When people get a cold or the flu or other illnesses and they go to the doctor thinking he will “fix” them they’re under-estimating the body’s innate ability to take make itself “right” again. But if they’ve only eaten fast or processed food all their life or never seem to get a “good” night’s sleep or are so stressed out by work that they have indigestion all the time they are making the job of the body so much harder. People just want to take a pill to make them feel better and they want it now! So it becomes a vicious cycle with the pills masking the symptoms and the “silenced” symptoms then leading to other, perhaps worse, illnesses.
Don’t get me wrong….I think Doctors are essential for emergencies but I also think they should help us/teach us HOW to look after ourselves better. If we understood how the body worked we’d realize that those symptoms are the body’s way of telling us something has to change. It needs help if it’s going to heal itself and it CAN heal itself because that’s what it’s designed to do. Even when we already have symptoms, there are ways to support the body so it can rebuild and get back its vitality.
Take a headache, for example. When people get a headache, most will reach for the Pain relievers without taking a minute to figure out WHY they have a headache. Are they dehydrated? Stressed? Are the muscles in their neck so tight they feel like boulders? Was it something they ate that they might be sensitive to? They could try to drink a big glass of water and see if that helps. They could massage peppermint oil along the back of their neck and on their temples to see if that eases things – including those tight muscles. They could try some deep breathing to take more oxygen in. I think pain relievers should be used as a last resort if possible (and I know it’s not always possible). I still rely on some of my Mom’s and Grandma’s remedies. When I get a sore throat I still gargle with warm salt water and vinegar. When I have a chest cold, I still grab the good old Vapour Rub (Vicks) AND YES I will take a swig of Buckleys if things get real bad (and, touch wood, I haven’t had to do that in a long time). The important thing to remember is that our body CAN fight off most viruses and other illnesses IF we keep our immune system strong and we LET the body do the fighting. A fever is a sign that the body is fighting the virus so don’t take meds to get rid of the fever – take a cool shower or bath instead, drink plenty of water and REST – unless the fever gets alarmingly high at which time a doctor should be consulted. A cough is the body trying to expel the build up of mucous – so don’t take a cough suppressant. Get the idea?
Did anybody watch CNN’s special the other night, “Deadly Dose” about the over prescribing of pain meds in America (and, trust me, Canada too)? The U.S. consumes 80% of the world’s pain medications yet they have only 20% of the world’s population!! Scary! We are a generation of pill poppers and quick fixes and we do so at a tremendous cost to our health. Is it any wonder that with all of our technology and advances in medicine there has actually been an INCREASE in many diseases. I truly believe it’s because we don’t ever let our body do what it’s supposed to do. That, combined with the intense stress most people are under, poor diets and not enough sleep/ relaxing or physical activity are all factors that we DO have control over.
I think people are starting to “get it”. When we honor the body and “listen” to what it’s trying to tell us we have a much better chance of avoiding illness or dealing with illnesses in a way that won’t ultimately do more harm.
