As my interest in natural healing expands, I am called to attend various events, classes, and workshops. Recently, I attended a workshop about using plant-based remedies for healing—herbal medicine. I picked up some new information, disagreed with some of what was said, and got a little impatient with the victims blaming their doctors for not curing what ailed them. Turns out, it was a hot issue. The idea that all medical doctors are part of the conspiracy—out to take advantage of us—was a common belief with this particular group. The majority believed that they (the MDs) are "in" with the pharmaceutical companies and out to make a profit by selling products or withholding the complete answer to keep us coming back (to put more money on their pockets). I call B.S. on this! Well, perhaps it's true in some cases, but not to the extent that I was hearing.
I understand why some people think this way, but I've had the opposite experience. It's not to say I haven't questioned or felt frustrated by the western-practicing docs—I certainly have! But when I made the decision to actually partner with my doctor, our communication changed—and so did everything in my life. To partner means to get on board as a "team member" and actually participate in the health care plan instead of expecting the doc to have all the answers!
I think a lot of patients become frustrated because they just want someone to fix it, to make it go away and, well, let's face it, doctors are just people doing a job. Most of them do not have the staff or time to take on special case studies to dig into the deeper issues that plague us. I can relate to the frustration though. When we're sick, it's really difficult to muster up the energy to help ourselves. But sometimes help is as simple as asking the right questions and doing a little research on complementary options. For me, I was offered plenty of medications to "make it go away" but, intuitively, I knew that would only bury what ailed me for another day. Living with the burden of having to deal with it some other day only made me feel worse. I declined the make-it-go-away pill and asked my doc for a referral to an alternative doctor—not really even knowing what I was asking for or where to find it. I just knew I needed something different.
This is where I must defend the so called single-minded M.D. who gets a bad rap for not thinking outside the box. It is "because" my doctor trusted me—his partner—that he gave me the referral. Correcting my terminology, saying "we call it complementary medicine" he handed me a piece of paper with a name on it. I didn't care what he called it; I just wanted some help to heal naturally. And I knew I had what it took to heal naturally—the desire and the belief. As I took the referral he said, "I would send my wife to her" along with a few other words about this doctor's credentials. The referral was for an M.D. who practices Integrative Medicine. Although I had heard this term before, I didn't fully understand what it meant. Turns out, this was exactly "what the doctor ordered"—it was the prescription I needed. And better yet, this new doc was also a certified herbalist!
This complementary treatment transformed my life on every level. Integrative medicine is about bringing back—integrating—all the pieces to make us whole again. Integrative Medicine is to integrate mind, body, and spirit. In my case, none of the three aspects were even close to being integrated; in fact, I'd lost complete touch with what had always held me together—my spirit. That allopathic western-practicing-out-to-get-me doctor guided me on where to take the first step, which I believe saved my life. And he didn't do it with drugs. Because he trusted me, as a partner, he gave me an "outside the box" option.
No matter who we turn to for helping us with our health needs, we must get in the front seat—the driver's seat—and steer the treatment plan. The health care provider is someone we hire to provide a service. When doctors have a patient who is also working to find a solution, trust comes into the picture. Our doctors are the experts, yes, but they are also human. They can't have all the answers for all the other humans who have a gazillion different ailments, pre-dispositions, levels of stress, genetics, and so on. It would take a team of doctors—like on that TV show, "House"—to find immediate answers. Sure, we all would love that, but it isn't real! We must not only be ON the team—we must build the team. Like a business, we must take a look at our health and design a plan to maximize efficiency and improve the "Bottom Line"—the bottom line being our health, in this case.
In my previous job, we developed project plans for every single program. Each project plan was developed with three things in mind: budget, schedule, and quality. If we designed a plan to support each of these—equally—our end product, our deliverable, would meet or exceed customer expectations. But if we neglected any of the three, the whole program suffered. Our health is the same way. If we neglect any of the three primary aspects of our being—mind, body, spirit—we fall apart. But, when balanced, we find our Truth—our authentic Self. We find solutions—intuitively—to disruptions that could affect our bottom line, our health. Integration of mind-body-spirit is the cheapest, most efficient, productive, and empowering approach to wellness.
So, in defense of the Medical Doctors out there, they are not the bad guy. They are just part of the team "you" are meant to build to meet all deliverables in your project plan. What are your deliverables? To have unity and balance in every aspect of your life? If so, focusing on mind-body-spirit integration is what you need to do. But, you must partner (be part of the team) if you expect to find complete and lasting healing.
Just as the engineering team at my old job had to deliver the end product on time, within budget, and in compliance with quality standards, we, too, must keep an eye on having a sound mind, strong body, while living in compliance with Spirit, our Soul-Self. Basically, if we aim to meet our primary deliverable—perfect wellness—we must live our Truth.
My health care "project plan" consists of the following: two Medical Doctors (one allopathic and one integrative); acupuncture; herbal medicine; body work, including massage, energy work, cranial sacral; yoga; meditation; and "following my heart" to do the work I love. These things have brought mind-body-spirit back into balance for me. My life has transformed completely over the past several years. It all started with my Medical Doctor—because I partnered with him.
Lastly, if your existing doctor is not cutting it, find a new doctor! There are plenty of great think-outside-the-box docs out there.
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