312 East Main St

812-254-0246

Open mobile navigation

Dying of a Broken Heart

"Dying of a Broken Heart"

Hello, my friends.                     

"… I will run until my feet no longer run…
And I will laugh until my heart it aches
And I will love until my heart it breaks…"

                                                                        - Amy MacDonald

            I haven't written anything in several months.  I've been under a lot of stress, like most of the people I know, and try as I might, I just haven't been able to come up with anything worth sharing.

             I was reading an article the other day about Survival and Growth, written by a cellular biologist named Bruce Lipton.  He was talking about the fact that we can't be in both survival and growth at the same time:  we are either in a protective, defensive, "survival" mode, the well-known "fight or flight" response in which our muscles tighten up and we get ready to either "fight back" or "run away," or we are in the more normal, healthy, relaxed state where we're designed to live most of our lives, the one that allows for growth, repair, healing, creativity, and love.

            Again, the key point here is that we can't do both things at once.  In "Survival" mode, more blood goes to our arms and legs and the part of our brain that doesn't really "reason," but just "reacts" by instinct. In "Growth" mode, more blood goes to our internal organs and the parts of our brain that do most of our thinking and feeling.

            In days gone by, this system worked pretty well.  The high stress situations that trigger the "emergency" response were generally the "life-threatening" ones, like being chased by a wild animal, and those times were fairly infrequent.  So, the fact that this "survival" mode is appropriate for short-term emergencies, but not for long-term good health, worked out just fine.

            The 21st century is much different.  The stresses of today (the primary causes of disease) often take forms that are constant and extreme.  First and second on the list, of course, are time and money, followed closely by things like job dissatisfaction, marital problems, parenting issues, and on and on.  Such difficulties commonly affect us at a very high level, and they never go away.  We go to bed with them every night, and when we wake up the next morning, there they are again.  Indeed, we're lucky if we get any rest at all.

            As a result, more and more of us are being slowly transformed, and are becoming, not the reasonable, compassionate human beings God intended us to be, but mere "robots with reflexes," mostly just trying to survive.  Rather than being fully present in each moment and giving careful consideration to the people and the things that matter most to us, more often than not, we simply react.

            People are literally dying of broken hearts.  Oh, doctors don't call it that; they classify each individual case according to which organ or system has malfunctioned or which "disease" category it falls into, but the true cause is invariably some combination of physical, chemical and (mostly) mental stresses.  Our inability to adapt, shift gears, and live our lives with the clarity and purpose on which true health and true happiness so vitally depend, can only lead to disaster.

            We must find our way out of this madness.  We must learn to bask in the light of love that is our birthright, our natural state of being.  We must regain, retain and constantly strengthen our connection to that Power from which we were derived, that Universal and Innate Intelligence which even now is giving us life and breath.  It's the only chance we've got.

            Stress.  It's the reason people get sick, and the reason they can't create the lives they deserve.  It's the reason I haven't been able to write, because everything I've ever written that was even marginally worthwhile has come from my heart, and stress interferes with that process.  It keeps me, you, all of us out of that magical place, that common core we all share, where healing, wholeness and creation are born.

The solution is really quite simple - not easy, but simple:  we have only to devise and follow a plan to keep us growing, rather than merely surviving.  And that plan must take into account every aspect and every department of our lives - physical, chemical and mental - which of course requires some conscious awareness and some discipline regarding the proper maintenance of mind and body, and most importantly, the "care and feeding" of our human soul.

In the final analysis, one thing's for certain:  we cannot stand still.  We will either evolve and move "onward and upward," or we will break down, slide backward, and lead unnaturally sick, sad and shortened lives.  The choices are clear.  The power and the wisdom to choose correctly lies within us all, and flows from Above, Down, and from the Inside, Out.  We have only to find it, grasp it, and hold on tight.

Wishing you health, happiness and peace,

Dr. Frank Bowling

New Patients Welcome!

Office Hours

Monday:

8:30 am-11:30 am

2:30 pm-5:30 pm

Tuesday:

8:30 am-11:30 am

2:30 pm-5:30 pm

Wednesday:

8:30 am-11:30 am

2:30 pm-5:30 pm

Thursday:

8:30 am-11:30 am

2:30 pm-5:30 pm

Friday:

8:30 am-11:30 am

2:30 pm-5:30 pm

Saturday:

8:30 am-11:30 am

Sunday:

Closed

Location

Testimonial

  • ""You need to try Dr. Bowling - you will feel better. The adjustments feel great. Dr. Bowling and Mary Sue are great people and you feel like your feelings matter to them.""
    Carolyn Workman

Featured Articles

Read about interesting topics

Newsletter Sign Up