A Pharmacist Who Doesn't Want to Use Medicine

As a pharmacist, I learned to say, "Let's use medicine correctly," and that is what I have always conveyed.
However, in addition to suffering from atopic dermatitis and hay fever for many years,
and having experienced a drug eruption from antibiotics (Amoxicillin) during my student days,
"Is medicine really something I can feel safe about?"
"It works, but is that all there is to it?"
I have always harbored such misgivings.

"I feel somewhat uneasy about relying on medicine," "I want to improve my constitution itself"—
I am sure there are many people who feel this way.

Being in the medical field and feeling drawn to the term "natural healing power"
is not just an emotional argument.
The perspective needed in medicine today—I believe it is not "prescribing medicine," but
"building a body that does not need medicine."

"Curing" and "suppressing" are different

Even as someone who studied pharmacy and worked as a pharmacist, albeit briefly, there were many times I realized that "medicine is a means to suppress symptoms."
Fever, pain, cough, itching—suppressing these temporarily is what medicine is good at.
But it is also a fact that this does not mean one is "cured."

Of course, the power of medicine is essential for life-threatening cases and acute illnesses, and I have no intention of "denying medicine" myself.
However, in cases where "daily habits" manifest in the body, such as chronic malaise, lifestyle-related diseases, and allergic symptoms,
I have come to question whether suppressing them with medicine is the "correct answer."

When I realized that the body has the "power to heal"

Among the things I learned as a pharmacist, the concept of "homeostasis" left a strong impression on me.
This is the body's balancing function that tries to keep body temperature, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc., constant.

In other words, our bodies inherently possessthe power to "return to normal" even without outside intervention.If we call that "natural healing power," I have come to feel that we should pay more attention to it.

Things that changed when I reviewed my lifestyle instead of relying on medicine

I myself have had atopic dermatitis and an allergic constitution since I was a child, and I could not let go of allergy medicine in the spring and autumn.
However, in the last few years, I have become conscious of reviewing my diet, living an additive-free life, and gut health, andmy body's reactions have clearly changed.

・Skin itching and inflammation have become less frequent
・Hay fever symptoms have become milder
・Mental slumps have also decreased

Of course, it is not perfect, and I do use medicine when symptoms appear.
But I never thought that "being able to create a state where medicine is not needed in daily life" would be this comfortable.

Because I am a pharmacist, I want to have the option of "not using medicine"

I am not denying medicine, but I wish the perspective that "there might be things you can do before taking medicine" would spread more.
That is what I think.

The medical field today is becoming increasingly specialized and efficient, and it tends to end up focusing solely on "correctly handing over what has been prescribed."
But originally, a pharmacist should also besomeone who stays close to people's lives and changes in physical condition, and protects their health.

As a future role for pharmacists, I believe that
"supporting the creation of a body that does not need to rely on medicine"
"thinking together about improving lifestyle habits from the pre-symptomatic stage"
are also necessary ways of being.

Conclusion

As a professional who handles medicine, I have both experiences of being helped by medicine and experiences of having a hard time because of medicine.
That is precisely why I feel it is important not to be biased toward either side, but to "know your own body well and be able to choose for yourself."

If you are currently feeling,
"I think medicine is necessary, but I feel uneasy about it"
"I only face my body when symptoms appear"
If you feel that way—
please try looking into the option of building a "body that does not need medicine."

I hope my experience can provide even a small hint.