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January/February 2004 Living Now
Good Advice from Dr. Judith Orloff

by Judith Orloff

Dr. Judith Orloff

Judith Orloff, MD is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a practicing intuitive in Los Angeles.

Question: How do you tell the difference between protective intuition and a boundary?

Example: Faced with a situation which is new (i.e. I have no experience of), I may feel my feelings saying 'no' to it. That could be intuition saying 'Danger! Not good for you', or it could also be just a natural human reluctance to change - i.e. to try something new...
I run across this and variations on it a lot.

Answer: In general, protective intuitions come from a neutral place inside, and don’t have an intense emotional charge. If you have any doubt about a situation go into meditation. Get quiet. Ask yourself, 'Am I scared to go ahead with this?' Then listen to the inner response. Then ask yourself, 'Is there real danger here for me?" The tune in again. My sense of you is that you're ready to begin to explore new relationships and stretch your heart. This is good. Even if you get hurt--we all do when we risk for love, friendship, romance, or work--we must feel strong enough to pick ourselves up again, and keep moving forward with an open heart. Keep doing work to strengthen your heart so you feel the inner power to handle anything.

Energy is the missing piece of overeating.

Question: For the past two years I have created an energy dynamic of food binging and addiction. My cravings and impulses to eat are so unconscious that I find it a challenge to stop myself before the behavior begins or even during the act! This energy drains my personal power and causes me so much pain and yet I have continued to behave in this manner which is not what I want for myself. Please help me end this cycle of giving away my power to food.

Answer: A dynamic that many people who fail diets aren't aware of is this: we eat to buffer the negative energy around us. It's subconscious. Not only do you overeat in response to emotional stresses, there are energetic stressors too. We eat to buffer the negative vibes we absorb from people and situations. Case in point: The turn of the century faith healers were typically extremely obese women. They said that had to keep the weight on to prevent absorbing the symptoms of the patients they treated--not a healthy or necessary coping device. Instead you need to pinpoint energetic triggers – like going though airport security – such as a nasty boss, an uncomfortable party, wherever you pick up negative vibes. Then you must learn coping techniques to protect yourself such as visualizing a protective barrier of white light around you, grounding techniques, setting boundaries, walking away from energy vampires, designing a life where you're not drained by others. All this can affect your food intake. I cover this in great detail in my new book Positive Energy that comes out in early 2004. There are many good books on Centering and Protection to get you started. You can do it!

Traditional medicine versus alternative medicine -

Question: I have just recently been diagnosed with a thyroid nodule that requires biopsy as it is a solid mass found on ultrasound. This has come on suddenly. I am going through many life changes -- I am in a second career and working towards a master's degree at 46 years old; my teenage son has chosen to live with his father 2500 miles away; I am in the 4th year of a wonderful new marriage yet I feel like a duck out of water many days in my world. This thyroid issue has me in a mess of depression, doubt and feeling "mortal". Next step: biopsy and likely surgery and/or meds that I don't want. Please give me some direction. All of my healthy choices (diet, exercise, vitamins) have me feeling like they are for naught. Where to go from here?

Answer:  I believe it's important to use traditional medicine when it's appropriate and alternative medicine when it's appropriate. Here, it sounds like you've taken the right steps to heal the thyroid problem. Healing comes in all forms--sometimes through surgery and medications. Don't look at this as a failure in any way. You are doing what's necessary and smart to help yourself. We are all mortals---it's important to get used to that. Be kind to yourself in the healing process.

Blessings,
Judith

Dr. Judith Orloff is the author of the bestsellers Guide to Intuitive Healing and Second Sight. For more information about Dr. Orloff's workshops and books visit www.drjudithorloff.com . Readers are invited to send their questions about intuition and life issues to her at DrOrloff@newconnexion.net.