Beyond-Brawn-2nd-Edition

BEYOND THE EXTERIOR
22.11 I did not seek a medical opinion. Instead I used a test I could do on myself. It
involved taking my morning armpit temperature for several successive days.
It turned out that my temperature is over a degree below the norm, which
apparently may be a symptom of an underactive thyroid.
22.12 Concluding that I had an underactive thyroid I started some non-drug
therapy (primarily herbal) to help correct the problem. After a few weeks
I checked my temperature again, and found no change. So I increased the
dosage of therapy.
22.13 Almost immediately my mood changed, and I became incredibly intolerant,
aggressive and hostile. It was very scary to experience such a dramatic change
of mood. But it was not until two days later that I realized there could be
a connection with the increased level of therapy. I immediately stopped the
therapy, and the next day my mood dramatically changed for the better.
22.14 en I read a book on thyroid disorders. While I may have had one of the
signs of an underactive thyroid, I had none of those listed in the book for
that condition. en I read the section dealing with an overactive thyroid. I
discovered that during the two days when I felt on the verge of losing control,
I had a classic physical sign of an overactive thyroid.
22.15 A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. What you may think is a symptom
or sign of a disorder may just be a condition unique to you that does not
actually represent a disorder. Seek a medical confirmation of any condition
you think you have before you take any action to alter that condition. Otherwise
you risk doing more harm than good.
Beyond the physical
22.16 Physical care of your body is not enough for health and well-being. Your
emotional and mental state is a pivotal contributing factor. No matter how
well you exercise and eat, if you are living with resentment, anger or other
destructive emotions, you will be tearing yourself apart from within. Happiness
is a vital part of physical health.
22.17 Face up to the events of life that cause you distress. Take action to heal old
wounds, rather than let them fester. Let go of the past in order to be able to
live contentedly in the present. And accept that sometimes it is better to be
happy than to be right. Insisting on being right all the time will cause conflict
and great distress. We are all flawed, and just as we have to accept our
461