Craig Atkins
Founder

Recovered from autoimmune issues, chronic pain, anxiety, depression.

  • Like so many others, I experienced years of chronic anxiety and depression- combined with bouts of various pains and unexplainable symptoms (excruciating hip pain, digestion issues, back, chest, knee pain, migraines, tinnitus, insomnia). These symptoms eventually culminated in an life-shattering ankylosing spondylitis diagnosis.

    I tried all sorts of medicines and restrictive diets, which gave no relief. I was boxed-in tighter and tighter. I was constantly visiting various doctors and specialists, chiropractors, physical therapists, and getting lab work done. Always looking for a quick fix - vitamins, stretches, therapies, and devices... I was no longer able to eat “normal” food, because I believed starch would cause inflammation. I was no longer able to travel far without special accommodations, foam rollers, anti-inflammatory medicines. I only felt safe in my own small space, repeating the same patterns day-in and day-out.

    I was completely lost and hopeless, and the pain reached it’s worst level… I felt immense self-pity and loathing. My youthful dreams all gone, life was nothing as I had imagined.

    Then (as many stories do) I had a breakthrough. I watched a short video from coach Michael Eisner, explaining how you could get rid of chronic conditions by only changing your thought patterns. My first reaction disbelief. How dare he insult me!!! How dare he make light of “MY PAIN, MY SUFFERING!”. Then it actually sunk into my head.. past my huge ego. My mind-body communicated with me, and told me that he was right. I was some how creating my inflammation.

    New ideas took hold. I contacted Michael and coached with him. I also coached with Peter Winslow. I then read a litany of books and listen to dozens of talks and podcasts on the subject (all in the Resource Page)

    It all came down to a few simple questions.

    “Why was I always in crippling pain, anxious, depressed, and mentally exhausted?”

    Because I was in a constant state of fight, flight or freeze, which had led to a deterioration of my bodies ability to heal. I didn’t love myself. I didn’t love my past, present or future. My body was always on high alert.

    “Why would my pain get worse AFTER clinical diagnosis?”

    Because I was sad and afraid from finally “figuring out” what was “wrong” with me. That the condition was for life. Making me feel even more self-pity. In addition, the medical doctor is seen as an unquestionable authority figure on health, so a suggestable mind will cling to a diagnosis as absolute truth.

    “Why did restrictive diets/treatments/RX drugs work for others and not for me?”

    Because I truly believed they wouldn’t work, and nothing would work, and so they didn’t. And while taking them I knew deep down they were not the actual solution. The opposite of the placebo effect. Nocebo effect.

    Upon realization that the crippling physical symptoms were just another way of something deep inside saying “things are not OK, things need to change” I started my journey. As I hope all of you will do.

    By using coaches, books, and other guides daily, my habits changed (habits I had since early childhood). When one changes their habits they change their thinking patterns.

    Now the pain and anxiety didn’t bother me so much, I could live with it, I accepted it. But at the same time… the pain, anxiety, anger, depression… slowly, all faded to nothingness. The whole process eventually lead to spiritual discovery.

    I truly hope this website can show people that there is hope. The goal is to make a website that would have helped me most when the symptoms were at a peak. The symptoms can be so scary. But it’s ok… Remember it is not for the rest of your life and SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HEALED FROM SO MANY CONDITIONS!! THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE! No matter what age, no matter what background, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Tell yourself that right now.

    The resource section contains so many success stories. Always reference back to these when you feel low. IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Yes it is a cliché. Do not fight and resist- who are you fighting and resisting? Yourself

    Connect with your TRUE SELF. Who you really are. Not who you are acting like. Not a father, mother, son, daughter, employee, boss, funny guy, the person everyone can depend on, the person who always lends money, the person who always says yes, the person who tries to impress strangers, the person who always does overtime, and on and on.

    Some people have a very straight forward journey to health. Some taking a zigzagging path. I had many setbacks, but these are normal, we are here to support one another.

    Last, If hearing someone has healed from a condition you currently have makes you upset, then you need to DEEPLY examine why.

    Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like speak in person, or if you would like guidance in choosing resources to start with.

    In life no one makes it out alive, so for the short time we are here, let’s laugh and enjoy each moment.

  • nottherestofyourlife@gmail.com

Mikael Petre
Advisor

Ankylosing spondylitis recovery, currently living his best life

  • Hey, I'm Mikael!

