MCS is usually not caused by one single toxic or exposure. Therefore, we generally need to deal with several areas or a history of exposures when trying to heal our  MCS, not just one. The first obstacle we face is being able to act intelligently and immediately to change our current situation and becoming more ill. This is frequently very difficult because initially we may not be sure of all the things that are causing us problems. We may not be able to understand and identify those things which are making us ill. We may suspect one or several things, but there is usually a longer list of unknowns we need to find out about and deal with. Educating ourselves on toxics and affecting circumstances is perhaps the most difficult area to tackle, along with what our options are for dealing responsibly with all the areas of risk.

Dealing with MCS is a radical change in consciousness and lifestyle, because we have to restructure our life to deal with areas we have previously not been interested in or aware of. This can be a very difficult adjustment and an overwhelming task, that may take time and training to accomplish successfully.

 AVOIDANCE
The first and most important move when we become conscious that our health is at risk in our environment, is to immediately get away from what ever it is that is affecting us- either to get all toxics out of that environment, or to leave and avoid all the things that affect us. This includes all suspected toxics, not just what we may notice. There are scores of toxics that we may not notice that affect our health. The more we are exposed, the more damage we do to our system, and the more reactive we usually become. Although we may need to educate ourselves about this area for months to come, and this is a process that may take years to fine tune, I can not stress the critical need to act on this immediately, on a day to day, moment to moment level.
Generally when we are feeling ill, we like to crawl in to our room and sleep or shut everyone out. This may be exactly the wrong thing to do. Motivating ourselves to do something different and create when we feel lousy is very difficult. It takes strength, courage and intense will power. We must focus clearly on our goal in a time when it is difficult to focus.
Commitment to avoidance always takes us a long way down the healing path, and the consciousness that is developed to act to avoid toxics will be most important for us for years to come. Being able to act quickly is empowering and the more toxics we are able to avoid, the quicker our body will be able to respond. The body is a fantastic healer if we are just able to give it a chance.

EDUCATION
Secondly we must educate ourselves about this world of MCS. What it is, all the things that cause it,  all the methods that have worked to cure it, what to do, how to do it, where to go, and on and on. This is a whole new world with very tough ramifications if we make mistakes. We quickly find that we must take full responsibility for all we do,  if we plan on moving forward with our life. This is blessing number one. What happens to us is not some one else's responsibility, it is ours. Previously we have not taken responsibility for what we do and that's why we are in such trouble now! There is usually no one set plan that will help us heal. There are typically numerous reasons why we have become ill, and there may be numerous ways that help us recover.We need to find out what these are, and which ones work for us, individually.

We may be affected by literally hundreds of  toxics, and in the beginning, we usually don't have the faintest idea what toxics are. They can be external to the body and natural like mold and mildew. They can be man made, like the scores of carcinogens we find in many household products today, like in building materials, automobiles, foods, clothes and so on. They can be food allergies. Parasites. Dental fillings. The list is quite long. And we can also have compound reactions from combinations of different toxics. So what is it that affects us? WE need to pay close attention, moment to moment, to our own reactions to find out.

We need to find out about a lot of other things to heal as well. And one of the most critical things for us to find out, is what helps us clear, what helps us get toxics out of the body, and what helps us heal. Because this is different according to the specifics of our own chemical make up and individual health history, this may take some looking and experimenting around with to find out. Try what has worked for others. Exercise. Fresh air. Sweat. Eat organic. And so on. Check out all the options, all the resources. Weight the data- question and analyze it. Think and pray on it. See what reveals itself as the truth.
Most data will eventually be contradicted. Find that information that does not.

SEEKING THE TRUTH
This may be our first experience at being highly motivated to trying to find the truth about anything. If so, we may have a hard time knowing who is speaking the truth and who is not. If  we expect everyone to be as they say or to be totally honest, and if we have surrounded ourselves with people who are not honest, we are in for big trouble and a rude awakening. We will learn that most people have some ulterior motivation as to what they speak and why they will speak to us at all. Most of the the time the reason is money, or self advancement, control, or some self motivated reason. But whatever, we must retrain ourselves through practice, about how to personally be honest, so we can  attract and associate with, and benefit from those who are honest. Otherwise, information we receive may only be partially true. This is misleading and disastrous to those of us who depend on the complete truth to heal.

