Do you have a hard time deciding what type of medicine to use for situations or whether to treat them at all? We all have our own values, preferences, and criteria for what is an emergency and what we feel is risky. In this video I share my personal experience of what type of medicine – conventional vs. alternative/natural – I choose for which conditions. I hope it’s interesting for you to contemplate as well and helps you be more flexible. We are blessed to live in a time when integrative medicine available to us!
This post is more of a personal share of something that came up in my life recently, where I felt compelled to use a conventional medical treatment. It may surprise a lot of people since natural medicine is my jam! This experience made me think that I actually have a criteria – a certain limit – where I fully accept conventional, Western, modern medicine instead. I think this will be interesting for you to hear! You’re getting a window into my life to see how I process things.
I think it will also help you consider what your limits & criteria are when deciding what type of medicine to use. And it will help you become more flexible with your approach to healthcare.
If you’re more prone to doing nothing and letting nature take its course, or if you use conventional western medicine, or are somewhere in the middle using natural treatments – many of use just stick with one side when it comes to healthcare. For many people, it defines them! It’s part of their identity – just like I, as a natural health practitioner, obviously use natural medicine mostly.
But I am not rigid around this topic at all as you’ll see from this example of what just happened with a pet.
Caring For My Kitten Taught Me About My Criteria For Appropriate Healthcare
We had, what I consider to be, a very serious problem with our new kitten Fern. To our horror, the evening we got her home we realized that she was severely infested with fleas. The next day, I saw really gross evidence that she also had a tapeworm infection. The thought of double parasites feeding off my new fur baby completely disgusted me and I wanted her to feel better ASAP!
What type of medicine should I use? In the past I gave my cats ground pumpkin seeds in their food when I suspected they had worms. It didn’t seem like an emergency for them since they were in pretty good health and I had no real evidence of infection.
But in this case, I could not wait for the natural approach to take effect.
So after some research, I learned that a popular, conventional tapeworm medication was known for being super effective (killing them within hours) and had very little side effects. That was enough for me! I bought it and administered it right away. There were no signs of tapeworms from that point on and I am so grateful.
My approach is different with the fleas though. I feel flea medications are way more toxic because of the longterm use and I prefer a natural approach. For this acute infestation, I’m using a flea comb on my kitten , applying essential oils on her as a repellent, bathing her weekly until we get them under control, and am vacuuming daily.
When To Trust Your Body, When To Treat & What Type Of Medicine?
I’m talking about my pet family in the example above, but I’ve certainly had to make tough decisions about what type of healthcare to use with myself, my son, and even my husband. I want to go over some examples of…
(1) when I do nothing and trust our bodies to heal alone
(2) when I choose natural medicine
and
(3) when I do choose conventional Western medicine
…for my family (pets included) and I.
When Do I Do Absolutely Nothing And Let Nature Take Its Course?
Hardly ever!
I don’t believe in suffering through uncomfortable symptoms. Even though I know the body can heal on it’s own, I always give it support. Only when I am purposefully trying to build up tolerance in a meditation practice do I just sit with pain and discomfort. In that case, it’s good to integrate the discomfort into the experience and to train the mind to not need instant gratification.
My son is in a stage where he doesn’t like me treating him so much. He prefers to just rest in bed and sleep off illnesses. That’s fine too! He trusts his ability to heal which is very admirable (but so frustrating when he complains about being sick and yet doesn’t let me help him!)
This is a good point for us all to explore though. Do you really believe you can heal on your own? Do you trust your body? If so, great! But remember, you don’t have to do it all alone.
When Do I Treat With Natural Medicine?
When we are sick, when we are unwell – this is an opportunity to connect in deeper with ourselves and with nature. The healing process, when using the gifts of nature as holistic support, is so validating. It shows us that we have support all around us and are deeply loved by God, Source, Nature, and The Universe.
So using natural medicine is the main way I treat myself and family (just like I do my clients) when we are sick or out of balance. I use acupuncture, acupressure, herbs, diet, qigong & Ahai energy healing, essential oils, massage, yoga, meditation, and prayer.
Typically, I treat us effectively this way with natural medicine if:
- there are no red flags, emergencies, to be concerned about
- it’s a temporary issue
- it’s a chronic issue that can’t be helped or is made worse with conventional medicine
- I’m wanting to get to the root of imbalance, beyond the symptoms (though I treat those too)
- I’m wanting to build immunity and bolster health
I primarily use natural medicine for preventive care though! I give myself tons of care with these gifts from the earth and from traditional medicine. And for this reason, I’m hardly ever sick.
When Do I Treat With Conventional Medicine?
I really appreciate conventional medicine for emergencies! Not for general or preventative care though. Like many people, I was steeped in the western medicine model for a long time. But with repeated courses of antibiotics that destroyed my gut flora and the advice that I had to be on thyroid hormone replacement for life (which I learned later was not true) – I lost my trust in this system. Never did I ever hear discussions about supporting my body’s ability to heal.
So now that I’m out of that system and teaching about the value of natural medicine, I am very careful about giving it the respect it deserves while also trying to show others there’s a much better way most of the time (especially with wellness and preventative care)
I decided to personally use conventional medicine only a few times since I made this shift. I had an emergency c-section and I had a lot of dental work done. And I gladly took the pain medications offered to me during those procedures. Afterwards though, I supported my body by natural means to help it fully recover.
After this incident with my kitten, I realized I only choose conventional Western medicine in the following cases, when:
- I am terrified
- I am desperate
- I have no other choice
- I feel like the side effects of the medications and procedures are manageable
These are the only reasons I would go to the conventional medicine side. That’s important me to know about myself!
Do You Value Integrated Healthcare Or Do You Only Use One System?
I think this would be interesting for you to think about as well. What are your limits when you try a different type of healthcare than what you’re used to? Clearly you have faith in one system. Wouldn’t it be nice to have faith in all though, when needed? We are blessed to be in this time when integrative medicine is possible.
I am so eager to hear what you think about all this! Did it help you decide what type of medicine is best for you and for which conditions or situations? Know that I am always here for you if you are needing help finding that middle ground. I understand western medicine and work with my patients to balance out any negative side effects from that system if that’s what they’re choosing. And I help my clients build faith in their bodies and nature too!
If you’re seriously interested in working together, you’re welcome to schedule a free 15 min. consultation here.
Many blessings to you and your family!