    I am 33 years old and live in Adelaide, South Australia. I was diagnosed with AS around 8 years ago; I have come a long way since then and would love to share my journey with you.

    I remember sitting in the rheumatologist’s office and hearing the words ‘ankylosing spondylitis’ come out of their mouth, nothing made sense, I had never even heard of AS before and was completely devastated. It totally rocked my world. Before the diagnosis I had been experiencing some pain in my SI joint but after receiving the ‘official’ diagnosis the symptoms and pain I had been experiencing skyrocketed. It was like the diagnosis had triggered even more inflammation in my body due to the stress.

    Being told I would have to live with this thing for the rest of my life and would have to take a bunch of medications to ‘manage it’ totally freaked me out. I couldn't get my head around it, how could this be possible? How could I be okay one minute, and the next I have this pain that won't go away?…It did not make sense. After my appointment I thought my life was over, my world had been completely turned on its head.

    Getting home from the appointment the first thing I did was google AS, how to heal it and what could have caused this. This is when I stumbled across Ralph Ruiz on youtube. Ralph had also been diagnosed with AS and he was making videos about how the no starch diet had helped him manage his symptoms as well as sharing which exercises and stretches provided him relief. I went out on a limb and messaged him, we would often speak via skype and messenger sharing tips and tricks we had discovered with each other. Sometime later I received a message from Ralph, he told me he was eating starch and whatever food he wanted, he had healed himself, I couldn't believe it, it was a complete shock to me. All the doctors and information had led me to believe AS was a chronic disease with no cure. This was the first time I began to have hope that I could live a normal and happy life and that there was a whole other world of different ideologies and treatments outside the western medical sphere waiting to be explored.

    Around this time I had also come across a man called Peter Winslow, who 30 years previously had been diagnosed with AS, and was now a life coach. He had youtube videos about the mind-body connection and had written a few books about how he had healed himself using alternate treatments. I decided to do a month's coaching with him, because I was so new to this different way of thinking I found it challenging to understand, all I knew was that healing was possible but it was all a bit confusing.

    The whole concept of healing from AS/Chronic pain was so new and taboo when I was diagnosed even concepts of TMS that were pioneered by Dr. Sarno were fringe concepts outside the mainstream. Ralph and Peter were the first to prove there was hope that AS could be healed, today they are both still coaches and have come up with different ways to help people feel better and live normal, happy, healthy lives.

    So what led me to develop AS? Well you could say I had a bit of a traumatic upbringing to say the least, which led me to a life full of struggle. This pushed me into numbing myself with drugs and alcohol, attempting to cover up the anxiety, overwhelming feelings and sensations that I felt everyday. I constantly had a million thoughts running through my mind as well as a bunch of uncomfortable sensations in my body. I also felt an intense RAGE that I had been suppressing for years. These are a few of the things that had created the pain in my body and caused a physical manifestation of the emotional pain.

    Slowly over time I came off all the substances and I began to feel my body again. My own body felt horrible. I didn't understand how my own body could feel like this? The sensations of walking, sleeping, showering, feeling nervous, anger and sadness. I struggled with body dysmorphia and generally not feeling good enough. It has been quite overwhelming moving through this stage to get to where I am now.

    These days I feel good most of the time, I am still getting used to my body and allowing myself to feel and experience everything that comes up in it. I do now, however, feel good about myself. I am comfortable setting boundaries and saying no. I ‘people-please’ less and am now using my OCD traits to benefit me.

    I would love to have a chat with you and help you start your journey of self discovery just like the one I have experienced. I do, however, need you to know that I am not here to convince you, I am here to welcome you to the first day of your new life. Hit me up and we can have a chat for 30 minutes and if you would like to continue connecting we can arrange something that works for the both of us.

    Because of the not-so-straight forward path of my journey towards healing I can provide advice on which coaches you might benefit talking to and which books to read. I can help you to understand the basic concepts and explain the more abstract and challenging ones. I remember those first few months after receiving the diagnosis where I felt so lost and lonely and I know how much I would have benefited from having someone there to hold my hand and lead me in the right direction, providing emotional support, advice and guidance, someone to show me the possibilities and help me to identify the best resources. This is what I hope I can be for others on their own journeys, whether you have just received a diagnosis or if youre years down your journey and just looking for a different solution.

  • Mikael.Petre@gmail.com