A few days ago I ran into one of my clients while out shopping. He told me that his doctor had put him on a drug for a health issue. He said he didn't want to take it, he knew the drug has serious side effects, but he didn't know what else to do.
Here's what to do:
Find alternative health care. Go online. Facebook your friends. Talk to people about what has worked for them, and think about what has and hasn't worked for you. Then find people to help you.
I see a homeopath, a naturopath, a chiropractor, two Rolfers, and a massage therapist. Not all the time, just depending on what's going on with me. The goal is to keep myself healthy, to deal with my issues using natural means, and to live a long, unmedicated life.
So find your people. Talk to practitioners on the phone. I know that prospective clients often want to talk to me before booking an appointment, so I'm happy to talk to them. That way they can hear my voice, ask me how I feel about vaccines or heartworm preventive or whatever, and get an idea about whether they want to work with me.
Even if you don't have the opportunity to talk to the practitioner first, go with your gut feeling. If your inclination is to book an appointment, do it. Even if you decide to try a different kind of therapy, or to continue with a different person, you will likely still benefit from that first session and treatment. There are practices where you can find several different types of practitioners working together, or you can assemble your own health care team.
There is so much alternative and complementary health care available, most of which has some merit, that it's worth researching and pursuing rather than resigning yourself to a life on drugs. There is no such thing as a drug without side effects, so it really behooves us to scope out other options.
