I prefer not to take medication. This is due to a number of things, including a personal philosophy and also scientific facts about drugs. I believe that the body functions better without micromanaging our chemicals. Most of those chemicals also have euphemistically termed “side” effects that are then managed with more chemicals. Also, more often than not, they treat merely the symptom, and not the disease itself.
- Ibuprofen reduces inflammation, a necessary component in healing. It may also reduce sperm count in otherwise healthy men.
- Proton Pump Inhibitors to reduce acid reflux can cause worse problems as they allow for greater rates of bacterial infection and digestive problems.
- Use of antibiotics can interfere with normal gut flora leading to leaky gut, autoimmune diseases, and stronger bacteria.
There are times when they can be helpful tools, however, and the point of this video and blog post is not to demonize medicine or medications in general, but to urge people to understand the why.
This video is about awareness. Why are you taking the medication, and what effect is it having on your body?
For example, let’s say you had surgery, or a bad fall, and you are taking a painkiller, whether an opiate or an NSAID. Of course you’ll feel better after taking the painkiller. But if your pain is muted, you could feel like you’re capable of more than you really are. But you’re still recovering from your surgery or injury. Your body may not want you to do anything at all. It may rather that you wait before moving, or not move so much.
The point is, you don’t know, because of the medication. If you hadn’t taken it, you would have a greater understanding of just what your body needs in that moment, and be able to respond accordingly. If your pain is so bad you feel the need to take something to dull it, understand that, so you can refrain from pushing yourself to a level that is uncomfortable. That way you can rest more than you think your current experience of pain might warrant, because it’s dulled.
Likewise, if you’re taking medication to help with diabetes or cholesterol, that doesn’t give you free rein to eat whatever you like, because it’s just dealing with a symptom of a poor lifestyle or diet choice.
Other medications can help with symptoms, but not necessarily the cause. They can also cause side-effects. Listen to any ad on television and the ads will list the side-effects. The body is an interconnected whole, so when you push on one part with a drug, other parts get pushed on as well, or pulled out of balance. Be aware of what you’re taking, and how it effects you. And perhaps there is another cause? It could be your diet, or your lifestyle. Those are two of the most effective ways to manage your health.
You deserve a brilliant a life, let it shine.