Do You Need To Take Prescription Medications?

Carolyn J. Braden     •      3 Minute Read 

Do You Need To Take Prescription Medications?

Article Originally Published: 10/11/2018

Article Updated: 8/24/23

Holistic (definition): Characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease.

Many years ago, I reached a certain point in my life when I started questioning prescription medications and whether they were all necessary. This lead me to do a lot of research and a lot of thinking, which lead me to write this article. This writing piece is one that I am very passionate about and answers the question “Do you need to take prescription medications?”. Read on to learn my thoughts and some factual researched information about prescription drugs.

If your medicine cabinet is full of prescriptions, you may want to reevaluate your health

Let’s get right to it: Taking prescription medication is not always the answer to your health issues.

I often wonder if people keep taking more and more prescription drugs to treat the symptoms they are having based on an illness OR based on other drugs they are taking.

I plead with you to start educating yourself about prescription medications. We’d have a lot more artists, such as Prince and Michael Jackson (and many other humans, in general), around if they took the time to become more educated.

Take control of your health

When I say educated, I mean you should learn about the side effects, how it interacts with other medications, the ingredients (yes, it is possible to be allergic to certain medications and/or vaccinations due to the ingredients), the exact amount YOUR body type needs, if it is addictive, and more.

With all this being said, please know, I am not against prescription medications. I have been on prescription medications when I felt I needed them (and when a trusted doctor felt I needed them). I still take them every once in a while when they are needed, but I educate myself before, during, and after taking them. They give you those pamphlets with your medications to read, not just to waste paper.

Carolyn Braden People Not Patients.JPG

Illustration created by Carolyn J. Braden

While I’m in a doctor’s appointment, I tell the doctor at the very beginning of our conversation that I try to heal my body as naturally as possible. Most doctors I’ve worked with have responded to that statement with helping me (and my pets) find some natural ways to heal, such as taking Arnica instead of a pain pill, or talking to a therapist regularly instead of being on anti-depressants. They’ve also prescribed medications when we both agreed it was a better option.

If I ever came across a doctor that didn’t listen to me, I’d never go to that doctor again. Yes, doctors are smart, but they aren’t YOU. They don’t live in your body, and chances are, they don’t feel how you feel (and maybe never have). Make your doctor listen to you and prescribe medication (if needed) based on you as a person, not a patient.

Recognize any of these prescription drugs?

Yes, it’s true that many doctor offices limit the amount of time a doctor can spend with you (hello BIG hospital corporations and accountants) BUT it’s possible for them to get the most amount of information from you in a very short amount of time. Try rehearsing what you will say to your doctor before your visit. Or, better yet, write it down and take it with you so you don’t forget what to tell the doctor or nurse practitioner.

Want to avoid a lot of expensive vet teeth cleanings for your pet? Try brushing their teeth. Here’s our process via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:

I am not a healthcare practitioner (I am a certified reiki master though) but I speak from experience. With my own personal journey of eating organically, exercising and practicing yoga regularly, meditating, getting therapy and reiki services as needed, and using supplements, I feel better than I ever have before.

Try reiki healing when under a lot of stress

My husband has been on the same journey as me and he feels awesome too. He has a thyroid issue (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis) that we tried to maintain naturally, and it worked for a few years, but he ultimately needed to be on a prescription again, but we got to choose the prescription (by asking the doctor specifically for it after doing lots of research) and it worked.

We kept our former American Eskimo, Vegas, off of medication in the last few years of his life (with the help of our vet) and he remained healthy and strong for 15 1/2 years. We treated him with CBD oil, as it eased his anxiety (common in older dogs and people) and his allergies.

Take care of your heart with natural stress relief from daily exercise

We also gave him arnica for his pain (again, with the knowledge and backing of our vet). We only had to put him to sleep due to a disc issue in his back, which prevented him from walking. Upon a rush to our vet’s office, our vet sadly agreed with us that medication and surgery weren’t a good option to keep him alive due to his age. We understood his pain and helped ease him into being our forever angel. It was a sad day, but he knew we were helping him.

We both encourage you to become more educated about your health and all types of medications. Experiment as we have with the help of a doctor or practitioner and see if you truly need to be on medication/s. Remember, the medicine will always be there if you need to go back on them.

Sound bath healing can be helpful when stressed

What spawned this writing and art piece (besides my personal journey):

I had a conversation with someone I love very much. The conversation was regarding prescription medicine. I found out this person was on at least 7 (or more….I lost count after a while) different prescriptions.

With the help of a holistic practitioner, you can naturally improve your health

This person is currently still on the medications, but I made them promise me they would ask their doctor about several of the pills to see if they could be weaned off of them and try some more natural options. I told them about holistic treatment and maybe talking to a therapist (as a nurse practitioner once did with me) or seeing if there were some supplements they could take to help ease the health issues. I also told this person to promise me they would stop going to McDonald’s……the SALT….gheesh!

I had a separate conversation with a different person regarding the amount of medicine their pet was on. The dog was displaying behavior and symptoms that were unexplainable and he thought they were going to have to put him to sleep. Then, he started researching and talked to the vet about his research.

He asked to take the dog off of one of the medications and the veterinarian refused. So, he found a new veterinarian who reevaluated the medications, removed some and altered others, and now the dog is doing fantastically!

Read all labels and pamphlets about your prescriptions

This proves that sometimes, medications can be responsible for some undesirable effects in pets, just like humans. As veterinary medicine expert Cynthia Maro puts it, pet stress can be avoided if the right natural and healing interventions are implemented. This scenario shows that there are alternatives to pet care, which include rehabilitative therapy. It would help to also apply this to your personal life.

Holistic health can be helpful to many

In a nutshell, it truly can pay off to be more educated and speak up for yourself (and for your pets!) when visiting your doctor or vet. Please take the time to do so today.

If you loved this article, we know you’ll love this one too: How To Do With a Bully

Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.

This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post, however, are based on my personal point of view.