Medical medicine over the century held women’s health hostage. Historically, all era grossly misunderstood women and women’s health. This gross misunderstanding, and to some degree simple ignorance, dating back to the beginning of time lend to too many unhealthy myths about women and women’s healthy.  Women’s lives have not been the same from the time man first became aware of female menstruation. Menstruation, which is one of the most important natural characteristics, that make women the most beautiful and powerful creatures on God’s planet also made women endangered species.

Reviews of literature on early life of women including the Old Testaments, and various ancient books of history reveal women suffered enormously.  Men subjected women to various levels of emotional and physical pain during monthly menstrual period. These historical accounts reveal that during those early dark ages of human evolution, female monthly menstruation forced isolation on women. Women were isolated from their husbands, families, and houses of worships during periods of menstruation.

Sudden monthly mood swings and in some cases erratic behavior changes coming from a normal beautiful young woman were strange to our ancestors.  Our early ancestors found it not jus perplexing; they were also mystified about the mood swing and behavior changes heightened by vaginal bleeding. They were not aware those biological changes are natural process of being a woman.

There are other written and oral historical accounts among ancient cultures, which reported some cultures took women to the wilderness and left them to die during menstrual periods. Man’s early ancestors perceived women as unholy beings. The general perception of women among man’s ancestors of all era and cultures were that women were spiritually unclean and in some cases evil. They believed women possess minimal existential value other than to bear children and serve as household caretakers. Women were not included in decision-making process. Women’s’ impute in life in those early dark ages were not sort and were quickly disregarded when offered. Nonprofessionals were not the only ones guilty of this horrible ignorance, clinical scholars also. Healing clinical scholars were nonsensically all over the place about women and women’s health just as many of them are today.  Ignorance has to be the worst of all diseases.  Women suffered not because of anything they did. They suffered simply because of our early ancestral gross ignorance of human physiology.  Women suffered simply for the way the Creator created women.

It is important to make the point also that women did not understand either, this complex anatomical and physiological changes taking place in their bodies. The regular never-ending biological monthly process presented emotional crisis in a woman’s life. It made biological developmental process a traumatizing period for young women. In family system, young women understood their brothers were enjoying what seemed relatively easy life. They observed also that their brothers were not experiencing the same set of problems as they were. For that reason, many young women in those dark ages indeed believed demon was in possession of their body.  Because of that very reason also, many young women wished they were boys. They felt inadequate, less human and out of place in their world. Many parents in some cultures were frightened having female children because of traumatizing family and societal consequences associated with having a baby girl. In those dark eras, many cultures took their infant baby girls to the bush and left them to die because of ugly mythical perceptions associated with a baby girl. Women suffered tremendous deep pain.

These deep psychic wounds and emotions of uncelebrated lives still affect women’s life and health today.  False acceptance of mythical beliefs that destroyed various levels of women’s physical and psychic beauty, as well as inner spiritual strength of who a woman is, are all buried deep in women’s individual and collective unconscious. Women carry from life to life these primitive past lives psychic wounds encapsulating very painful life experiences. Women’s gender negative self-worth stems from this past lives negative emotional pain. Resentments women have for other women who are in positions of authority and leadership stems from women’s past lives experiences.  Majority of women subconsciously believe deep in their souls that they do not belong to life’s pinnacle. Many of them believe they are not good enough and not worthy of enjoying some of life’s privileges men do. Many contemporary women still feel more secured when positions of authority and leadership are in the hands of men even though, women are equally capable or in some cases better than man in many of areas of leadership role . Many women resent females who occupying such positions or vying for such positions because of deep-rooted primitive beliefs that woman are not good enough to be in charge or lead.

Thank goodness, Ignorance has a shelf life. Intellectual evolution finally set in and helped man began to gain some insight into female biology. Man learned that menstruation is a natural component of ovulation and child bearing. Educated insight helped men begin to change some of the previous mythical beliefs and negative perception about women.  Because man is a protective animal especially in matters of family, connection of child bearing to menstruation induced men to become supportive and caring for women especially during menstruation.

Most cultures outside the West have male developmental rite of passages from the beginning of time. These cultures value and appreciate deep profound impact developmental rites of passages have on developing young boys. The Catholic Church also practices rite of passages in her tradition using baptism, initial Holy Communion, and confirmation rites of passages to guide young believers in the life, teachings, and groundings in the church doctrine.

