An Increasing Number of People Turn to Alternative Medicine
Natalia Mejia
Professor C. Vergara
ENC1101
13 September 2011
An Increasing Number of People Turn to Alternative Medicine
While people typically turn to Western medicine to cure disease, many individuals look to alternative medicine as a preventive measure even though alternative medicine is also effective in curing illness. Consequently, alternative methods are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S.A according to a 1998 article published in JAMA; 42% of the population used at least one method of alternative medicine in 1997. Some of the most common methods include bioenergetics (combination of mind and body), synergetic (a fusion between alternative and Western medical methods), acupuncture (an energy balancing process), and homeopathic (the administration of small doses of a drug that in massive amounts produces symptoms in healthy individuals similar to those of the disease itself). Bioenergetics is a method of psychodynamic pshychotherapy that combines body and mind exercises to help people address and resolve their emotional problems and realize more of their potential for pleasure in the joy in living (goodtherapy.org). Bioenergetics therapists believe that there is a correlation between the function of the mind and its effect on the body. Western medicine has begun to acknowledge this connection; for example, according to Julie Simons "people who experience prolonged periods of anxiety and stress can develop ulcers and cardio vascular illnesses". What affects the mind affects the body and vice versa, what affects the body affects the mind. For instance, people who are lethargic tend to lack enthusiasm and often experience some forms of depression (Simon). Bioenergetics therapy has been used extensively to treat people gripped by psychological disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, "as well as physical ailments that many believe are linked to traumatic life experiences, such as fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis"(Coxson). It has also been
Professor C. Vergara
ENC1101
13 September 2011
An Increasing Number of People Turn to Alternative Medicine
While people typically turn to Western medicine to cure disease, many individuals look to alternative medicine as a preventive measure even though alternative medicine is also effective in curing illness. Consequently, alternative methods are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S.A according to a 1998 article published in JAMA; 42% of the population used at least one method of alternative medicine in 1997. Some of the most common methods include bioenergetics (combination of mind and body), synergetic (a fusion between alternative and Western medical methods), acupuncture (an energy balancing process), and homeopathic (the administration of small doses of a drug that in massive amounts produces symptoms in healthy individuals similar to those of the disease itself). Bioenergetics is a method of psychodynamic pshychotherapy that combines body and mind exercises to help people address and resolve their emotional problems and realize more of their potential for pleasure in the joy in living (goodtherapy.org). Bioenergetics therapists believe that there is a correlation between the function of the mind and its effect on the body. Western medicine has begun to acknowledge this connection; for example, according to Julie Simons "people who experience prolonged periods of anxiety and stress can develop ulcers and cardio vascular illnesses". What affects the mind affects the body and vice versa, what affects the body affects the mind. For instance, people who are lethargic tend to lack enthusiasm and often experience some forms of depression (Simon). Bioenergetics therapy has been used extensively to treat people gripped by psychological disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, "as well as physical ailments that many believe are linked to traumatic life experiences, such as fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis"(Coxson). It has also been
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