ALTERNATIVE HEALING

It seems like I've always had a resistance towards doctors. I'm sure a big part of that is because they seemed mostly unable to help me when I came to them with my problems. I heard a lot of "I've never seen anything like this before" and "I don't know why it is the way it is". But it's more than that. I've always had this intuition that doctors are treating the symptoms rather than the cause. But aren't those symptoms there to tell us that something else is wrong or out of balance? I find it curious that doctors will readily prescribe pills without inquiring about your diet, exercise, or even obtaining a proper diagnosis.

It is only recently that I have discovered that there is a large community out there that thinks like me. It is so assuring to see that people are seeking and finding relief in safe, natural, alternative healing methods.

I have learned so much about health care systems and pharmaceuticals in the past few months, mostly through University courses that I have taken. It is shocking the number of pills being produced and the vast increases in prescriptions. We must remember that they are out to make money, just like any other business. And they are doing a great job right now. The economy would virtually collapse if we lost the pharmaceutical industry. But remember this too - if we were all healthy, the pharmaceutical companies could not thrive or survive. Pharmaceutical drugs are addictive and dangerous. There are other safe and effective ways of healing disease and, most importantly, preventing illness in the first place. To quote one of my favorite documentaries, Food Matters, "Health makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't make a lot of dollars."

My hope is to inspire people, even in the smallest way, to be skeptical of medicinal practices and to take charge of their own healing. After all, it is your life and your health. You have the power to choose.

My rheumatologist firmly told me: "We do NOT practice alternative medicine here." Well guess what - medicine is an alternative. It is one alternative to many methods of treating an illness. And I intend to explore my options.