These cultures felt that young women would benefit also in the same way young boys do. The idea led to instituting female developmental rite of passages. Female developmental rites of passages focus on guiding and teaching young women during developmental stages accept the beauty of self, feel confident and soul felt joy welcoming each presenting developmental stage. Developmental rite of passage helps a young woman gain deep insight about who she is as a beautiful human being. It helps a young woman learn about her body; appreciate her body and biological changes taking place in all levels of her body. The process of rite of passages help explain what those changes mean in the language only a woman can understand, from a physical and physiological perspectives to emotion, as well as spiritually. Developmental rite of passages helps a woman embrace and gain appreciation of all a woman is.

There are no question menstruation affects women in various ways. Women lose tremendous amount of health sustaining nutrients in the process including iron.  This loss in nutrients affects the production of chemicals the body use in combating stress and coping with emotion. This drop in body’s production of stress and emotion coping chemicals results in difficulties for some women managing stress and coping appropriately with emotion especially, during menstruation when the body is highly in need of those nutrients.  Menstrual induced nutritional deficiencies however, affect each woman differently. Depending on which nutrient or set of nutrients a woman is deficient,  levels of coping chemicals produced or in some cases not produced, some women experience a range of body and emotional discomfort ranging from aches and pains to behavior changes.

Many women who experience consistent changes in behavior during menstrual period usually seek the services of a psychiatrist because they think something is wrong with them psychologically. Many psychiatrists diagnose these women with a range of psychiatric illness from mood disorders to bipolar disorder and usually place these women on psychiatric medications.  However, mood swings, change in behavior and inability to mange stress and emotion during menstrual period does not constitute mental illness or psychological illness on the part of a woman. These women are not sick and do not need psychiatric chemicals to correct nutritional deficiencies.  Simple test such as hair sample analysis will reveal levels of nutrients including level of toxins in the body. It will reveal nutritional deficiencies. Women do not need to be on chemicals (medication) of any kind for menstrual induced behavior changes, which appropriate test, would show to be nutritional related issue. Replenishing the body with deficient nutrients usually corrects the problem or problems. Use of chemicals to mange a woman’s menstrual induced issues compromise a woman’s health and wellness.  These medications tend to induce in woman more serious psychiatric symptoms and other health problems, including liver disorder.

Health and wellness clinicians outside Western medicine use nutrition and healing herbs to support and nurture woman’s body during ovulation ages. It is important to note that women in cultures outside the Western experience minimal difficulties during menstruation. These women experience minimal mood swings and other psychological symptoms most women in the Western culture experience during menstrual period.

I am making a case medical takeover of a women’s body has created numerous health and wellness problems for women population, particularly in the West. Chemical management of women’s health subjects women to too many health problems range from premature aging, psychological problems, physical disfiguring, to other serious health issues. At the top of these health issues are various types of cancer including increasing number of endometriosis among young women. Many of these health issues including cancer manifest early in most women’s life. Some women face these health issues later in life.  Women outside the Western culture, particularly highly educated women who adopted Western chemical health management life style experience similar problems as women in the West.

For most women, medical chemical control of their body starts with birth control very early in life usually at unset of puberty. Birth control medications present serious health hazard for women.  The fear of teenage pregnancy and cultural belief that answers to health and wellness are in medical chemicals induce most families, particularly in the West to subject their teenage girls to birth control. This voodoo medicine did not stop at birth control. There are chemical products out in the market pushed on young women that manipulate, and induces a woman’s body to prevent ovulation for extended months at a time. This is clinically insane and in my opinion one of the worst practices of voodoo medicine.

Menstruation is a natural occurring process in a woman’s body “science” or anyone else has absolutely no part in putting in place.  This practice is equivalent to manufacturing a product to prevent the body’s process of excreting waste materials from the body. Practically speaking, this is the same thing as preventing the body from regularly going to the bathroom. This is negative voodoo medicine at its worst. These types of health and wellness abuse are some of the roots of various types of cancer and other serious health problems among women. Young women pay unfortunate and costly health price for using these chemical products.  Women of this generation suffer an alarming rate of ovarian cysts, endometriosis, breast cancer and multiple other types of cancers because of the insane medical chemical abuse of women’s body. It is an outrage. The height of medical brainwashing subjected to women in the name of healthcare and beauty is an outrage. Young women buy into this brainwashing machine and begin very early to destroy their health especially, this generation of women who have minimal tolerance for inconvenience even when their lives depends on it.

