My Health Philosophy

My health philosophy is rather eclectic, mostly because my health history has been rather eclectic. I've been to traditional western doctors, natural doctors, homeopathic doctors, acupuncture therapists, chiropractors, herbalists, massage therapists, and more. I believe that there is truth in all of these different forms of medicine.

However, I do believe that sometimes traditional western medicine sometimes over-prescribes pharmaceutical drugs. You have pain? Here's a drug. You have depression? Here's a drug. That's not to say that there are those who suffer from pain or depression do not have a chemical imbalance in the body that needs to be remedied via pharmaceutical medications. However, most cases of pain, depression, anxiety, and other chronic health issues are merely symptoms of other deeper underlying issues. This is where sometimes traditional Western medicine falls short. Western medicine for the most part perceives that each system and each organ are separate and distinct from every other system and organ in the body. In contrast, alternative medicine examines not only the part of the body that is dysfunctional but rather examines the body as a whole. Alternative practitioners evaluate diet, exercise, sleeping patterns, stress levels, emotional patterns, environmental components, and much more. Furthermore, the alternative practitioner will also explore the possibility that perhaps there is another organ or system that is contributing to the organ or system that is struggling.

Here's an example: A cyst or tumor may grow in a specific organ. Cysts and tumors are usually composed of things that the body perceives to be "toxic" but for whatever reason it doesn't want to release it. So it walls it away, and stores it until a later date when it has time to break it down and flush it through the body's various cleansing systems. However, that may never happen. If the cleansing systems of the body are compromised and low-functioning the body will continue to dump the toxins in that particular place, and body tries to cope as best as it can. Alternative medicine would attempt to reduce the amount of exposure to toxins that person was receiving, support the drainage systems of the body, and then encourage the body to release the toxins stored in the cyst or tumor.

However, this process can take a while. It can take months. For me it's taken years. And quite frankly, in our lives of instant gratification people simply do not have the patience nor the desire to wait for the beneficial results. And Western medicine caters to those are searching for a quick, easy fix, whether it be surgery or drugs.

But before you start thinking that I am against Western medicine entirely, let me say this: without Western medicine I wouldn't be here. I think Western medicine is great. For acute, short-term, symptoms and pains Western Medicine is the best resource. For example, I would not go to my one of my natural doctors for a broken arm. I would go to the emergency room, where a traditional Western doctor that has specialized in setting broken bones could fix my broken arm and put it in a cast. Would I be given pain killers? You bet. Would I take them? Probably.

So I believe that both Western medicine and alternative medicine are valuable to our healing. And there are times in our lives where we will need one, or the other, or both. For me, I have used them each pretty extensively. My desire is for my body to be healthy. I am still learning and discovering what contributes to good health, and in particular, my good health. And so this blog will mostly describe my own journey as I am continuing to gather information and knowledge about health in all of its forms, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual.

In good health,

Lindsey Kae