Health care as most Americans think of it, really treats illness. The limits of our approaches are invisible to most of us.
The human body is remarkably complex, but American health care — really, illness care — really mainly uses three strategies to help us: surgery, biochemistry (pharmaceuticals) and radiology. They’re incredibly useful strategies, but only three ways? Would you try to fix a car using only a hammer, a wrench, and wire cutters? While we have added in other methods, like physical and occupational therapy, and counseling — we’re still very limited.
But biology is incredibly complex! The more we seem to know about the human body, the more we don’t know! Why do two very similar people with identical diagnoses and the identical treatment have very different outcomes?
Why does good insightful treatment — talk and pharmaceuticals both — get nowhere with people (like Katy) but alternative therapy (mine!) help?
No amount of double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, published in peer-reviewed journals, can answer that. While we’re at it, why do the majority of double-blind studies fail when someone tries to duplicate the results?
I was appalled to find that many studies aren’t even submitted for publication when they don’t get the results that the (usually pharmaceutical) funding companies were hoping for.
ALL of which is frustrating when you find that mainstream healthcare insurance policies usually only cover these therapies. Of course we’ll always choose already-paid-for solutions rather than pay-yet-more-money! But what if, long-term, we’ll be living our best life if we pay yet more money?
Years ago, I reluctantly made that decision and have been delighted at my results. Of course I still value mainstream healthcare, for the parts where I deem it’s most effective! But if I can find more effective solutions in the alternative world —- that’s what I use.
So how do I decide where my most effective solutions are? I read a lot, both of alternative provider’s explanations, and take a very hard look at their evidence through my now-more-critical eye. I also need to see a lot of high-quality anecdotal evidence.
I have three hard-and-fast criteria when choosing what I use personally and what I use in my business here at Movement Solutions, LLC: It must be effective, I’d prefer it be inexpensive, and it must be in line with Christianity and (I’m Catholic) not go against the teachings of the Catholic Church.
To my delight, I’ve found that frequently the least expensive methods are the most broadly useful ones, that clients can put into practice in their own lives.
Consider the story of “Eli”. His mom, a professional teacher as well as homeschooling her children, brought him in years ago, for help with his truly terrible handwriting as well as a pronounced difficulty with ADHD. This kid took FOREVER on his pre-treatment trial of writing a paragraph. He got only one line written (almost illegible), as each tiny noise from down the street would have him up to investigate, and take a good 30 seconds to return to painstaking efforts to think and write legibly. On our first appointment, we worked hard on my exercises for 90 minutes, he and I! But at the end? As he bent over writing, I was astonished to find none of the noises from outside interrupted his work! I made noises. More writing. I took to tossing little Happy-Meal style toys right past his head. I could see him smiling as he wrote. Astonished, I looked at mom, to see if she was taking this in. Her cheeks were shiny with tears, as she whispered “Look at his handwriting! It’s NEVER been this good!” She was right: equally good advances were made there as well.
What a relief it must have been for Eli! He AND his mother had worked hard at getting him as far as he was. It finally paid off, in his unusually fast response to my exercises.
The story doesn’t stop there: they were hybrid-homeschooling, and Eli’s teacher was astonished not only at the changes in Eli, but also the effect of his increased focus on his fellow students. Both took my classes, the better to help their future students.
But wait, there’s more! Several years later, Eli’s mom said that he’s now an Awana (Biblical studies for children) junior leader. And when someone isn’t learning his Bible verses as well as Eli thinks he should, he takes the kid aside and teaches him the exercises! Mom says that this work is like the good news of the Bible: you just have to pass it on.
MY POINT?
Isn’t the time and money spent learning this doing Eli and those around him so much more good than Ritalin or Adderall? Especially since later on, one must frequently add in antidepressants and antipsychotics to the mix? They had one session and one class. MUCH cheaper even than copays. I believe the work spent doing exercises is much less than trying day after day to stay on target.