Lately, I have received more than one e-mail from people I know who are telling me nothing is helping them heal–neither conventional or alternative medicine.

As someone who spent years searching for a healing answer to a debilitating illness, I can honestly relate to the profound sense of frustration you experience when you are trying to heal and nothing is really changing. I don’t believe I have ever felt more helpless than when I couldn’t even get control of my own healing.

However, that eventually changed and it began with an answer to a prayer from a friend. I had called my friend to skip out on a shopping trip because I felt terrible and, at age 29, my face was broken out with pimples. Fortunately, she talked me into going–to cheer me up–and I couldn’t let down a friend.

In the car, she asked me many personal questions about my health and then recommended an endocrinologist. “I explored that,” I told her, “and no one even wanted to see me.”

“He will. I’m sure of it,” she responded. A few weeks later, I was in his office. He was a very thorough doctor and what impressed me most is that he took time to really listen to me as I described every single symptom.

After running a few tests, he explained to me at my next appointment I was producing as much testosterone as a male in puberty. Wow! I was not expecting that!

I found myself driving home from my appointments with tears streaming down my cheeks, not because I was afraid we would fail or relieved we would succeed, but because someone had truly listened to me.

Next: How can you use listening to help heal yourself?