I personally believe that majority of women, including female healing clinicians have limited understanding of a woman’s body and health. I have not seen clinical outrage I expect form female healing clinician on clinical abuse of women.   A woman’s body is the most beautiful delicate flower God created. Her body is like a precious cargo that requires tender, gentle, and loving care at every stop. If there is, a sanctuary in the entire creation junk must not go into, that sanctuary is a woman’s body. Women and women’s health have taken so much abuse in the name of medical care. Unfortunately, most women clinicians follow the same clinical training designed by males most of whom have minimal understanding of who a woman is, and appropriate health and wellness care for women.

The bases of contemporary women’s health care are rooted in the early clinical knowledge of woman’s biophysiology, which in my opinion to say the least was inadequate. It is not difficult to make the case that much has not changed in meaningful health care for women. What has changed however is explosion in invention of clinical test tools, the height of financial exploitation of women in the name of ”healthcare,” and an endless drive to chemically control women’s body.  The intensity of this women’s healthcare madness motivated by greed continues generation after generation. We continue to observe also men in public policy arenas especially in politics and religion shamelessly making choices for women about their body and health most of them have minimal business discussing.

Every generation is as good as the generation they left behind. It is quite personally baffling to observe the rest of educated society sit around and allowed an industry hiding behind “science” cause so much health harm among women. Women of all class and colors under the rainbow must wake up and start paying attention to the foundation and model of healthy living they would be leaving for the generation of women behind them. What we allow to continues to happen to our female family members in the name of “medical care” is an outrage. Can one imagine the height of outrage men would be kicking up if there were a clinical suggestion to manufacture a product that will prevent boys’ penile erection during bedroom sexual intentions in order to prevent boys from impregnating girls?

Menstruation, which is a byproduct of ovulation, is one of the most complex and important natural biological processes of being a woman. Menstruation has amazing health benefits for women, even as inconvenient as the process may be for some women.  Very few living organisms have nature’s blessings of periodic physical renewal and transformation. The reptile species for example are one. Periodically most reptiles shed their entire skins and emerge with amazing beautiful and vibrant new skin. Nature gave this very same tremendous priceless gift of renewal and physical transformation to women through monthly ovulation and the process of menstruation. Menstruation is not a disorder.  It is not a disease and does not require medical treatment or for anyone to obstruct this nature’s natural process for any reason. It is quite troubling there is an industry, which hides behind science with professional attitude that science knows better about woman’s body than the Creator. This industry hiding behind science assume the audacity of changing at will for financial gain, normal natural physiological functions of a woman’s body as if they are changing shoe colors irrespective of health consequences for women. If this is not clinical blasphemy, I do not know what it is. In my opinion, this business practice is unethical and at the height of professional arrogance. Time is now to stop exploiting women in the name of care. Time is now to free women in all areas and educate this generation about the consequences of unhealthy living.

By Dr Chris O’Banye

Are you aware that Vietnam vets and a large population of the military who served in both past and recent wars are suffering from what American Psychiatric Association (APA) classify in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as “PTSD” (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and that many of them have been on multiple psychiatric medications since the end of those wars?

Do we truly care as a nation that the men and women we sent to wars came home and began another battle for their lives with what I have correctly identified as Battlefield Induced Psychic Disturbances (BFIPD? BFIPD is not a disorder and does not need medication for healing to occur.

These soldiers have been receiving for years conventional cares and medications that absolutely do nothing for the quality of their lives and wellness?

If you are the Defense Secretary, Chief of Army Staff, Generals, are in Pentagon or in any position of authority to help the soldiers, you must read this article mentioned here in.

Soldiers, you must match to order. The order is to take charge of your wellness issues and fight for this change in your care recommended in the above referenced article. Your quality of life depends on it. Quality of life after your sacrifice for your nation matter a great deal. Do not let special interest group play with it any longer.

