Is alternative medicine useful too?
Q: Elle! It’s so great to see you online again. I finally found you after you left tumblr and I am so happy!!! I found your book online and knew it was you. :) I was wondering if you still think there is usefulness to alternative medicine! I am really glad you aren’t an extremist anti-vaxxer and that you are really grounded in all your viewpoints! Do you think alternative approaches can help too? Thank you! Missed you!
A: Hi there! I am so grateful you found me. Thank you for being on the journey with me all this time! <3 I am honored that you wanted to seek me out and that you found a way to do so. I never meant to hide from anyone when I left. I just wanted to take a break, and since I did not have my websites built back when I left Tumblr, all I had was an old email address only some people saw before I deleted my account. I am so glad to be here with you again too. =)
Yes, there is absolutely merit to alternative medicine! I do not know where I would be without my chamomile, valerian, dandelion root, castor oil packs, and Bach flower remedies! =D I just think we need a balance of everything. Vaccines prevent diseases that even a healthy diet cannot all on its own (even the healthiest of eaters can still get measles and mumps). Western medicine can straddle both worlds of acute treatment AND chronic pain/disease management, but alternative medicine may offer routes or healing modalities that are more accessible than western for long-term pain remediation in some cases. Much of what I have learned about alternative medicine is thanks to resources initially suggested to me by western practitioners! Many of them helped me get into contact (years ago) with modalities and practitioners that provided supportive care and education for me in conjunction with the western methods. I know in extreme new age spaces, western practitioners can be demonized, but many of them recommend and incorporate alternative remedies themselves. =) In nursing school, we always talked about the many different approaches to healing. Big pharma may be a problem in general, but most medical practitioners have a balanced perspective and are not to be confused with the top 1% who just want to make money. There are good and bad practitioners in all categories, but most of them really do want the best for their patients. Like I say a lot, it’s all about finding the balance. Sometimes we need something western medicine can resolve, and other times alternative solutions are more effective. Almost everyone will need both at different points throughout their lives. Holistic healing, from my perspective, is not just about treating the whole self. It is about acknowledging ALL of the resources available to us in our modern time too. Herbalism, yoga, and acupressure are my friends, but I know that my MMR, DTaP, and varicella vaccinations will either totally prevent dangerous diseases or at least make it so I am much less likely to die from them even if I do contract them. Earthing and walking in the woods are so helpful, but so are anti-anxiety and ADHD medications for those who need multiple lines of support. I am here for all of it! =) <3