physical challenges are more susceptible to one gender over the other. If all humans start out with the same basic DNA composition, then why is it that some diseases that cling to the female culture are very rarely associated with the male culture?

Hormonal environments in women attract and nurture a multitude of aliments that men seldom have to deal with or even think about. But recently two diseases considered to be common in women are emerging in the male species.

I was recently watching an episode of a show by America’s favorite physician — “The Dr. Oz Show” — and noted that the audience that normally was dominated by women was primarily filled with men. Right away I knew the segment was geared toward the testosterone variety. I tuned in closely because I’ve never seen so many men in the doctor’s office at one time.

He was shining the spotlight on the new victims of breast cancer and “lupus. These illnesses were more and more being contracted by men.

In the usual Dr. Oz fashion, screen sized pictures and diagrams detailed each condition and showed how the disease formed in the body and how it progressed. And to prove these findings, he invited two male guests to share their experiences with each of the diseases. They expressed their bewilderment in their situations because they too felt that these were “women only” diseases.

The guest diagnosed with lupus dealt with the disease by maintaining the proper diet, taking medication and keeping his stress levels at a minimum. The guest with breast cancer endured the ribbing and teasing from his peers, but with a regiment of surgery and chemotherapy managed to send the cancer into remission.

After watching the show, my thoughts led me to a “metaphysical” writer by the name of Louise Hay. According to admissions by Ms. Hay, she survived a childhood life of physical and mental abuse. Her epiphany came when she associated her negative mental thoughts with the horrible actions that were attracted to her.

By reversing the negative recordings in her mind and replacing the negative with more positive motivating thoughts, she transcended from being a hopeless victim to a strong and powerful mogul. Her research of the cause and thought process of various diseases and the positive thoughts to reverse the mental energy is captured in a publication called Heal Your Body, The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Metaphysical Way Overcome Them. My edition is from 72nd print run in August 2007.

Not everyone agrees with Hay’s ideas, but I have used her suggestions since the early 80s and find them effective for my purposes. Curiously, I looked up the probable causes for lupus, cancer and breast problems. Ms. Hay’s suggested the probable thought processes contributing to these issues are as follows:

Lupus — Giving up; better to die than to stand up for one’s self; anger and punishment toward one’s self.

Cancer — Deep hurt; long standing resentment; deep secrets or grief eating away at the self; carrying hatred; feeling of what’s the use?

Breast Problems — Refusal to nourish the self; putting everyone else first. The breast also represents mothering, nurturing and nourishment.

I began to wonder if men were finally beginning to empathize with the female plight? Are they beginning to truly get in touch with their emotional feelings and delve deep to a cellular level? Would they now have to take a more soulful look at how they are being treated and how they are treating others or suffer the consequences of some despicable disease?

Women know the secret to healing is to eventually fess up to their part in the problem, ask for forgiveness and conduct the necessary soul searching to cleanse the wounds that allow the curing to start. We venture to change our routine actions and thinking to keep the tapes from repeating in our minds. Sometimes we go down this path alone, but often we gather in groups of like ambitions for moral support and motivation, whatever it takes to get to the end result. It is the way we love ourselves and because we are learning to love ourselves, it let’s everyone in our lives know that we are learning to love them.

Now I’m wondering if men have what it takes to heal a “woman’s disease once it is contracted?”

Photo Credit

“Masculine/Feminine”

Recent Verlalia Lewis Articles:

• Tis the Season to Be Frazzled, Fa La La La La
• Bend, Stretch and Reach for the Sky
• Diseases that Know No Gender
• If Today Were Your Last Day On Earth, What Would You Say?
• Buddy, Can You Spare A Job?