This skill may take some time to develop, but I find if I talk to 5 or 6 people, pretty soon it becomes clear what the truth is about a subject, or what is true. And lets face it, in this field, very few people have a total understanding of the whole picture and more than a personal view of their own experience should not be expected. Even if people work in a trade, it takes time to get a full view of  all the facts in that area relative to our perspective, and not just a very limited regular world view. It is all based on personal experience, and that is why our own experiences, being chemically sensitive, dealing with things the whole world thinks is crazy, gives us the experience that others can not have, no matter how hard they may try. We have the personal experience, the inside scoop, and this is a real gift in a world and society that is based primarily on illusion.

Always seek out experts in an area. Always give yourself time and space to reflect [or pray] about your direction. Give your heart the benefit of the doubt!! That feeling you have inside telling you this or that, could be some one trying to protect you!! If we desire the truth, it will be there for us, but we will have to distinguish between the truth and all the other options as well. Another words, we must take responsibility for our actions and deeds..

The real kicker here, is this is such a great opportunity to upgrade our lives, we probably never would have had if we weren't forced to go through this terrible experience! And it becomes very obvious who rises to the occasion to take advantage of the situation to benefit from this experience, and it is very sad to see those who don't.

FINDING PHYSICIANS
Most doctors will have to test or experiment around to find out what is wrong with us. The better the doctor, the less experimenting  he will have to do. The more information you can give him about yourself, the quicker he will be able to help. Talk to as many doctors as you can. Find out how much they cost, what their specialty is, what they will actually do with you, and so on. If  you think they can help with your particular problems, if you can afford them, if you can see yourself in their program, and you understand it may not work, commit to the program. A half  traveled path takes us nowhere.
Remember they are only a part of the healing team, we are the rest. If they fail, they have not failed alone, we have also failed with them in some way. There are no guarantees in this area, and there are many variables regarding what make us ill. This may take time and some mistakes are bound to happen.

SELF HEALING
Much of the healing work is up to us, no matter who else we employ to help. How we regulate our activities, or even if we are able to regulate our activities, is not up to anyone but us. If  we control our diet, if we avoid toxics in our moment to moment life, is all up to us. Paying attention to how we feel after we eat something, keeping a diary to be sure our reactions are clear,  these are all the parts of healing most people do not focus on as each days new goal. These take time, effort, thought, commitment and responsibility. This is, as I said earlier, is the blessing of the experience. To learn to take responsibility for ourselves is the first sign that we will be moving forward to changing, not only our own problem, but affecting others, and helping to change the world.  The real cause of  MCS is irresponsible behavior, both on an individual personal level and as a society at large.

And there are so many simple practical things that we should be doing and can be done right now, with no special resources. We don't always need to be thinking "big motion" in order to move forward. The biggest steps we can take, many times happen in our heart and mind, and right in our own little world. For example, the best first steps one can take are to identify all  the toxics in our environment and then remove them all, or ourselves  from that space. What we eat, and simple cleaning out methods are critical. Exercise of some sort detoxes us from stress and other poisons. Get out  and move your body!!! Do anything to start the detoxing and rebuilding.  Sauna is good, but salt baths, hot baths and showers are good too. Small steps are very important. We don't jump too high, so we don't fall so far. Always start slow. We are in such a rush, we frequently damage our system in our haste to remove our anxiety. Take tiny amounts of  foreign medications or supplements, not large, until you know your body can accept it.  Then increase at a comfortable pace.

Learning how the body reacts to toxics may be difficult at first. When we are very loaded, we are very covered,  and may not be able to recognize exactly when we are being hit, because we fell so lousy all the time. This means we are suffering under constant exposure and there is no chance for improving. The environment we are in must be immediately changed for the better or left. When the body is given a chance to clear, or is not to be under constant assault from toxics, it improves. We feel better. If we wake regularly feeling tired,  we know our sleeping space is bad for us. Something must be done immediately.
If  we leave the house and we feel better, we know it is the house, or it is materials in the house.
So, always seek out cleaner environments. Wherever we feel better, we know right away, this is where we need to be. The more time we spend in places where we feel better, the more chance the body has to start eliminating toxins, and feeling better.
The better we feel, the more sharp we become in being able to quickly identify being hit by toxics.

Never doubt how the body feels. The human body is a very sensitive instrument that generally gives very accurate information. The trick is to pay attention to all the details and learn to decipher the causes or reasons why.

SPIRITUAL  HEALING
Healing the body must also include some spiritual balancing. Since we are spirit in essence, we must have some spiritual base or information of true identity if we are to truly move forward. We need to find out the truth, the absolute truth, and not some illusion or a partial truth. We need true clarity. We need true balance, faith, strength, shelter, and understanding.  Without these, we frequently fall down, and will actually go backwards in our material life.
Anger, blaming others, and stress are diseases in themselves. Humility, patience, true caring, inner peace and clarity are all signs of  advancement. If  we have certain detrimental habits, it is because of our level of consciousness, and we will not  heal. If we adopt or live with characteristics that bring us peace and balance, we will create the space to heal. Unfortunately, we as a society have lost touch with reality and bonafied methods for advancing spiritually, or another words, practical bonafied methods that help us develop, change and advance. These will become available if our goal is focused on attaining the truth. If  we are not serious, we will not be able to see them.

