My wife, Laelle, and I were watching Hulu last night. We saw a number of advertisements on the television for a pharmacy. They started the ad by describing just how important health was, and showed pictures of babies and old people, mothers, fathers, kids, basically anyone you could imagine. These people were living healthy, vibrant lives.
And then the ad shifts to remind people to take their medication, and the special app that this pharmacy had developed in order to help people do that.
First, if you have a medication that you’re taking, yes, you absolutely should take it on the schedule prescribed. Doing otherwise makes the whole point of taking the medication less effective. And why take something potentially toxic if you’re not getting the results?
But after getting that point out of the way, Laelle and I were saddened. We were disappointed because that is what people think health is. People tend to think that health is taking your drugs on time. And it’s so prevalent and apparent in our culture today. We have a symptom and we pop a pill, because that’s what medicine has taught us.
It speaks to the culture that we live in. We live in a time when you know you’re healthy when you don’t feel a symptom, and so medicine has jumped in or created this idea by having medicines for every conceivable symptom. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes medication can be lifesaving, and is very necessary for preserving your life or correcting a true imbalance.
But most drugs sidestep what, in my opinion, is the first action we should be taking. Looking at our lives to see what the symptom might be telling us. Do you have diabetes? Well, how’s your diet? Do you eat sugar? Do you exercise? Are you doing the right kinds of exercise? Are you getting enough sleep? I would assert that most of the time people take a medication, it’s because they want to continue living the way they live without the consequences of the symptom said lifestyle has created.
And to be healthy, you just have to take your drug on time?
No, not at all.
Health is not the suppression of symptoms. Health is the fully expressed power of the innate potential of your body and spirit flowing throughout. That means that symptoms will happen, but they will guide your actions to allow you to return to health when out of balance.
Vitalism and Holism aren’t just fancy words. They represent a philosophy of health and healing that is vibrant and pure. The more you explore these “alternative” lifestyles, the healthier and happier you’ll be. I promise.