Why It's Easier Choose Drugs Over Natural Remedies

I was asked yesterday evening to pick up my husband’s prescription for his blood pressure medication (can you believe my husband needs blood pressure medication when he lives with someone so level headed as me?).

But like a good and obeying wife, I went to our local CVS.

I went inside since the line for the drive up/pick-up was 3 cars deep. And as I waited in line, I observed the goings-on of the pharmacy department. It got me wondering… I wonder how many people attempted or are attempting to alleviate their diagnosis with lifestyle changes or natural measures in addition to the medication they were picking up that night?

I’m not spouting that taking a multi-vitamin will keep a person from having to take their arthritis medication. Being diagnosed with serious conditions such as diabetes or heart disease is probably the scariest moments a person can experience. I imagine that when a health professional gives such a prognosis, the first thing (and in many cases the only thing) to happen is that a prescription medication is given. But what about lifestyle changes and natural remedies in conjunction with medication? These alternative choices may carry less potential negative side effects, lesser cost, better results, and even positive effects on other aspects of the body. 

If there are options available that can either coincide or replace pharmaceutical drugs then why is the large majority (my husband included) not as willing to try them versus a pill?


Lack of Knowledge

Much of the word of mouth knowledge regarding the use of natural remedies that might have been passed down through generations has disappeared. I doubt many people know of ways to treat a common illnesses without googling it first. 

When I was little, I was given cough medicine when I had a cough – not honey or possibly the thought that maybe second-hand smoke wasn’t that beneficial either.

You can’t blame someone for not eliminating salt from their diet to help with blood pressure if they do not know any better. Especially if the doctor doesn’t even mention alternatives – or is so willing to offer you free samples of the latest new drug that’s been released….


Accessibility

Minute Clinics are the epitome of accessibility to pharmecuticals. Open 7 days a week, no appointment needed – nurse practitioners and physician assistants can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for just about anything.

I would wager a guess that there are more drug stores per capita then Starbucks, McDonalds and Walmarts combine.


Quick Fix

Adjusting your diet or starting an exercise regime might take days to weeks to experience results in a person’s health. If you compare this to the time it takes the body to metabolize a pharmaceutical drug and work its effects on the brain, then you have a clear winner on who wins the race.

But wellbeing isn’t about solving an aliment the quickest. It’s about how you get there, what you learn about yourself along the way and the outcome.


Pressure to Resolve Quickly

People don’t like to see others suffering. If you don’t feel, well then, you better not talk about – or you better at least fake it so the rest of society can be happy.

“What? You mean you still don’t feel well? You’ve been sick since Monday!”

Relieving symptoms does not make you healthy – it only masks the fact that you are sick and you need rest.


Socially Acceptable

Did you realize that only two countries (the USA

and New Zealand) allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products directly to the consumer? Pharmaceutical companies spend far more on advertising then on safety research – with estimates ranging from 30 to 57 billon dollars annually.
Choosing herbal medicine or refusing to take drugs is labeled as ‘alternative’. This is not mainstream and not socially acceptable. Whether it’s probiotics, vitamin D, or coconut oil – the value these hold in mainstream medicine in null. And that is truly unfortunate. 


Dependency

Many medications demand you continue their use or otherwise suffer from withdrawals or there are added risks if you swiftly suspend their use.  

My husband’s blood pressure medication instructs the user never to stop taking the medication unless speaking with a doctor first.

If not physically, but psychologically, just taking a pill (whether it be a sugar pill) has been documented time and time again to have positive effects on everything from depression to cancer. Could we be dependent on the simple action of of taking a pill? 

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Of course, it doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be an all or nothing decision.

Prescription medication can be a lifesaver and we are truly blessed to live in a time and place where we have access to such medical advancement. It is also important to realize that these drugs chemically alter the way the brain and body functions which can lead to dependency or side effects. Death from prescription drug side-effects is now the fourth leading cause of death in our country (according to the medical industry itself-AMA Journal).

But I think on a positive note, more and more people, everyday, are increasingly choosing natural remedies (either in addition to their current pharmaceutical medication or in replace of it). I’m hopeful that the future of our society’s medical institution will start to incorporate more of these options.




Reference for pictures: here