So, I have this thing …. I am fascinated with synergy … said another way, symbiosis! Truth be told, nothing would exist without mutualistic relationships... NOTHING! Everything has its place EVEN if we can't wrap our heads around what that might be. Keep in mind, mutualism is both non-judgmental and cooperative which does nothing more or less than benefit the whole. What's more, there is no such thing as control in the world of nature. Everything just moves and adapts accordingly ... that is with one exception ... humans. We seem to believe we are separate and even 'above' the inner workings of nature. 

Well, in many respects, even though 'we' like to think we've got something under control ... we really don't. Yet, for the sake of this post, I share the following failed interaction with great intent:

Over the last couple of months, I have a client that doesn't feel as though her psychiatrist is on her side. My client's desires are to come off the cocktail of psychotropic medications she's on because she doesn't feel like herself. While this makes sense to many professionals in the field, anything is possible, especially when you're attempting to transition from pharmaceutical to natural. However, this doctor doesn't believe in natural options. Nonetheless, I was more concerned about the relationship ... I struggle to believe anyone could see improvement when met with such adversity; so, I informed her that she has the right to change and if transitioning off of the meds was her goal, having a medical doctor supervise the drugs was important for a number of reasons.

I expressed respect for the medical field, their role in safely guiding the process of stepping down on meds in addition to the law ... because I am covering my backside for sure. Nevertheless, safety was my biggest concern. As it is, she is aware that she has the right to stop taking these drugs at any time; although it's not a wise decision to 'go it alone'. So, I assisted her in finding a doctor that would support her efforts. Fortunately, it didn't take long as I found one that came highly recommended for this sort of thing. I spoke with the nurse practitioner who further reassured me that my client would be fully supported in her goals AND as long as signed releases were in place, the doc would keep me in the loop. Fast forward to earlier this week and I get a call from my client that says the exact opposite. What's worse, this doctor came out and said she did not want or need to interact with me because she ..... get this .... 'didn't want me to try and control her decisions'?!?!?!?!?! What?!?!

How wrong this doctor was AND is! Not to mention, in my professional opinion, she is NOT acting in the best interest of the patient! She NEVER contacted me to find out what I was all about? And her people had my number ....  You see, I have NO interest in telling a doc what to do. On the other hand, I DO have every desire to assist a client in achieving their level of optimal health!

I was disgusted ... control her?! Wow! Talk about fear and misunderstanding running the show...

You see, to me, the only agenda is the patient's desires. As health professionals, our job is to assist and guide them towards their goals. We understand the mechanics ... they know what they want. This is where the two (in this case, three) worlds come together. If ONLY this doctor in PA had contacted me ... she would have experienced respect PLUS she would have come to know what I was about. You see, I will never assert natural therapies OVER allopathic. I will, however, remain in touch so that we can talk about the mutual client's progress and any potential changes with either protocol. I respect every health professional and KNOW there is a way to align treatments in the best interest of the client.

I am nauseated by the oppositional dynamics ..... no, it's more than the opposition that bothers me. It's the ridiculous amount of FEAR that fills the 'space'. Don't think it's fear?! Well, let me put it this way .. when we seek to control something, we're afraid of how things may or may not go and when someone states they don't want to work with another person because they don't need them trying to control them .... that's a fear of being controlled or manipulated. In all honesty, we could argue that this person was avoiding the potential headache but that's BS. All anyone had to do, meaning the doc, was talk with me to learn more about me and what I was about

So, am I offended because she blew me off? NO! I'm angry that she completely disregarded this patient for her own fear. DO NO HARM is the philosophy of medicine and I've historically said, how could anyone prescribe meds and claim 'no harm'. Today, I sing a different song because I appreciate medicine on an entirely new level. What's more, I recognize the benefit to supporting / stabilizing the body with evidence-based essential oil selections ... oils that DO NOT conflict with or duplicate the mechanism of action.

That said, not every natural health professional aligns with my thought process which means medical doctors could, at the very least, take the time to speak with and find out more BEFORE  deciding the natural therapist was a threat. We're not, we just need to learn how to form mutualistic relationships