EMOTIONAL BALANCE
Many people who have MCS have been through some very stressful experiences that influence emotional well being.
It could have been parental or spousal abuse, marriage difficulties, physical or emotional abuse of some kind, or just a stressful lifestyle that is not being released. Whatever the situation, healing will not occur until these things are cleared up as well. Frequently a person in crisis, or people with MCS, will be urged to seek psychiatric help. This seems to me to be a very beneficial thing to do. Since there is a chance that this could be a  part of the puzzle, why not address it? If some latent high stress or deeply emotional aspect of our lives has not been dealt with so we are released from it, it can wreck havoc on our life and health. But like any other action we want to be helpful, we should not just pick any number out of the book. Finding the right person who understands the details of environmental illness is key, otherwise the focus will not be on each critical component that creates the overall healing path, but only one area, which is equally detrimental.  There are few qualified people in the field, but I recommend friend and associate  Dr. Robert Mayer, who is a leader in this field and also has MCS. His whole life has been focused on working in this area and he knows the benefits of clearing this area. He works in N.J. and Manhattan.

In this crisis situation, we should not expect others to understand our feelings, emotions or reactions. If we expect this, we will be sadly disappointed. If you are one of the rare fortunate ones who do have understanding and support, be thankful! Environmental illness defies logic's. If we expect others to understand, or to be able to contribute in a productive way, we are in illusion. I mention this here because the emotional stress of not having support we are used to can be devastating. But, hopefully, this illness helps us to be more compassionate and understanding relative to this issue. We need to be strong, independent, and self motivated if we are to heal. We need to be able to separate our relationships from this experience as much as possible, and gather the energy and definition of who we are to conquer this on our own, [and with the help of others that we find who are able to be supportive]. Even people who have had this illness for quite some time may not understand it very well. People who do not have it, can not begin to understand it.

EXERCISE
Sweating and movement have helped me, and others heal and become well. Of this there is absolutely no doubt. Every day we must make an effort to be as physically active as possible. Get out into some clean environment and do something you love to do. Walk, run, ski, swim, snow board, climb trees, play!!! or any activity, is a release of stress and it warms the muscles up, helping move toxics out of the body. In order to heal, we must start building. Go for it!

At our worst, we must be aggressive. If you can only crawl, crawl till you are tired. If you can only walk- walk as much as you can. The point is to use every day  to become better, be building every day, in as many ways as possible. Physically as well as mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We are not the physical body-  but we do need to take care of it and we do not need to let it run or ruin our life! Take control of it, and take responsibility for it as well!

DIET
Food allergies, hypoglycemia and other dietary problems are at critical levels in this country these days and interfere with healing and staying well. This is another whole area where much education is necessary. Every one has their "formula", and there are many different paths. For myself, going organic and tossing away the extra chemical intake was vastly important. How can we clean out the body when we are loading it full of toxics? What we breathe, touch, bath in, and eat all combine together to have a direct affect on our health. It is not just one thing that affects us! These things are all cumulative and inter relate with each other to create all kinds of serious reactions..
Becoming vegetarian has help cut down on the stress load of trying to digest things our bodies are not designed to properly digest. As soon as I made this change, my energy level rose about 4 or 5 times what it had been! When we are sick or the body is out of balance, we need to do as much as possible to focus our energy on healing. I personally received more clarity and the ability to focus as well.  Eat smart.

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KEY COMPONENTS FOR HEALING
So, some of  the key elements is healing are;

                   *    avoidance of toxics,
                   *    education, seeking the truth,
                   *    positive action,
                   *    developing strength, clarity, purpose, faith, commitment,
                           and responsibility, [the ability to respond].

ADDRESSING ALL AREAS
Total healing is only achievable through dealing thoroughly with all the areas that make us ill. Otherwise, we find people who are treating certain problems only to degrees or proportionately, but not really dealing with the total list of problems. Total healing means correcting all the problems, so education about all the issues and some testing to reveal actual concerns is really critical. The most obvious areas are,

                 *   eliminating toxics from our lives, both internal and external
                 *   dealing with dietary  problems and  food allergies,
                 *   cleaning out, detoxing  [the organs of]  the body
                 *   changing our consciousness, from which all our productive
                              actions come.
 

