How to Live a Healthy Life, Medicine Free: A Disclaimer + My Reality

Is it time for a disclaimer post? I kinda feel weird even typing the word—disclaimer. It feels so, for legal purposes, for something that I’m doing from my heart. Nevertheless, I believe there’s something here to explore further.

DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

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What prompted this disclaimer? Lots of things, like Mental Health Awareness Day that just passed on October 10th, things I’ve read online and seen posted on social media, and noticing disclaimers on every other blog/website I visit, to name a few, but those aren’t the only reasons. 

For instance, in my recent mindfulness post, I shared I’ve replaced medication with meditation. And it’s true, I have. And like I’ve mentioned so many times, it has been life changing. I want to share my personal experience with you so you know that it is possible. Because sometimes that’s where it starts, with knowing that something is possible, with knowing that someone else was able to do it. For most of my life, I didn’t believe it was possible…until I did, and that’s when everything changed. 

I was diagnosed/labeled as “clinically depressed” at age 11 and began taking prescribed anti-depressants. That was the beginning of being treated with lots of chemical medications for depression, anxiety, and ADD (to name a few things) for over 2 decades. I was never really taught emotional intelligence or given the skills to cope with/navigate through life, but I was given lots of medicines that I was told would help. And they did…I suppose. 

It’s very rare that you’ll ever hear me say I hate anything, but I remember hating taking those meds. Hating the idea, really, that it’s something I “had” to do to be “normal”, whatever that means, but it’s something I remember thinking at the time. Hating the idea that something was “wrong” with me (Note: There is/was nothing “wrong” with me, just like there is nothing “wrong” with you if you take medicine. We’ll talk more about this later on.). 

But did they help? Sure, they helped numb the pain. They helped me get by. They helped me survive. They helped me go through the motions of life. They helped (everyone) pretend like I was “getting better”. Because from a chemical standpoint, that’s what they’re designed to do—react with your body to alter your state. But did they help me identify, address, work on and heal the true root causes of what was going on? They did not. Did they help me live more authentically? They did not.

I always knew I didn’t want to take the depression, anxiety and ADD meds forever, but honestly, there was a huge part of my life where I believed that I couldn’t function without them. I’ll say that again: there was a huge part of my life where I believed that I couldn’t function without them. If you know me, you might already see where I’m going with this.

We don’t manifest what we want, we manifest what we believe. I may have wanted a life free of medication, but I didn’t believe it was possible for me. Since childhood, I had been conditioned to believe there was something wrong with me: “You’re clinically depressed, which means your body doesn’t produce enough serotonin” was the story I was told starting in the 7th grade.

And medicine—well, medicine was how you “fix” what is “wrong” with you. 

I wasn’t only taking medicine to “fix” the depression, anxiety and ADD. I was given/took medicine for everything. Headache, take medicine. Muscle ache, take medicine. Inflammation, take medicine. Pain, take medicine. Stressed, take medicine. Uncomfortable, take medicine. Stomach issues, take medicine. Acne, take medicine. Bloated, take medicine. Cramps, take medicine. Sinus troubles, take medicine. Seasonal allergies, take medicine. Tickle in your throat, take medicine. Cough once, take medicine. Bug bite, take medicine. Rash, take medicine. Sluggish, take medicine. Sick, take medicine. Hungover, take medicine. Can’t sleep, take medicine. Can’t wake up, take medicine. And so on.

And we’re not talking natural, holistic, plant based medicine. We’re talking man-made, medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry. Stuff where the list of side effects can seem worse than the condition they’re treating. Stuff that you wake up one day and realize you’ve been taking for years, even decades, because it’s become part of your daily or regular routine, and you’ve simply come to accept it and don’t even really think about it anymore; you just wake up and medicate, or get ready for bed and medicate, or feel a little discomfort and medicate. Of course, it wasn’t all prescription; some of the medicine I was given/took was over the counter—the acetaminophens, ibuprofens, bismuths, etc.

Like most people I knew, I had a medicine cabinet, and it was stocked. And I was so quick to reach for the meds, without ever considering there was more to it or that there was an alternative option.

Here’s the thing, I am not saying there’s never a need for medicine, and I’m also not saying that medicine isn’t effective. If your head hurts and you take medicine for it, it can relieve your headache. But what I’m getting at in this article is the more metaphysical concept that it is possible to use your mind as a medicine cabinet. 

