MY STORY
Dr Geraldine Naidoo
Stress and Anxiety Specialist
Calm Clear Connected Present
Dr Geraldine Naidoo
MY STORY
Calm Clear Connected Present
TAILORED SOLUTIONS TO OPTIMIZE WELLBEING & IMPROVE PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY
For Executives, Corporate, and Individuals battling Stress, Overwhelm, and Chronic health Symptoms and Syndromes
Have you ever stared death in the face?
I have….. Here is my story:
I found myself at an exciting stage of life: in a new country, with so many things “going my way”
I should have been excited and embracing it all!
And yet, I found myself constantly exhausted! And very easily overwhelmed. Plus other “silly” symptoms that were just easy to ignore, for example, I needed a week to recover from a single exercise session, and I was happy to take a nap at 11 am, and again at 2pm, but still felt exhausted afterwards!
At first I thought it was just the stress of maintaining a busy, full life: working part time and home schooling 2 of the most beautiful children in the world, while my dear husband traveled a lot for work. Or maybe it had something to do with my recently diagnosed, but lifetime experience of ADHD? Nonetheless, I wearily plodded on.
When I started having panic attacks I knew I needed help, but I was resistant.
All my life,
“Strong” was my first name,
“Independent” was my middle name,
and “Capable” was my last name!
Being “weak” and “needing help” were foreign concepts to me! I did not like this at all.
`But things got progressively worse, so I thought I would, at least, start with some basic blood tests. Nothing prepared me for what came next…
a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s -which was now my third autoimmune disease, adding to previously diagnosed Fibromyalgia and PCOS
a month later I needed shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff, and I picked up parasites post surgery and lost 14 kg in 6 weeks.
I found myself staring at the bottom of the barrel….
Hopeless? Yes
Helpless? Yes
Lost? Yes
Needing help? Definitely Yes!
but where to even start? I had no idea!
The continued “overlooking” and “bypassing” of my symptoms had somehow led directly to my diagnoses and I was forced to sit up and pay attention now.
I had to acknowledge that not everything exists in the conscious mind. As a student of Psychology, it was hard for me to admit that talk therapy was limited. Understanding that my whole body was remembering painful past experiences was new territory for me. I learned that Trauma lands in the physical body, and Is birthed without a language to describe its existence. It offers no “organizational” process to verbalize any kind of coherent narrative. The body remembers things that the mind does not, hence my visceral “gut instinct” responses to life were basically trauma responses!.
I had no idea that my unresolved early childhood experiences, had actually “programmed” me towards anxiety, and future illness. And that my genes were epigenetically “pre-programmed” by the lifestyle and stress experienced by my ancestors. Growing up in a politically troubled and divided land also left its mark on my mental and physical body. Who knew?
I had to learn compassion for myself, and own my story. This was new territory. I knew how to be nice to others, indeed I had earned the nickname” Earth Mother” because I naturally mothered everyone around me, but had never thought about myself and my own needs before.
Everyone in the wellness world was screaming out that I should “Let the past go”, but a huge part of my healing was really learning how to move forward with the painful things I had experienced. Trauma is an intrinsic part of who we are, and it is not always possible to just “let it go”. And so I have learned to move forward with the parts that were impossible to let go of..
And I do so with zest and vigor!
I have since crafted a unique system using everything I learned and used in my own healing and recovery process. I studied everything I could lay my hands on, always following the research, following inspiring thought leaders and change makers, always looking for whats new in our understanding of the human body and mind. Every day in clinic is a further revelation, and holds even more learning for me. I am in awe of the human capacity to bounce back!
And so, I believe, God’s gift to me is indeed this personal stirring up of an intense passion that I bring to my work every day.
Change is an ever present possibility.
And I would love to share this possibility with you!
My faith in God has always been a major part of my life, and at first I felt terribly let down. But God is Good. Never doubt that, because what followed was life changing for me in every single way. There is definitely a book waiting to be written about my full experience, but I will tell you this much today:
I am now healthy and well and embracing life fully. By God’s grace, I do not require any medication. People often comment on my verve and vitality. Most don’t even believe my age and they say I must be at least 10 years younger! I am living proof of the tremendous impact of my work.
Here is what I know for sure:
There is an incredible power in taking charge of your own health and wellness, AND, its ok to leverage ourselves with the help of a practitioner to support us. Medical doctors and medical interventions are amazing and we are so grateful for them, but they are by no means the whole picture.
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