Here is the link: http://internationalinstituteforwellnessandintegratedhealing.com/battle-field-induced-psychic-disturbances-bfipd-the-cause-and-why-conventional-western-treatment-approaches-for-%e2%80%9cpost-traumatic-stress-disorder%e2%80%9d-ptsd-are-ineffective%e2%80%94mind/

If you truly care about the soldiers and not a lip service, quality of their lives after we sent them to wars, their family and national security of the nation then do something about the subject matter addressed in this article referenced here in. Do not stand on the side line anymore. They are our brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, moms and fathers. They are our national treasures.

By Dr Chris O’Banye

Contact me at: drobanye@iiwih.org; tweet me at: drobanye@iiwih.org;

http://internationalinstituteforwellnessandintegratedhealing.com

Every generation is as good as the one that generation leaves behind. Recent crisis in London raise serious question older citizens of this generation must be asking one another and that question is: Are chickens coming home to roost? One cannot help to ask whether the character of this youth is the product of our creation. If we, the gatekeepers of the future of these young people are honest and sincere about our responsibilities to these young people the answer to this question would be a capital yes.

We have failed. We have failed this generation we are leaving behind in just about every aspect of life. When I was growing up in Onitsha in the Eastern part of Nigeria in West Africa, I had only one choice as a kid. That choice was to go to school. My only job and responsibilities as a kid were to go to school, make good grades, be a kid and enjoy being a kid. As a kid growing up in Onitsha, I and the kids in my community had no doubts we would have a bright future if we went to school. Every healthy educated person in our community growing up had a job. There were jobs waiting for High School, technical school and college graduates upon graduation. We had faith in the system. We believed in our dreams.

We had a sense of community. We were supported by our immediate families, extended families, elders and every adult member of our community. The adults in our community were deeply interested and committed to our upbringing. They invested in our future by their actions. They loved, nurtured and impacted wisdom on us, bearing in mind we were the future gatekeepers of the people that would come behind us.

Our school teachers took special interest and pride in their profession.  They understood the importance of their position and their influences in the life of a young person and took their responsibilities extremely personal and serious. These teachers went extra miles in their commitments to the lives and futures of young people they were entrusted with. These teachers made rounds to weekdays and weekends activities their students were involved in. The teachers praised, cheered their students on and also disciplined them when appropriate with deep and sincere love. They were educators, mentors, role-models and in many cases played the role of parents.

The elders and adults in my community took raising every kid in our community as their responsibilities. The adult who disciplined a young person did not have to be the kid’s parent/s or even his/her relative. After a kid was disciplined, the adult took time to find out who the kid’s parents were and paid them a visit about the behavior the young person was disciplined for.

We were taught respect for self, life, for other people, authority figures and the community we lived in, all rooted in the values of our cultural child and adolescent rites of passages handed down by our ancestors. These rites of passages addressed integration of a child’s mind, body, and spirit with all the important components of child and adolescent well being.

It really takes a village to raise a kid. It took every adult member of my community to raise the kids in my community. More were expected from those who were blessed with more and they gladly shared. A kid like me and my siblings who lost a dad very early in our childhood did not have to feel the pain and emotional loss of a father because there were many fathers in my community who proudly filled the role of fatherhood to us and other kids like us.

Since the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1973, things have not been the same in the community I grew up and the country at large. Many infrastructures and resources including schools were destroyed in the war. Even thought the country is very rich in oil and other natural resources greed, corruption, selfishness and total lack of consideration for others became the other of the day for those in power. Emphasis on education, job training and jobs became the things of the past.

Cultural infrastructures that gave hope, inspiration, confidence for life and future, which also provided spiritual foundation and planted the seeds for young people to dream went out the door. Adults stopped caring for the youth like they did for centuries. Young people gave up hope, faith and dreaming.

Young people who are viciously angry and without direction began to emerge. Desires and motivation for education and job training among the youth drastically diminished because there were and still no jobs for them to take.  College graduates roamed the streets with their degrees and few jobs.

The rich got richer and no longer willing to share their wealth while the poor got poorer. The condition began to bread viciously angry young people who developed hatred for their community, authority figures, success and people who are successful.  Young people drifted to crime and lawlessness as a way of acting out, survival and also simply as a way of spiking people in government and authority.