TOTAL HEALING
Total healing. What does this really mean?
There are varying degrees of illness and damage to a body. Toxics exist in different strengths and potencies. This makes a time schedule, or recovery plan difficult to asses. Does a body ever recover from exposure to heavy poisons?  Does a body ever stop reacting to exposures to poisons?

This may be the real issue. We are not in the consciousness that we are constantly being exposed to heavy poisons.
This is the real situation on this earth right now. Should we be expecting our body NOT to react to dangerous poisons? We are constantly eating, breathing, and being exposed to dangerous poisons. Some smell bad, some even smell good, some we can't smell at all. Most people don't think of  them as poisons. We have been fooled into thinking they are not dangerous! We have been taught to accept whatever is thrown at us is safe and we have blindly accepted  what people are telling and selling us. But the chemicals used in our daily household products are very, very, serious toxics, that are destroying living cells, organs and organisms of all levels of life, all over this planet. This problem is already well out of control. The problem is, we haven't recognized the seriousness of this, and we try to deal with Chemical Sensitivities as some sort of  odd  temporary individual illness. I think the question of healing is more a question of whether or not we humans can live unaffected in an environment  full of  toxics. My answer is, some people live unaware or visibly affected, and  that others can not. The fortunate ones can't. They have been given a view of the truth, and now have the opportunity to change it by becoming more responsible. The others live a world of illusion, danger, and false security.

When I was my sickest, I was lying in bed for weeks unable to function. Now I work everyday, renovating houses, Airstreams and vans, drive here and there all over the country, go into stores, sick buildings, sit in front of the toxic computer, and so on. I still suffer from exposures to scented items, auto exhaust, and all types of toxics. But I also live my life. I  have another life that is part of my balance and part of my strength and healing. I am an avid snow boarder and surfer, I  live on a small rural farm- grow organics, mow fields, cut trees;  I sculpt- paint, make video tapes, and write. I  help people in crisis. Life goes on.

Am I  healed?  I believe I am. My understanding of the issue is, our bodies are not supposed to be living normally amidst overdoses of poisons. If we try to, eventually we will have problems. Life is about balance and responsibility. This is the issue. And when we start addressing all those things that are out of balance in our lives, we start to heal.
 
 

                                     MY PLAN FOR TODAY

I  thank God for waking to another day in which I  can try again to take responsibility for myself and what I do, to recognize the rhythm and song of His plan, and to be able to please Him in some small way.

1. I must remember who I am. I am a very important entity- and I have very valuable characteristics that can help myself , others and the planet heal.  My resources are- sense of humor, creativity,  inner strength, perseverance and newly found vision of  the truth about what is going on with toxics and their dangers.  I pray for patience, humility, balance and vision.

2. I must remember everything happens for a reason, and for my benefit. I need to pay close attention to correcting my mistakes so they do not repeat themselves.

3. I  must clear my mind of all anger and despair, which are diseases themselves, that cover my consciousness. I must  focus on what I can do to move forward with my new responsibilities. My healing is totally up to me.

4. I  must take care of  my body  in a different way than I used to now. Each of my daily activities must be planned for and set up to avoid making  me sick. Each activity must be planned to make me better.

5. I  must focus on as my goal and only job for the day, to set up and follow a regiment that helps me feel better, be a more balanced and caring person, and heal. This must be my one main activity.

6.  I  must remember to do everything to separate myself  from all toxics, and all potential toxics - anything that is questionable to the well being of my health must be eliminated.

7. I  must, no matter how bad I  feel,  focus on pushing myself to accomplish some activities that helps me clear and build my strength and body healing.

8. I  must be patient and forgiving to others who do not understand. I can not expect others to understand that which they have no experience of. If  they are to learn, I must try to teach them, perhaps not through words, but through my personal example, in an patient, inspiring, caring, way.

9. I  must remember though I may be stressed and in crisis, I still must take full responsibility for all my actions. I must calm myself and focus on each activity I do, so it can be done completely and without risk, and without affecting others adversely.

10. I  must be patient with myself and my  progress. I can not change everything in one day. I do as much as I can, then I will rest. Tomorrow is another day.

11. I  must remember that this experience, with all it's difficult details, is an invaluable part of  who I am and what my development and advancement are about.

12. I  must remember I am not alone and that I am not unloved or uncared for.

13. I  must remember that there are answers for all our questions and solutions for all my problems if  I sincerely want the truth.

14. I  must not be too proud to ask humbly and sincerely for the truth, and to be thankful for all that I have been given, even if I do not see the value it brings at this moment.
 
 

• Tad Taylor's Healthy Homes LLC