RESPONSIBILITY & USING HERBS AS MEDICINE

Today, many of us are choosing to integrate herbs into our lives. We look to the plant kingdom for many of our essential needs. From the beginning of time plants have provided us with food. At times of extreme sadness and ultimate joy we express our sentiments and emotions with flowers (funerals and weddings). And as did the Ancients, we are again turning to the plants for medicine. However, most of us have grown up in a society where we were taught to turn to the medical establishment to treat our worries and ills. We have looked to others to be in charge of our health; we have relinquished responsibility of our own well being. We focus on illness. When we meet each other we ask "How are you?" The response is usually "I just got over a cold or my Aunt was diagnosed with cancer." When was the last time you told someone "I'm very healthy, thank you for asking"?

If we are to truly reclaim responsibility of our well being, we must be willing to re-educate ourselves. Many of us are looking to the holistic model as our guide. It encompasses all that makes us human - often it is referred to as the body, mind and spirit approach. The body aspect means from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet, inclusively and inter-relatedly; mind means the whole gamut of our emotions and feelings; while spirit covers all the aspects we cannot always quantify like auras and soul. But it takes more than using a new group of words; it takes a complete shift in one's thinking. The old model divided us into little parts that didn't seem to have a connection; this new model rests on the inter-connectedness of everything. The classic example is the glass with water in it . . .is the glass half full or is it half empty? It may sound like just a syntax problem, but it is the underlying foundation of this new paradigm. Half empty would be the old model, based on what is not here, what is missing, the fixation on illness and disease, whereas the half full glass connotes abundance, vitality and health. Pessimism often opens us to "bad" things, while optimism allows us to engage in a hopeful outlook. Which would you really rather have as your philosophy of life?

Well, did you think all you had to do is choose the holistic model to make the transition? Sorry, but like learning any thing new it will take some hard, focused work on your part. First, you'll have to meet yourself! Do you know what is the first symptom you always have when you are getting sick? Do you always get depressed in the winter? Do tight shoes cause your headaches or is it the hot Mexican food you eat? Does a job review cause you to have gastric upset? Is your dry skin just the result of dehydration or is your liver toxic? These and hundreds more are the kind of things we need to know about ourselves. Get to know yourself intimately!

Now you say you want to use herbs as medicine - good for you! Another important aspect of the holistic model is the inter-connectedness of everything. Feeling stressed can lead to a physical vulnerability, which may in turn wind up as a very bad cold. See the connection? So, I can take herbs for the cold, but I would only be treating the symptoms, since the true source of my illness is my being stressed. Addressing the stress would be the holistic approach. You would take what was needed for the cold, but to help ensure that it didn't re-appear again, you would need to explore the stress issue. And it wouldn't necessarily be exclusively treated with herbs; they aren't always the primary approach, but could support in a secondary or even tertiary role. That means if you needed to take a prescription pharmaceutical you might choose to take some herbs to support your immune system or your liver. Here is where your responsibility kicks in! Many people decide to use herbs as medicine, but then become "wishy-washy" about their effectiveness. You decide they'll be no problems in combination with the drugs because the herbs are just plants not strong medicine, so you do not even think to tell your doctor that you are taking herbs. And then possibly you produce symptoms that baffle the doctor or you have a miraculous recovery; either way your taking herbs should not have been a surprise to the doctor. You should have discussed the matter when you were given the prescription. It is your responsibility to keep all of your health care practitioners advised as to what you are taking, either prescribed or over the counter - that goes for all drugs, herbs and supplements. Just as many drugs are contraindicated with other drugs the same is true with herbs. Many forget that chemical constituents, just like drugs, make up herbs but they are natural. And many people equate natural with safe; that is not true. Natural just means that they are not synthetic (man-made). You should know what you are putting into your body - what it is, how it will effect you, does it have any side effects!

And most importantly, if you are working with a health care practitioner you should feel comfortable talking to them about your choices. If you are not, then maybe you have the wrong health ally and should look for someone who is receptive to your chosen course of action. We need to realize that they work for us and therefore should be listening to us, but remember we have been taught to relinquish our authority to them. It is also our responsibility to be able to supply them with the best information about what is going on in our bodies. I recommend, if possible, that you have both a medical doctor (MD) and a naturopath (ND) and depending on your malady you would have a choice. A naturopathic physician is a licensed (in VT) doctor who attends a 4 year post-graduate program (like medical school) which focuses on nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, counseling and lifestyle modification. Basically, naturopathic medicine treats health conditions by utilizing the body's inherent ability to heal. It is your responsibility to keep all your health care practitioners informed as to how you are feeling and what you are taking, either prescribed or self-selected. Whenever you do an initial medical history be sure to include everything you are using - drugs, herbs and all supplements; it might just save your life!

Education is the other key - the more you read the better informed you could be. Pick up some good books on herbal medicine. I recommend books written by practicing herbalists, not people who have just done some academic research - they have no personal experience working with herbs. Taking classes is another good method to learn. There are individual classes or programs available to you, locally or home study. Find a good and reliable health care practitioner, one you can talk to and will answer your questions. Be careful of information you find on the Internet - again, know your source. Look in your community there are good people and often many resources right at your fingertips. Taking responsibility of your well being can be a joyful and rewarding experience.

Here's to your good health!

- Laura S. Brown - Proprietor & Herbalist, Purple Shutter Herbs