Breaking Out of Environmental Illness: Essential Reading for People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Allergies, and Chemical Sensitivities [Paperback]

Robert Sampson M.D. (Author), Patricia Hughes B.S.N. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1997

This is a book written to accelerate the personal healing of anyone suffering from any form of environmental illness. It tells the story of how a physician and a nurse liberate themselves from a common debilitating condition. After exhaustive attempts to heal themselves through conventional methods, they moved beyond feeling victimized by physical symptoms. Instead, they learned how to interpret them as communications from their bodies about unexpressed emotions and various structures they had created in their lives which no longer supported them.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), or EI (environmental illness), is a poorly understood phenomenon that has no scientifically accepted definition or treatment. However, one commonality among MCS sufferers is development of physical symptoms after exposure to chemical substances. As symptoms appear, sufferers can become hypersensitive to many everyday chemicals, such as perfume, household cleansers, and exhausts. Many self-help books address this medical mystery, including classics like Bonnye Matthews's Chemical Sensitivity (McFarland, 1992), Janice Stubbe Wittenberg's The Rebellious Body (LJ 11/1/96), and Sherry Rogers's Tired or Toxic? Of the two new additions to the field, Radetsky's book is the more comprehensive in terms of MCS case histories, the relationship of MCS to Gulf War syndrome, medicolegal difficulties in establishing MCS as a "real" disease entity, and the possible cause(s) of MCS. By contrast, Breaking Out of Environmental Illness is an account by two MCS sufferers who on their journey to find a cure find solace from a "great spiritual teacher and healer who has a deep connection to Earth and humanity." This book is interesting if not essential reading for people with MCS/EI, but Radetsky's book belongs on the shelf with established MCS works.?Susan Maret, Auraria Lib., Univ. of Colorado, Denver
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

When Sampson and Hughes met in 1989, both already manifested signs of environmental illness. They chronicle their subsequent experiences with chemical sensitivities and also Hughes' realization that she was a survivor of the post-traumatic stress of recovering from an abusive childhood. Feeling trapped in the city, the couple fled to the country, adopting flexible work hours so they needed to stay in their in-town apartment only several nights weekly. But country life brought unusual fatigue, muscle spasms, and worse. Through channeling and such other means of accessing and releasing inner spiritual energy as kinesiology, they eventually turned the corner to improved health by clearing themselves of anger, anxiety, and other negative energies. Fans of Shirley MacLaine's books well may love Sampson and Hughes' effort, while others may find it somewhat unbelievable. Whitney Scott

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bear & Company (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187918141X
• ISBN-13: 978-1879181410
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,706,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not for people that have MCS, March 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Breaking Out of Environmental Illness: Essential Reading for People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Allergies, and Chemical Sensitivities (Paperback)

If you really suffer from chemical exposure, don't read this book. It will serve as one more denial of a real illness. Instead, I suggest you read an informative book that will guide you towards less exposure and alternative health care that can help, like Dr. Sherry Rodgers, etc. I was totally offended. Of course, any religious help is always helpful, but to deny the reality of MCS is just another slap in the face.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No real help here, June 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Breaking Out of Environmental Illness: Essential Reading for People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Allergies, and Chemical Sensitivities (Paperback)

As one who has been dealing with EI for over 20 years, I was truly delighted to find a book written by an MD who shared some of my experiences. The whole thing was ruined by the bizarre "treatment" sought. As for the suffering related, I found it interesting that the descriptions of his and his friends' symptomology were mild in comparison to that of most of the EI people I know. In fact, what they related more closely resembled what I call my "good" days. To be fair, they were in the early stages of the disorder and did not seem to have arrived at the more spectacular phenomena associated with EI, e.g., for most of us driving 180 miles is completely out of the question, nor do we go hiking in the mountains. The reality of long-term EI is much more debilitating than anything these two experienced. The theories advanced by "Michael" have more to do with the old way of looking at EI sufferers, "It's all in your head", "You chose this", "You can have control", etc. The people I know with MCS were all active, intelligent, and involved people until this illness took all that away. I was an active field archaeologist who, at age 55 could outwork 20 year old college students and continued to work hard at physically demanding jobs until age 62. In addition, I was a sailor, mountain climber and diver and certainly did not "choose" to give all that up for the dubious pleasure of periodically becoming a ball of pain, unable to walk to the bathroom, much less go gadding about the countryside in a car. In summary, this book served only as an illustration of the minor inconveniences caused by EI, but more than that it trivializes the real suffering those with this disorder face. I have tried a couple of the treatment modalities (the less bizarre ones) recommended and found them to be completely useless.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing but interesting, March 6, 2005

By 

Patty Crichton "dog lover" (Petoskey MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breaking Out of Environmental Illness: Essential Reading for People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Allergies, and Chemical Sensitivities (Paperback)

As a longtime CFS and EI sufferer, I couldn't wait to get this book. I'm now very open to "channels" and messages from angels or highly evolved beings, and also the incredible helpfulness of energy medicine in the very necessary changing of beliefs, letting go of emotions, as well as the physical avoidance of toxins (at least in the healing stages) and attention to diet, allergies, etc. Although I'm almost 100% healed and even starting a new business at age 52, I was enticed by reviews that this book would uncover the mental and emotional reasons people get EI and CFS at this time and place.

I eagerly went to bed each night to read another few chapters, but as each night went on, I was anxious for the story part to be over (it was interesting and validating, even though each EI sufferer is affected quite differently) and the "answer" part to begin. I was disappointed to say the least. Any evolved being who would admonish a human and cause them to suffer and cry with guilt, rage, shame, etc. is NOT a very evolved being!

This being talked in circles that were very hard to follow, and the authors blamed themselves for not getting it! Any entity from the Light is going to feel like a loving parent and bathe them in higher vibrations that feel good, not bad, while releasing the negative energy so many of us have. We need positive loving messages, not more depression!The insights I receive from Highly evolved souls and entities are always helpful and make me feel better; that's how I differentiate them from messages from the "dark side" whether that's a religious belief or your own shadow side.

I don't know what treatments the authors use for people who visit them (another disappointment with the book), but they hinted at NAET, which does have value. Allergies (or more accurately, energy toxins) to everything from foods, inhalants, everyday products, almost ANYTHING) can have a huge impact on the immune system, and in my case, my moods and muscles. NAET neutralizes these substances to much relief, but I found early on that I was so sick, I couldn't hold the treatments, even though I did them for 2 years.

It wasn't until I met the folks at Quantum Techniques (www.quantumtechniques.com) that I was able to release the viruses, bacteria, past emotional traumas, beliefs- all kinds of things that didn't seem at the time to be connected to EI, TOTALLY PAINLESSLY. It's been an amazing journey, though not cheap. I also recommend Machaelle Small Wright's MAP book- Medical Assistance Program from beings of the Light who are there to help humans heal. And it's free, and it feels good!