My healing journey began many years ago when I was having some health issues that were not being resolved to my satisfaction with standard allopathic care. These issues included a misdiagnosis of MS, which I insisted was NOT MS, and "anxiety" that was not anything like the standard description of anxiety. After repeated MRIs not showing MS lesions, and going round and round with my MD insisting he was overlooking something, I was desperate to find some other means of exploring my bizarre symptoms. One of my teachers recommended I go see her naturopath and approach my situation from a completely different angle. I really had nothing to lose, and a whole lot to gain, so I scheduled my first appointment and was amazed to discover what a naturopath can do! After a short amount of time, we determined that I indeed do not have MS, but had aspartame poisoning. The naturopath also agreed that I didn't have anxiety, but my body had an allergic type reaction to the hepatitis vaccinations I had received just prior to the appearance of the symptoms the MD chose to label as anxiety. I worked closely with the naturopath to address these issues and found relief almost immediately. I was extremely impressed with the progress we were making, and decided to continue working in this capacity to clear more obstacles standing in the way between me and vibrant health. Friends and family members were concerned that I was paying out of pocket for all of these visits and remedies I was taking to clear various things from my system. I was criticized for investing in something that was not covered by my "health" insurance. I had made a conscious decision to step back from a system that wanted to give me pills to mask symptoms, and look for a way to address and clear the ROOT causes of my ailments. I had also made a conscious decision at that point to not put a price tag on my health. I found something that was working for me, and valued its results enough to willingly pay for this service out of pocket. This completely bewildered many people in my life, and it is something I have thought about, often, ever since.
We generally spend a LOT of money on "health care" in America, and in reality it is sick care we are paying for with our insurance premiums. In my own experience, I have found little that my insurance will cover in the spirit of keeping me healthy, and I have seen time and again the constrictions insurance companies place on deciding which tests will be covered and what they (not the MDs) feel are necessary. I often question the validity of the investment in insurance premiums as I often do not see much of a payout for services I use in my life. Yes, I can see some value in having insurance in place for the instances of those with catastrophic illness and injury, but if I am investing in my "health" with the insurance premiums, I am failing to see the connection. Please don't get me wrong, there is a very real place for allopathic medicine, and we excel in emergency medicine in this country. If I ever break a bone, the nearest ER is where I will definitely be headed. I believe allopathic medicine to be just one piece of the puzzle in the journey to health.
Just as there are different specialists in Western medicine, so too are there other types of specialists who are able to assist people in their healing. There is a need to recognize the other pieces of the puzzle that make up the picture of our health care options. We are not just a physical body; we are also emotional, mental, and spiritual beings all in one. In order to treat the whole we cannot look for care only in space that treats just a body part; we are all more than just a dis-eased or damaged body part. Unfortunately in the current paradigm, we have to make a decision to invest in these other puzzle pieces out of our own pockets because the majority of our options are not covered by standard insurance. This is an investment I committed to because I will not put a price tag on my health and well-being.
I thought more deeply about the issue of "health care" costs and insurance rates, and people needing to make decisions about how to invest in their health. What if people were able to spend the same amount of money purchasing healthy foods as they have to spend on this "health care" and insurance? Would we begin to see a change in how much sick care people actually need? Would we begin to shift the whole paradigm and structure of the healthcare and insurance industries?
We generally spend a LOT of money on "health care" in America, and in reality it is sick care we are paying for with our insurance premiums. In my own experience, I have found little that my insurance will cover in the spirit of keeping me healthy, and I have seen time and again the constrictions insurance companies place on deciding which tests will be covered and what they (not the MDs) feel are necessary. I often question the validity of the investment in insurance premiums as I often do not see much of a payout for services I use in my life. Yes, I can see some value in having insurance in place for the instances of those with catastrophic illness and injury, but if I am investing in my "health" with the insurance premiums, I am failing to see the connection. Please don't get me wrong, there is a very real place for allopathic medicine, and we excel in emergency medicine in this country. If I ever break a bone, the nearest ER is where I will definitely be headed. I believe allopathic medicine to be just one piece of the puzzle in the journey to health.
Just as there are different specialists in Western medicine, so too are there other types of specialists who are able to assist people in their healing. There is a need to recognize the other pieces of the puzzle that make up the picture of our health care options. We are not just a physical body; we are also emotional, mental, and spiritual beings all in one. In order to treat the whole we cannot look for care only in space that treats just a body part; we are all more than just a dis-eased or damaged body part. Unfortunately in the current paradigm, we have to make a decision to invest in these other puzzle pieces out of our own pockets because the majority of our options are not covered by standard insurance. This is an investment I committed to because I will not put a price tag on my health and well-being.
I thought more deeply about the issue of "health care" costs and insurance rates, and people needing to make decisions about how to invest in their health. What if people were able to spend the same amount of money purchasing healthy foods as they have to spend on this "health care" and insurance? Would we begin to see a change in how much sick care people actually need? Would we begin to shift the whole paradigm and structure of the healthcare and insurance industries?
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