YOUR HOME REMEDY FOR ACID REFLUX DISEASE

Christian presents an alternative perspective to healing gastroesophageal acid reflux disease in this self-help book.

Using a nondualistic “MindBody” or “meaning-based story” approach, the author asserts that GERD is “a messenger for personal meaning that enables us to experience ourselves in a different way.” Instead of focusing on physical symptoms, he urges readers to examine the underlying emotional issues that cause them. He discusses a concept called “somatic metaphor,” in which the body expresses what a person can’t verbalize. Stomach-related metaphors, he says, such as “Stomach tied in knots,” “Swallowing your pride,” and “Fed up with life” can be clues about how GERD patients can find meaning in their condition. A technique called the “smorgasbord question” invites readers to consider all the life circumstances around symptom onset. Christian notes that those who struggle with this question may default to positivity, fear difficult things, resist connections between symptoms and events, or are “Looking for catastrophes when mishaps will suffice.” He discusses the hermeneutic circle, a cyclical process of interpreting one’s personal narrative to uncover deeper meanings. Other practices he recommends include describing emotions, recognizing attachment styles and childhood traumas, and recalling positive experiences. The book concludes with tips on finding the right therapist and a reflection on the author’s own “awakening.” Christian’s psychological and emotional approach to GERD offers an unusual and intriguing discussion of the disease. Readers will find plenty of practical exercises for self-reflection and helpful tools, such as the “feelings wheel.” However, readers may not be convinced by some of his observations. For instance, regarding a client with testicular cancer, the author determines that the man had “unconsciously embodied his masculine identity in his testes,” and, throughout, the book prioritizes environmental over genetic factors in disease origination, including such childhood “microtraumas” as a mother’s absence. Concepts like “relational mirrors” and “sacred geometry” may be too esoteric for some readers, and suggestions such as journaling, symptom tracking, mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and tapping are very familiar self-help standbys.  

A provocative but unevenly executed wellness approach.