Some Useful Advice: Being "Drug Free"

When I left JMU and couldn't find a job, I decided to go back to school and pursue a degree in Nursing.  That didn't work out because I hated it, I was only doing it because I knew I would get a job with that major. 

However, I am glad I took Anatomy and Physiology before figuring out that nursing wasn't for me because I learned some life changing lessons from my Professor.   He is a medical doctor who is very intelligent and very up-to-speed on medical research.   He told us the truth about a lot of things that we are often lied to about because companies want money.  Some of these things I already knew and some I didn't.

  The one thing he taught us that really stuck out to me was that Americans have no tolerance for pain.   Americans have a problem, we take medicine for EVERYTHING!  

Head hurts? Take Tylenol.  Tummy hurts? Take Pepto.  Back Pain? Take Aleve.

This is NOT GOOD!  When we take medicine for something as simple as a headache, we are not letting our bodies fix the problem and are therefore causing our bodies to be weak.  If we take medicine at the first sign of a cold, we are not letting our immune systems work.

Our immune systems are just like any other system in our bodies.  In order to be stronger, it needs to be stressed.   He told us that he had been "drug free" for 6 years (this was 3 years ago).  This really struck a cord with me as I thought back to my senior year of High School when I felt like I was taking Motrin every other day for headaches.  I decided right then and there that I was going to be drug free, too.  And be more careful about what I put in my body. 

I have been drug free for the past 3 years and I have never felt better.  When I get sick, my sickness doesn't last as long as everyone else because my immune system has been stressed over the past 3 years.  For example, Josh got sick on new years with a cold that lasted almost 3 weeks.  I caught this cold about a week into his and I was only sick for about 3 or 4 days and it never got as bad as Josh's.

Now, instead of popping a pill when I get a headache, I take a nap.  Usually when I wake up, I feel fine.  If I can't take a nap because I am at work, I drink a lot of water and suck it up until I get off.   If my back hurts, I try to stretch it out, usually that works.  

Now, I am not saying that all drugs are bad.  If I were to get an infection, I would certainly take an antibiotic because infections are a whole different breed.   Also, if I were to ever have a headache or stomach ache that lasts for an extended amount of time, I would obviously seek medical attention.  However, we really need to look at what we are putting into our bodies and be aware of the effects. We need to take a proactive approach to our health care and treatment.

At work, my coworkers know that I don't take any medications and a good bit of them just don't get why.  So, I was really excited when this news story came on the TV.  It is about how Tylenol is actually one of the leading causes of liver failure due to the ingredient acetaminophen.  I was not excited that this has happened to people but because I was able to show my coworkers why it is important to be educated about these types of things. 

I could go on and on about this topic as it is something I feel very strongly about.  So, if you really want to know more about living drug free, please email me because this post is just the tip of the iceberg. 

So my useful advice, next time you have a headache, let your body fix the problem.  You do not have a headache because of lack of medication, you have a headache for another reason and your body will fix itself.