Louise Hay (1926–2017)

I genuinely don't understand why this book has so many good reviews. It's an ableist waste of a tree and essentially puts the blame on the people who have these conditions.
I can't for the life of me understand how this book was published or why do many people swear by it.
A bit of background, I've been chronically ill for my entire life, as well as physically disabled. This is because of a type of arthritis that I was diagnosed with at 9 months of age.
Autoimmune disease runs in my mother's show more side of the family, so my mom wasn't surprised when I was born and had health issues.
This book reminded me why I tend to avoid medical self-help books.
We start out the book finding out a little about the author. She claims to have cured her cancer with the power of thought. She talks about how she was raped at the age of 5, so it was really no surprise that she had manifested cervical cancer.
Or--and this is just a thought--maybe, Ms. Hay, you being assaulted caused you to develop cervical cancer. Starting intimacy like that at a young age is a risk factor, and since it wasn't consensual, perhaps it wasn't resentment over it that caused the cancer but perhaps the fact that you were so young and someone took advantage of you.
Some of the "probable causes" in this book were also incredibly ableist. Particularly the parts about what could possibly cause birth defects, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy.
A probable cause for muscular dystrophy is the phrase "It's not worth growing up."
This is essentially blaming people with MD for their own disability. I shouldn't have to explain why this is such a problem.
This book reinforces ableist attitudes towards disabled people, which can include but aren't limited to, believing that we're giving up if we use mobility aids (especially wheelchairs), believing that we aren't trying enough, believing that we aren't better yet because we aren't positive enough.
It's a harmful book with a harmful message.
Positive thoughts don't cure cancer, AIDS/HIV, or rabies. In fact, rabies has no cure if untreated. If it's untreated, it is 100% fatal.
According to this book, cancer could be caused by "deep hurt, long standing resentment, deep secret or grief eating away at the self, carrying hatreds, and thoughts like 'what's the use?'."
I have a family member who passed away from cancer. My uncle ended up developing colon cancer due to having ulcerative colitis. It had nothing to do with his attitude or anything like that. He was a very chill, down to earth man, whom I never saw get upset or even mad. I'm sure he did, but that's just because he was human.
Cerebral palsy could be caused by "a need to unite the family in an action of love."
Cystic fibrosis could possibly be caused by "a thick belief that life won't work for you and thoughts like 'poor me'".
Cystic fibrosis isn't caused by thought. Nor is it healed by positive thought. Let's take, for example, Claire Wineland. She had a YouTube channel and was always spreading positivity. She wasn't afraid of death and always had a positive attitude. She still had cystic fibrosis. But, ultimately, she still passed away from complications of a double lung transplant that she was getting to help her cystic fibrosis. She was always positive, but she still had cystic fibrosis.
And I already went over the probable cause of muscular dystrophy.
I don't see how this book could make anyone with existing medical issues feel better. On the contrary, I feel like this book would only serve to make people feel worse. To make them feel guilty.
It's already very common for a lot of us to feel like burdens to our friends and family. It's also very common for us to feel a lot of guilt regarding our illnesses.
According to this book, I developed arthritis as an infant because I felt unloved, was critical, and had resentment. None of which are true.
My chronic illnesses will not be cured by thought. My bone erosions will not be healed because I decided to feel happiness. My disability will not go away because I choose joy. It will always be there.
This book is nothing but BS, and I will always believe that. I got nothing positive out of reading this book.
I also very well expected it to be bad, like most health self-help books I hesitate to read, for good reason. However, I wasn't expecting it to be as bad as it was.
No, it is not an unborn child's fault they have birth defects or any other condition that appears at birth. It is not a child's fault if they have chronic health issues.
This just places the blame on them, which I also feel could lead to even more mistreatment and abuse of disabled and/or chronically ill children if read by the wrong person.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
And, if I could, I would rate this 0 stars. show less

Oh, where do I even begin with this book? "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay is, in my humble opinion, an utterly unscientific, shaming, and absurd piece of writing. Frankly, I can't help but worry about the harm it might cause to anyone who takes its claims seriously.

Assigning blame for a condition that no one knowingly chooses to experience is absurd. Not only does this dump a heaping helping of guilt onto someone who's already suffering, but it could also lead to destructive family show more dynamics that are far from helpful.

If you're sick, particularly with a life-threatening illness, get evidence-based treatment! I'm horrified to think about the potential loss of life caused by Louise Hay's followers' refusal to seek medical attention.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with having hope and maintaining a positive attitude, but let's get real—it won't magically cure cancer. A cheerful outlook may enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment, but it is not a panacea.

Could we also talk about how Louise Hay believes that people are to blame for their own ill health and misfortunes? This notion is absurd on top of being ridiculous.

Overall, I think this book is offensive and harmful, especially for those who are vulnerable and easily influenced. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone looking for serious guidance or insight. show less

It’s a decent book overall. The first time I read it The List seemed very reference-y and difficult, but it’s the most enduring part of the book for me; it’s the ultimate in personal responsibility.

The whole radical responsibility thing is more than enough to turn away the average denizen of this society, (you mean it’s not Hitler’s fault? But what about the youngsters?), and not a few people who say they like the book discard most of its ideas whenever they become relevant.

Filed show more under human behavior. Kids on the jungle gym. “Mommy, that one’s different! Make them conform, Mommy!” Oh no wait that’s when you’re thirty. When you’re little you just run at the bastard!

Of course, I’m not sure that what they used to call self-love is the answer to all your problems, even if stewing in self-loathing and self name-calling is not.

Don’t hate yourself, at least.

.... I’m sure it sounds like candy-floss to some people, but she’s assuming that you’re too irresponsible not to blame blame blame, criticize criticize criticize, and not even realize you’re doing it, (“Mommy I don’t have time to help you peel carrots; I have to build a time-machine so I can kill Hitler when he was still a young person! So would you and Daddy stop ruining my life! It’s bad enough when you stopped me from doing my algebra homework yesterday morning—if I had good parents I’d have a girlfriend-slave too!”), and that you’ll skim the contents, ignoring 98%, before going back to one of those linger-on-the-corpses cop dramas where killing people is essentially the only way of advancing the plot. Which you don’t really need; what you need are corpses and ads; fear/anger and greed.

So there’s eating candy floss, and there’s eating carpet cleaner. Don’t criticize, don’t hate yourself.

“But you criticize.” I delete books I don’t like; I don’t criticize them.

*sunglasses* And I’m funny. show less

This book is controversial but I think it comes from a misunderstanding of what she tried to do with this book. She is giving ideas to transform your life and she gives examples of some best case scenarios. Nowhere does she say you are at fault if you don't heal your illness, nor does she say ignore traditional medicine. This is a tool and like all tools they can be misused.

Personally, I found the affirmations at the back pointed to issues I had never thought about. They didn't eliminate my show more fibroids, for example, but they brought me to a place where I could accept myself which led to a smooth experience in my surgery and recovery. It didn't cure my mom's dementia but she would find a measure of peace when I was able to get her to do the affirmations.

This book was never meant to lay blame or guilt for being sick. It's sad so many people have chosen to interpret it that way. show less