What just happened in London is a snapshot of the monster we as a society have created over the years around the world. This vicious hate and gross disregard for life and community the world just witnessed in London from young people was long coming.

Here is what the society has given this generation of young people. We have given them no directions in their lives. We failed to teach this generation of young people values, respect for self and community. We failed to give them the same education and job training opportunities our fathers’ and their fathers’ generation gave our fathers and us.

We made it extremely difficult for young people to get education and job training by exponentially raising the cost of education and job training out of their reach. Young people who desire to be education and don’t mind borrowing money to go to school will have that financial burden hanging on their necks most of their lives. The worst part of the raw deal these kids have is that there is no job guarantee for them after graduation and they still owe the cost of education that earns little or nothing.

These young people are smarter than we give them credit for. Their respective governments have all the resources in the world for fighting wars and not enough to invest in their education, job training and creating jobs.

We have told these young people for years that all the the government has to do is keep wealth in the hands of few citizens and these few wealthy citizens will create jobs for the rest of us. The rich keeps getting richer. Majority of these young people still do not have job.  Many of them are coming home to dad and mom sitting at home because both parents have lost their jobs.

Many of these young people have lived or may still be living with their parents in the streets and under the bridges of their city high ways. Can we see why this generation of young people is so viciously angry and also so emotional detached from their communities and infrastructures in their communities?

Can we not see the monsters we have created among this generation of young people? What will it take? What will it take for us to wake up and pay attention to our young people and their concerns? What happened to our souls and spirit of human decency that prevented us from feeling physical and emotional pain in the eyes of our fellow citizens?

How did we become a generation so selfish and inconsiderate of others to the point we care less about the future of our young people? How did we become a generation that cares more about fighting wars than we care about investments in the future of our young ones?  These are questions we as a society must begin to answer in order for us to become a happy, healthy, wealthy and peaceful society.

The truth of the matter is the same adult fingers we are pointing at the behaviors of these young people are also pointing back at us. It is time we look ourselves in the eyes of our souls and take responsibilities for young people in our communities and their lives’ challenges. If we do not, more of the same viciousness the world just witnessed in London this past week will continue to happen around the world. The world better wake up and wake up fast to the needs and challenges of our young people.

Dr Chris O’Banye

http://internationalinstituteforwellnessandintegratedhealing.com

http://iiwih.org

Tweet: drobanye@iiwih.org

In most cases when a loved one comes home from a physician and announces he or she is diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness such as heart, liver, lungs or kidney disorder, most members of the family and friends would wrap their loving hands around this family member. Immediate and extended family members in many cases would offer and extend various levels of support to this individual. Almost every member of this person’s family including close network of friends who are aware of this person’s health condition would show emotional love, tremendous amount of caring and empathy. Friends and family members gravitate closer to the individual and within reach for their loving care and support.

Serious illness in a family appears to evoke a sense of need to care for a family member suffering from an illness. Most friends and relatives would go out of their ways to show a seriously ill member of the family tremendous amount of love and dignity. Family and close friends usually would begin to demonstrate great deal of appreciation of this individual’s life and endeavourer to cherish every remaining moment of it.

In some case, this family member may have been the most hated individual in the family.  However, our empathy, fear of the disease itself and also fear of the shadow of death overrides whatever feelings of resentments we may hold on the sick person’s character flaws. The irony however, is that these beautiful aspects of human decency are rarely extended to our loved ones suffering from the disease of addition.

Chemical dependence and addiction is probably the only non communicable disease I can think of with the worst bias attached to it. One can make a very strong case that  high risk behaviors and other destructive additive behaviors associated with chemical addition makes the disease of addition just as deadly as cancer and other serious health illnesses.

People suffering from the disease of chemical addiction and powerlessness over the chemicals they are addicted to would rob, prostitute and engage in some of the most degrading, deadliest and destructive behaviors most human beings would never engage in even the addicted person when sober. The disease of addiction is vicious, and simply a monster killer that will not let go until it either kills or completely destroys the life of an individual it sinks its claws on. One suffering from the disease of addiction must fight with every arsenal in one’s possession to have a decent chance to win the fight.

