gastroenterologists	without	gaining	relief.	When	I	talked	to	her	about	the
relationship	between	stress,	anxiety,	and	medical	conditions,	she	was
exasperated	and	felt	that	I	was	minimizing	her	genuine	physical	illness.	After
some	conversation,	Sierra	softened	her	view,	although	she	was	unable	to
believe	that	her	GERD	symptoms	could	be	helped	by	anything	other	than	a
medical	fix.
We
	
persevered.	She	started	practicing	mindfulness,	changed	her	diet,	and
studied	the	relationship	between	stress	and	physical	health.	Eventually	she
became	aware	that	her	GERD,	although	very	real	and	painful,	often	flared
after	she	experienced	a	stressful	event.	Armed	with	this	knowledge,	she
developed	stress-reducing	strategies	to	use	each	time	her	anxiety	was
triggered.	She	still	experienced	GERD	but	reported	that	the	intensity	of	her
symptoms	halved.	As	a	result,	her	symptoms	had	less	of	an	impact	on	her	life.
Your	perception	of	your	ability	to	manage	and	control	your	medical
condition	makes	a	difference.	Managing	anxiety	and	stress	better	will	not	take
away	your	medical	condition,	but	it	will	enhance	your	quality	of	life.	Reflect
on	the	following	statements	and	say	them	out	loud	a	number	of	times.	The