The Middle Way, My Way — Balancing Conventional and Holistic Medicine
January 29, 2007
Some people use only conventional medicine, others avoid it like the plague and use only holistic or alternative medicine. Most people are somewhere in between.
In some ways it’s easier to stand in only one camp, since the two approaches actually represent completely different worldviews. It can be challenging to integrate the two, both for individual consumers and for healthcare professionals who want to offer the “best of both worlds”.
Over the years I’ve come to use holistic approaches as a first resort, and conventional medicine as a last resort, quite the opposite of many people. That doesn’t mean I recommend my choice to others. It’s a very individual decision and one that might change over time. There’s no perfect system or practitioner or formula that we can rely on for everything all of the time, but unless we choose one system exclusively, we are in the position of finding a “middle way”, a way to integrate the two.
It’s been tempting at times to throw out conventional medicine completely, particularly since I find interacting with my physician around my choices difficult. I continue to use both systems, however, because they clearly both have something to offer.
To be able to use both approaches has taken a lot of study and the willingness to be my own authority and take responsibility for my choices. I’ve had to unlearn the old kneejerk response to accept the “doctor’s orders” and be willing to refuse certain recommendations and state my choices. Of course, to do this, I’ve needed to find a physician who is able to accept that stance at least enough to keep working with me. (In medical parlance, I am often a “noncompliant patient”.)
Our medical doctors can’t be expected to be knowledgeable about holistic systems and modalities which take years of study to master. (It takes an enormous amount of time to keep up with allopathic medical knowledge.) We also can’t rely on them to make our choices for us. I don’t think we can even rely on them to be straightforward with us if they do agree with some of our unconventional choices because they need to adhere to accepted medical protocol to protect themselves legally. I know a physician personally in a popular HMO who definitely has a holistic orientation but is constrained by the policies of the HMO with regard to what he can recommend and do.
No system can guarantee a cure of everything all of the time. The idea that our western medical system is “scientific” and therefore accurate is a misnomer. It represents a way of approaching life and seeing things which constitutes a philosophy or worldview. It’s research and methods are very much influenced by economic and political forces. Yet it is the system which is supported by our government and legal system. In some ways, freeing oneself from the sense that it is the authority for our healthcare decisions is similar to freeing oneself from deeply ingrained religious beliefs that no longer serve us.
Holistic healing approaches require more of our time and participation in our own self-care. They generally take time to work and are not quick fixes, but they can not only solve problems but do so in a way which promotes greater strength and health, rather than treating a symptom with a drug or surgery that can weaken overall health. I’ve found it to be well worth the time to investigate and use alternative methods of healing and promoting health.
If you are just beginning to look into alternatives, the number of choices can seem overwhelming. It can be challenging to find the right approach for your particular problem, and to know which approaches are safe and worth pursuing. A search on the web will bring up any number of offers of help and cures! One thing to be wary of is anything that offers a quick, simple fix, and certainly be careful in pursuing anything that is very expensive. For chronic, non-life threatening problems, there are a whole host of things you can do that don’t cost a lot of money.
While the “middle way” is probably the best way for most of us, there certainly is no “easy way” to put together a good healthcare program for oneself. Hopefully in the future we will have a healthcare system that has fully embraced the best of holistic medicine. Since that is probably a long way off, my sense is that those of us who want the best of both worlds will need to find a middle way for ourselves.
Holistic or Conventional Medicine — which? when? how?
January 26, 2007
Just read a clear, perceptive and compelling post illustrating the shortcomings and limitations of our medical system in the US through the author’s personal story. I agree with everything the author states and couldn’t have said it better, so I simply refer you to the post. I plan to write on this subject more in the near future, until then please visit –
http://avanoo.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/us-citizens-would-be-healthier-and-live-longer-lives-if/
Blogging on Healing
January 14, 2007
Although I’ve love writing for my Heart of Healing website, it’s always been a bit unsatisfying. A website is not as “carved in stone” as a book, but it still seems so permanent when I publish a page there. The written word can be so deceiving. This is especially so when writing about healing and spirituality. We all bring so much to those words, and those words have such a different meaning for everyone. On the website, I’ve always hoped to create a space for exploration, not to make pronouncements about what is “true” or “right”.
I always wished the website could be more interactive and informal. When I heard about blogging, it seemed like a much more authentic, true to life way of communicating. The blogging format seems to say “here’s how it seems to me today” with the understanding that tomorrow many things will have happened and things will look different. It also opens up the possibility for a conversation. Above all, blogging feels like it will be a lot more fun!
I will post about my thoughts on healing sometimes, and at other times, I’ll post information about various healing modalities or the latest tidbit I’ve learned. I hope I’ll hear from some of the readers as this exploration of healing and spirituality is a mutual one.
Wishing you well!