I do not want to sound like I am making excuses for addicted persons. I am not. I am simply stating clinical facts. It is difficult to overlook the truth that the brunt of destructive addictive behaviors is on the family members of the addicted person. People suffering from addiction steal, lie, cause tremendous amount of emotional pain and financial burden on the life of their family members. Addictive behaviors destroy family relationships and in many cases cause irreparable damages in family system.

In most cases persons suffering from the disease of addiction appear extremely selfish. The behavior of a person suffering from disease of addiction appear to be all about the person, what he/she want when he/she wants it, whom he/she wants it with and nobody else matters.

It would be easy for one to come to these conclusions and deny a person suffering from the disease of addiction common human decency we extend to our loved ones suffering from other deadly diseases, only when one does not understand the biology of the disease of addiction.

Unfortunately, many of us do not.  The disease of addiction and powerlessness over the chemical/s the addicted person is suffering from create/s a monster out of the person. This monster creates the societal bias on people suffering from the disease of addiction and also the destructive behaviors that isolate them all alone from loved ones, and many times to their graves.

A few nights ago, one of my former adult clients who underwent residential chemical dependency healing under my care in state residential facility now closed due to budget short falls called me late at night. This gentleman called because I pledged to every individual who cross path with me   in the healing profession that I would continue to support their personal growth wherever they may be.  That means they can pick up the phone and call me any time and expect me to either pick up the phone then or return their calls in a timely manner.

Many times these individuals who became my adopted families would call simply to inform me they are doing well, sober and making progress in their personal life. There are other times they would call me to tell me they love me and extend their gratitude for helping stair their ships of live in the right directions during turbulence times. There are also other times these individual would call to share with me their life challenges, seek support, encouragement, self validation and guidance.

On this particular night, this gentleman called to inform me that another gentleman he was in treatment with at the same time under my healing care was found dead of drug overdose in his apartment. This gentleman was in tremendous amount of emotional pain from grieving his friend’s death. He shared with me that the autopsy report indicated this gentleman may have died four days after his body was found in his apartment.

Many individuals who come to residential chemical dependence treatment have minimal family support. That means their family also would not be their support in recovery. Many families of individuals suffering from disease of addiction had given up on their relationships long before the individual made it to residential treatment. Many of these individuals also had been in treatment numerous times to the point their family members completely gave up hope on their recovery and a chance for a sober life.

There are two camps in the field of chemical addiction. One camp believes in the disease concept of addiction and the other camp which believe that addiction is simply a behavior issues. There are compelling arguments on both sides of the camp.  I personally took a long hard look at the scientific evidence on the biology of chemical addiction before I accepted chemical addiction as a disease. However, regardless where one stand on the issue of chemical addiction, one crystal clear fact everyone agrees on is that people suffering from chemical addiction face some of life’s worst human crises.

Unfortunately, most people suffering from the disease of addiction are some of the most beautiful, intelligent and talented individuals on the face of earth. These people, just like other members of our families suffering from other serious deadly illness deserve our love and support.

The most potent component of recovery and healing for any human crisis is family. It’s even more so for individuals recovering and healing from chemical dependence.  Just as we do not turn our backs on family members suffering from cancer, liver, kidney, heart and other serious health illnesses we cannot turn our backs on our family members suffering from the disease of addiction.

Please make those hands that reach to also touch. Support your loved ones win the battle against this killer monster. They need you and all your support. When there is life, there is still a chance for winning any life challenge. Do not wait until it too late.

