The more I hear people speaking of the current healthcare debate, the more I think that asking whether or not a universal healthcare bill is a good idea is fundamentally the wrong question. There is nothing in any of these bills that will overhaul the way people are treated medically, that will stop medical establishments from drugging people to death, that will encourage personal responsibility for our own health, that will cover less invasive, traditional medicines and alternative modalities. I’m not saying that we don’t need hospitals or doctors, but I am saying that we need to change the pill popping mentality, and doctor as ultimate health authority before anything else can really change in a positive way.
If more people have access to the same not-so-great healthcare, or possibly worse watered down healthcare, then, in the long run, more people might end up sicker than before, but with less debt. And is that the goal, just to bring costs down? What about quality, truly integrated, consumer focused healthcare? Shouldn't that be the goal? It just seems like right now everything being discussed is dollars and cents.
And if we are worried at all about the kind of legislation that could come through that takes away certain rights, or mandates this or that(which we probably should be), one thing we can always do is arm ourselves with knowledge, and learn how to use the natural remedies that exist in our backyards.
I took a semi-disappointing herbology workshop a few weeks ago, but one thing that I got out of it, was that herbs that heal really are all around us. They are inexpensive, can be self-sufficient, and they work. If you learn how to prepare and use them properly, you are already ahead of the game, no matter what happens. And that goes back to the personal responsibility argument…this is not a question of placing blame on a person who develops an illness, it is a question of informing yourself and making your healthcare decisions based on a well rounded perspective of the situation, instead of accepting the standard protocol for each disease as counseled to you by a single human person, trained in one philosophy of medicine.
My main concern is that it’s not just the system that is such a mess, but that the quality and choice of services is so limited that making it cheaper will only compound the problem and further distract everyone from the very real issue of people getting sicker and sicker both because of the choices they make on their own, and with the help of their healthcare providers offering one sided solutions to multi-faceted problems.
Yikes, sorry for being so ranty.
6 comments:
Right on, man!
Believe me, I love the idea that I can cure what ails me simply by popping a pill. But if changing my diet and getting a little exercise might prevent some of these problems from happening in the first place, well, that's an attitude shift that should happen!
hi mori! i was so missing your good posts! this was a very poignant one, a point people are not too open to hear...thank you!
also, i saw on your FB that you were looking into insect repellant? i have one i've made from essential oil that is very nice. although oil-based, i like certain ones like safflower and grapeseed. OR you can just use 4oz rubbing alcohol!
4tbs light, hypoallergenic oil of your choice or 4 oz rubbing alcohol.
5-10 drops lavender
5-10 drops eucalyptus oil.
2-4 drops rosemary oil
*put it in a tiny plastic squeeze bottle and shake it before spraying.
thanks for the support guys! and em, thanks for that recipe, i was just going to use trial and error with some essential oils as well. i guess you also want to like the smell...
do you worry about the oil staining your clothes? are you just careful about spraying skin only?
i just rub the oil in really well. you only need it on your arms, neck, and legs usually, so you can just put a bit on there and rub it in well. safflower and grapeseed are not too, too viscous...the alcohol can be a very nice, cheap option though. it really depends upon the consistency you're in the mood for. like this summer's been so hot here in the desert this year, i've done more alcholol-based ones for hiking/camping. but i have an oil-based one for when i feel like i've been 'dried out' and need moisturized. sorry to go on, i just thought i'd share. hope i'm not being too chatty/soapboxy...:)
sounds great, i love the tips! i really need to get on it before summer is over! there have only been two nights that i felt really attacked by mosquitoes, so i've been lucky so far:) do you ever use witch hazel as a base? maybe that's alcohol based as well?
Interesting points, Avocado! You bring up points worth considering about the importance of making informed health decisions. I feel that there is a growing recognition of those elements of our day-to-day (food preparation, pollution, or constructed environments) that require reevaluation. Physicians practicing western medicine are constrained (by legal and license boards) to be able to justify their actions by the literature. While other natural remedies may be suitable, there's not a lot of room for innovation without some pretty serious risk involved. Maybe our health reform discussion should also be focused on greater funding for research aimed at this as well. At medical schools, the need is there among students to learn about alternative modalities.
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