Consider—what if you lived in a way where you no longer got headaches? Where those 2-3X per year, every year, sinus infections disappeared altogether and hadn’t returned in years? Where the seasonal allergies you once believed you’d always have to live with became a distant memory? Where you knew the tools and techniques to focus so that there wasn’t a deficit in your attention? Where your gut was healthy, so you didn’t need medical intervention to regulate your bowel movements? Where you couldn’t remember the last time your skin broke out into a rash? Where you didn’t party so hard that you woke up feeling like death run over? Where you honored your cycle and your womb, and cramps were no longer a part of your life? Where you had a positive mental attitude and faith that things were always working out in your favor, so regardless of the external conditions you were observing, you weren’t living with depression? Where you understood how to live free from anxiety, fully present in the moment, instead of constantly living in your head, overthinking and replaying stories from the past or imagining stories of the future? Where you had complete conscious awareness of what triggers stress in your life and body and confidently knew how to avoid and/or manage it? Where your mind was so peaceful and conscience so clear that drifting off into a restful night’s sleep was easily accomplished? Where you woke each morning ready, excited and energized for the day? Where YEARS had gone by without experiencing any type of illness whatsoever?

It is possible. How do I know? How can I confidently sit here and tell you so? Because, friend, these are some of the shifts I have experienced in my own life. These are my truths. It has been years since I’ve been sick, truly. No infections, illnesses, dis-eases, etc. And that medicine cabinet? It hasn’t existed in over 4 years. I literally don’t even own a bottle of Tylenol, nor have I taken one. And that may not seem like as big of a deal to you, unless you knew the old me, in which case you would know that this is actually a really, really huge deal. 

And how do I feel? AMAZING. Free. Liberated. Empowered. Natural. Healthier than ever. Within this past year, I turned forty, and I went to the doctor to have a physical done because I was curious to see how my internal health measured up. They did blood pressures and blood work and all the other kinds of tests they do, and when I got the results, my intuitive feelings were confirmed. I was healthier than I’ve ever been. All my numbers and stats and levels were incredible. Not only for a 40 year old, but even for someone much, much younger.

So how did I do it? How did I go from being a daily medicine taker, always dealing with some sort of blockage, bump, sniffle, cyst, pain, ache, illness, injury, dis-ease, stress, anxiety or depression transform into someone who hasn’t taken medicine in years and lives in a strong, fit, healthy, happy body with a calm, clear, peaceful and positive mind?

Over the past 5 years, dedicating myself fully and wholeheartedly to my mission, and with countless hours of personal development, inner work, shadow work, yoga, meditation, reading, researching, and unlearning, here is what I have learned: when something is going on in our emotional and energetic bodies, and we do not address it, it will eventually manifest itself in our physical bodies to get our attention. Taking medicine, in my experience, was like putting on a bandaid. It was covering up the symptoms instead of addressing the cause.

Here is one thing I’ve realized: my body and my mind deserve peace. And I have the ability to give myself that gift by the things I choose to do, say and think. The same goes for you. While I don’t know what you’re going through, where you’ve been, or what kinds of challenges you’ve experienced, I do know that the mind is more powerful than the majority of us ever imagined. I do know that food is medicine. I do know that, if you really and truly desire a shift in your health, it is possible. I do know that your family’s medical history does not have to dictate yours (differences in lifestyle choices = differences in health).

Remember earlier when I said I always felt like there was something “wrong” with me because I was being medically treated for mental health? Well, I’ll say this again: there was nothing wrong with me. Just like there is nothing wrong with you, or anyone else, who is struggling with mental health and/or takes medicine to treat any type of condition. There is also no shame in any type of diagnosis and/or treatment (for mental, emotional or physical health). I wish someone would have made sure I understood that a few decades ago, because I lived with so much shame around my health and treatment. But I didn’t know there was another option. Medication-as-the-answer was how I was brought up, was all I knew, and was how I lived. And perhaps it’s the same for you.

The purpose of this article is not to shame anyone for their physical/mental/emotional health and/or their choice to take chemical medicine(s) for treatment. It is to show you that there is another way, also. It is to show you that anything is possible. It is to tell you that if I can do it, anyone can do it. 

Back when I lived the life mentioned above, I was like an advocate for medicine. If anyone mentioned any sort of pain, illness, hardship, etc., I was the first to recommend meds. Looking back, I remember after the untimely death of a dear friend’s parent, I was not honoring their choice to confront their grief med-free. I, on more than one occasion, pushed them to reach out to a doctor for meds to help and questioned them on why they wouldn’t just do it. As I sit here today, I am not proud of being that person, but I have chosen to give myself grace and have forgiven myself. Because you don’t know what you don’t know. And at the time, medicating was all I knew.

That’s why I’m sharing this story now. Because I know a different reality, and I am living proof of how that new knowledge, along with the willingness to apply it, can radically alter your life in profound ways.

