For years I dealt with dermatitis (used to be called eczema) on my hands. The only relief was steroids, both topical and injected. I had a very high-stress job, a floor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. I had a little voice in my head was saying that maybe this line of work was the cause of my skin problems.
I removed myself from trading and start working in an outdoor adventure camp outside of Colorado Springs. Here I saw an alternative therapist and learned about McCombs Diet. I did it for the recommended time frame of 4 months, and my dermatitis vanished. Naturally, I went off the diet, and my skin trouble returned.
Then, I met Sasha and Thomas and began my path in the Buteyko Breathing Method. My dermatitis was getting better; often it was not even present, but then suddenly it returned with a vengeance. It had been some time since I had used steroids, so I didn’t even think of them. The palms of my hands were awful. I couldn’t bear to look. All I could think of was that maybe Buteyko Breathing would help. I was hopeful.
It was a healing crisis! It was healing! All of a sudden, dermatitis changed. Slowly it moderated and then vanished. I believe it left for good. If crying showed anyone how grateful I was, I would have stood outside and cried buckets. I didn’t have to. I continue my Buteyko Breathing Normalization practice to this day.
Peter Merlin
Boulder CO