By Dr Chris O’Banye

http://iiwih.org

http://internationalinstituteforwellnessandintegratedhealing.com

Tweet: drobanye@iiwih.org

As much as I personally rooted for my home team USA to win the 2011 Women World Cup Soccer, victory could not have been sweeter for Japan, a country that have very minimal to celebrate and cheer for in the recent time following series of natural disaster that descended on their land.
USA team, in my opinion was the best team in the tournament period. However, the best team does not always win a tournament. USA team has every reason to stand tall and celebrate too. You are a great team.
For a person like me who always is looking for amazing power of human spirit, I could not help observing the majestic calm with which the Japanese coach huddled his players before the free kicks with such an indescribable warrior-like smile in his face. I observed a coach that commanded and at the same time injected this amazing spirit of internal optimism into those players. There was no doubts in their minds what was about to happen. The coach’s body language his spirit of unshakable internal optimism spoke nothing to his players but “go get your world cup.”
It is one of those special moments some of us have seen a few times when a captain of a ship, a general in a battle field or a captain of a competing sports team like we used to see in Michael Jordan and others reaches down to dept of one’s spirit and perform an improbable. That was what I observed from the Japanese coach.
When I made that observation and saw the players responding in calm internal optimism, I could not help to believe that the Japanese would be taking the Women’s World Cup Soccer Championship home.
Congratulations to the Japanese National Women Soccer Team! You have given your country something to cheer and celebrate for. You have lifting your people’s spirit up as your nation continues to heal from your pains.
Dr Chris O’Banye

http://iiwih.org

Rite of passage is an important integration of mind, body spirit during crucial developmental stages of every human being. Stages during which every entity of a human being—the mind, body and spirit yearn for integration and unity.

Developmental stages usually present great degrees of life uncertainties, psychological wars between various levels of a young person manifesting from changes in biological growth process, physical changes in the body, self identity quest and in some cases self-esteem issues. Even the lower animal kingdom observes within their kinds some levels of rite of passage after which they push their offspring away to fend for themselves however, not until the completion rite of passage.

These crises resulting from absence of integration of mind, body and spirit during developmental stages also manifest in the life of the young people negative behaviors, disrespect for parents and authority figures, anger, drugs abuse and dependence; promiscuity; gang affiliation; antisocial behaviors, conduct behaviors and complete lack of direction and purpose for future and life. As a healing clinician working with youth in the Western culture, I observe up close these crises and their impact in the lives of young people. I also observe a dramatic life transformation in the lives of these young people the moment they open up to integration of the mind, body and spirit.

The problem in many of these cases is that the Western psychiatry and psychology labels these children with a diagnosis that completely discounted the child’s spirit self and recommends medicating the child with chemicals in the name of treatment. The other problem however is, crisis of the spirit does not respond to chemical intervention. Healing is not in the medication. Healing is in skillful engagement of the individual’s spirit and the healing process that integrates the mind, body and spirit

Observation of rites of passage is one of the major differences between the Western Culture and cultures outside the Western world. The Western orthodox medicine and psychology does not acknowledge existence of the spirit outside theological principles, as an integral and important aspect of a human being. For this reason, training in the Western healing excludes the most important aspect of a human being—the spirit. In my opinion this is one of the fundamental shortcomings of the Western approach to wellness and healing.

In my native African culture particularly, the Onitsha culture of the Eastern Nigeria, those of us studying generational psychosocial trends have observed dramatic life consequences in the lives of today’s youth as a result of diminishing decline of adolescent rite of passage. These consequences are sharply identical to the previously mentioned crises observed in today’s youth across the Western world.

The Onitsha people of the Eastern Nigeria used to be the most educated, resilient, moral, highly motivated and career driven of any group of people in the continent of Africa. The Onitsha people also have the most amazing culture of any culture in the world grounded in her citizens’ adolescent rite of passage. Most of these qualities are lacking in today’s Onitsha citizens. Many of us watching closely these generational trends have pointed to decline of the ancient rite of passage which integrates mind, body and spirit very early in the lives her citizens and provide structured life direction leading to successful life.

I have been watching powerful documentaries on Nation Geography TV channel “Taboos” showing initiation rituals many of which have been described as rite of passages. It is very important to point out there is a major difference between initiation ritual and developmental rite of passage. Developmental rite of passage does not involve human torture to the point of loss of life, severe body mutilation or traumatization of any entity of the self. Rather, developmental rite of passage facilitates peaceful and harmonious transformation, integration and unification of the mind, body and spirit.

Dr Lynn Freeman who was at a time the faculty chair person for Integrated Health Studies at Saybrook University helped me during my Doctorate program at the University design a course titled Adolescent Rite of Passage: Psychological and Psychophysilogical dynamics. This work allowed me to explore and shared narratives of psychological and Psychophysilogical dynamics of my own adolescent rite of passage. The work will be published in the very near future in the IIWIH website.

Dr Chris O’Banye

http://iiwih.org