Do you remember how I said food is medicine? Well, it’s true. And I believe with all my heart that my choice to transition to a plant based diet over 4 years ago is a huge contributing factor to my current excellent health. Do you even realize how incredible it feels to be able to type those words, my current excellent health? Does that mean that you have to be plant-based to be healthy? No, of course not. But like I said at the beginning of the article, I am sharing my personal experience, and a plant-based diet is part of it. 

You can read an earlier article on this to learn more, but I can confidently say that I have no intentions of becoming a carnivore ever again. These plants have been doing my body great—literally better than ever—and as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Besides, I have more energy than ever. I am as strong as I’ve ever been. And I feel so much joy towards life.

I also believe with all my heart that my consistent yoga, meditation and breath work practices are major reasons my mental and emotional health have seen such a drastic increase. I talk more about each of these on the blog and have been sharing about them on my Instagram for the past 5 years. If you’re interested in learning more, I encourage you to dig deeper. I even have a collection of guided meditations you can download for free to help you find a sense of peace, calm and mindfulness in your everyday life. These practices are how I have become a master of my own mind. 

As far as the metaphysical aspects of health go, one of the main ways I was able to shift my mindset around medicine and improve my health without it was through my interest in metaphysics. Through my studies, I began to realize that imbalances in the emotional and energetic bodies will manifest themselves in the physical body as pain, injury, illness, and dis-ease. When we become aware of this, that is the first step in using our mind as a medicine cabinet. 

When we look at the body, the right side harnesses the masculine energy in your life (which relates to the outer world, as well as people in your life who are dominantly masculine), and the left side harnesses the feminine energy in your life (which relates to the inner world, as well as people in your life who are dominantly feminine). Okay, stay with me here. When something happens to us, like an injury, infection (think ear, for example), illness, dis-ease, it is important to consider several factors. 

Firstly, when applicable, which side of the body is it, because that will give us information as to which energy (masculine or feminine) it concerns. Secondly, where is the location (elbow, knee, shoulder, eye, foot, lung, etc), because that will give us another piece of the information pie. Finally, what is the nature of the thing we are experiencing (ache, injury, broken bone, acne, common cold, sinus infection, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc), because this, too, will give us clues as to the root emotional/energetic cause of the physical condition. 

I’ll give you an example of how you can use these things together to help yourself heal naturally. You break a nail (always a bummer, right?!), or maybe you get a paper cut (how do they hurt so much?!). The moment it happens, bring awareness to exactly what you were thinking or saying at that moment (this is relevant). Which hand did it happen on, right or left? Next, which finger did it happen to? Did you know that every single body part, inside and out, has a metaphysical meaning? So your left pinky is different than your left thumb. And your right ring finger is different than your left ring finger.

Something happening to your left pinky probably relates to surrender/intimacy issues, especially in relationships, while the same thing happening to your left thumb indicates family and/or community ties out of sync. Something happening to your right ring finger indicates creativity blocks, hiding out, apathy and feeling you don’t belong, while the same thing happening to your left ring finger tells you of paralyzing fear of rejection or disapproval. These things that happen to us happen to remind us to pay attention to what thoughts we are entertaining instead of being fully present in the moment. 

You can literally do this research for anything that happens in or to your body to gain more awareness and insight into how you can heal yourself. “What is the metaphysical meaning of…” and fill in your ailment, bring sure to type which side of the body, if applicable.

And I mean anything—dark circles under the eyes, ear ache, knee injury, posture (like sloping shoulders), belly fat, pimple on the chin (because that will tell you something different than pimples on the forehead), runny nose, swollen left ankle, bruised right shin. You can literally do this for everything. And use discernment as to which site to read. In 5 years, I have never typed this search and came up with no results. I have also always learned something about myself that has helped me to heal myself, sans medicine. 

Because once we have awareness, that is the first step. I could talk about this soooo much more, but I really wanted to introduce you to the idea. Perhaps you’re already doing this, or perhaps this is the first time you’ve ever even heard of it. I know this certainly wasn’t on my radar until I began my intentional Journey of Self. My hope is that opening up and sharing about my personal experiences and the ways I’ve learned to naturally heal my body, I may plant a seed that you, too, have this ability. You are the placebo. You can heal yourself with your mind. 

Your thoughts become things. Stop saying you’re sick, because that will manifest itself. Stop calling yourself depressed if that’s not what you want to be. In other words, do not breathe life into anything you don’t want to experience. Go plant-based if you’re interested (or at least give it a try). Move your body. Be mindful of ego because it can certainly push you to injury. Meditate. Practice breath work. Use essential oils. Be in nature. Use positive affirmations in the present tense. You deserve to live a happy, healthy, fulfilling life. 

And it is possible.