When people say or hear "drug free", almost no one thinks of being COMPLETELY drug free. Few would even want to; and, obviously, such a way of life is NOT for everybody. But the following true story was contributed by a person who HAS been completely drug free for over half a century, and is living proof of what CAN be done if you come to understand the workings and needs of the human body and try to exercise good judgement (not jumping on every fad that comes along), as well as some of the social consequences you should be prepared for should you even consider such a decision.
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I grew up with three non-medical health care professionals. My father and both grandfathers. They were Chiropractors. They didn't just "crunch bones" or "crack joints" as is the common misconception. My dad and my maternal grandfather particularly were very interested in nutritional and other biological therapies that affected things like body chemistry and metabolism, including acid and alkaline balance and elimination of toxic byproducts -- as well as educating their patients in simple natural things they could do for themselves to promote healing and good health. By the time I entered grade school, we had a close but ever widening circle of friends with whom we shared a rather unique set of values and by whom we felt very loved. Except --- when health care came up. We learned early on not to bring it up. After all, health care wasn't our religion, and certainly not a religious crusade. We felt doctors should be available, but not some kind of activists campaigning for a cause. But our friends had very strong feelings about it, so it would eventually come up anyway. To them, Medicine was the only true, serious and complete health care, and being different was a "mortal sin" or something. So even though we were very careful not to offer unsolicited health care advice (extremely hesitant even when asked) much less try to tell others how to make their health care decisions, plenty of folks were ready and willing to pass negative pre-judgement on our non-medical choices anytime they became public knowledge. They usually didn't even when we were asked. We learned to give very vague and evasive answers. They really were the best of friends in every other way, so we did everything we could to keep peace. At times though I felt I really didn't "belong" but was just an intruding stranger being politely tolerated.
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"Natural" Healing (Non-medical Health Care) -- Why Controversial? The Issues 101: Safe? Scientific? Legal? The REAL Problem? But Is It For YOU? Unconventional Concepts (You May or May Not Have Considered) |
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Long before High School I came to realize I personally didn't
need a career that would probably just escalate this tension and
conflict. Among friends it feels so painfully out of place.
It was bad enough that in some States of the U.S. at the time,
Chiropractors were still fighting legal battles to be recognized
and licensed as health care professionals -- and over false
charges from you-can-guess-who of "practicing medicine without a
license". No medicine was ever used, of course. But I suppose
there'll always be this sort of contention where "Big Business"
is involved.
This gross intolerance, along with misleading information others would relate being given by some doctors, made me determined to take charge of my own health (good or ill) according to what I had learned growing up. Naturally, I received all the education Dad gave all his patients put together -- many times over. Talk about growing up drug free -- I've never even had so much as an aspirin. Not because I've never had pain. I was just never willing to suppress my warning system. Like removing the batteries from all the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in the house.
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If your friends don't have any more loyalty than to be embarrassed when you're different, maybe they deserve to be embarrassed. The question is: Do they deserve to call themselves your friends? |
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Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate any medical doctors personally.
Most of the few I've met were quite likable individuals. But after
what we'd "overheard" from many of their patients, and the
"confidential" Medical newsletters Dad and Grandad inadvertently
received as a result of having "Dr." in front of their names, I
began to view Medicine's approach to illness as seriously flawed,
and it's system as greedy and less than completely honest. Of
course, no profession is perfect. But I decided I didn't want
"mainstream Medicine" getting their hands on me under any
circumstances. That decision may not sound very rational to you,
but a lot of careful thought preceded it and I'm convinced I've
had superior health care for my personal needs for over half a
century. If only I didn't have to defend personal health care
choices that are actually safer and more effective for me (and
nobody else's business) or feel like I'm "walking on eggs" to
keep from having to! (Scrambled eggs, anyone?)
I haven't had to for a long time. In my youthful wanderings I stumbled upon a rather unique little sub-culture among the otherwise same kind of friends in an area that draws people from many varied backgrounds. As a result, everybody is different and seldom does anybody even seem to notice. Even when they do, friends like these don't have to understand everything to be understanding. It's been truly refreshing.
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"Natural" Healing (Non-medical Health Care) -- Why Controversial? The Issues 101: Safe? Scientific? Legal? The REAL Problem? But Is It For YOU? Unconventional Concepts (You May or May Not Have Considered) |
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I finally found out though, after becoming the 24-hour-7-day-a-
week caregiver for my elderly invalid last-surviving parent who
had put these same totally non-medical health care choices in
writing in a DPA (Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care) form
before becoming completely disabled, that down deep very little
has really changed in western society. All the "natural" and
"organic" advertising and all the complementary and alternative
medicine "diplomacy" not withstanding. Naturally all these
friends wanted to help, and those who could were unbelievably
flexible and non-opinionated. But it only takes one or two
latecomers who think they understand "perfectly", and actually
understand nothing of what you're really trying to accomplish, yet
feel very strongly "duty bound" to set things "right" (medically)
to "spook the flock" ("stampede the herd"?). As I write this my
"patient" has not even had visitors in months. I no longer feel
the "refuge" here I found in the past and have nowhere else to go.
(Do I just not belong in this part of the world, or is the human
race this way everywhere?) But even worse, to see my dear friends
so intimidated by such a powerful totalitarian system as to render
some of them (even if unwittingly and unintentionally) too
oblivious and intolerant to be capable of truly listening with
genuine understanding to any other concept of healing has to be
one of the saddest, most despicable, most infuriating things I've
ever personally witnessed. --- Contributed (anonymous) |
Experience: That valuable possession that cannot be taken away even when we lose everything else (except our memory, I suppose), and from which (someone else's, preferably) we hope we can learn. |
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PLEASE NOTE! NOTHING on this website is intended to diagnose, treat or cure ANY illness or disease; nor to prescribe, endorse, OR EVEN RECOMMEND any substance, therapy or other health care choice. All material is provided as INFORMATION ONLY for the exclusive use of persons wishing to take greater PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for their body and health or those desiring to defend the reasonableness of doing so. While based on sources believed by the editor to be reliable, all statements not directly quoted and referenced to other sources should be considered merely one person's unorthodox opinion. |
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