August 2006

Raising a healthy, drug‑free family

by Dr. Eric Plasker

Today's society is using and abusing physician‑ prescribed and recreational drugs in record numbers. Adults and teenagers alike seem hooked on pills of all shapes and sizes to control everything from their ability to concentrate to what kind of mood they want to be in or how much they would like to weigh. While our intention is to raise drug‑free families, we often inadvertently pass along habits and behaviors that send the exact opposite message to the ones we love.

As parents and role models for our children, wouldn't it be worthwhile to examine our own thoughts and behaviors for clues as to how we might unwittingly be training our children to become drug‑reliant for their emotional and physical well‑being? Try this little test. From the time your children were born to when they entered elementary school, how often would you say you reached for the purple or orange Triaminic bottle to help relieve their stuffy nose or sore throat symptoms? How many aspirins do you think you have dispensed for headaches and sore muscles?

Think about what happens when a baby's born and he or she gets sick for the first time. If you haven't educated yourself about your child's natural immunity and how it develops, you might immediately run to your doctor in a panic to alleviate your child's "suffering," and start him or her on antibiotics. As your child enters school, imagine that the second‑grade teacher approaches you with concerns that your child cannot concentrate or sit still in class in an appropriate manner. Rather than looking for alternative ways to teach your son or daughter, she and the school guidance counselor recommend that you start administering the drug, Ritalin, to help your child express his or her "full capabilities." It's truly amazing that in some schools, as many as 50% of the children are on Ritalin while in others less than five percent of the kids are on this drug, which has severe and long‑lasting side effects.

In fact, the sad truth is that drug companies market their products to physicians and parents with little regard for side effects. Ritalin, for example, admits to the following side effects: insomnia, appetite loss, stunted growth, depression and suicidal effects. In addition, many common antibiotics can have the adverse affect of creating highly resistant bacteria that make the body susceptible to super infections, which can overstrain the immune system and are often untreatable. Aspirin can cause abdominal bleeding while Tylenol and Ibuprofen can increase the risk of kidney disease.

Even worse than the side effects of these drugs are the messages they send to society. From the time we're born, we are programmed to believe that health is something that exists "outside" of ourselves and that our bodies can only be kept in proper balance through drug intervention. As subtle as it may seem, this behavior is conditioned. Is it really any wonder then that a child who doesn't make the team or cheerleading squad or breaks up with a girlfriend or boyfriend, may turn to drugs to relieve the pain?

You can stop the insanity of this "quick fix" drug philosophy just as millions of Americans already have. Last year, approximately 100 million more visits were made to holistic health care providers than were made to traditional medical doctors. These people were tired of being medicated and frustrated with the limited relief that the drugs offered.

People today desire and deserve to experience wellness. They know that the human body has an incredible inborn healing power that can naturally ward off disease and infection. At the same time, they've lost faith in pharmaceutical remedies and their dangerous and often unpredictable side effects. They have begun to demand information on how to build their body's immune system for long‑term health rather than settle for adopting a constant crisis care response to their health issues.

Chiropractic is proving to be a safe and effective solution for these individuals providing them with incredible results, information, scientific validation and research about how they can restore their body to its optimum health and keep it that way.

Thousands of families who receive ongoing chiropractic wellness care are dramatically reducing their medical expenses because they are healthier now than they ever have been. These people have turned their medicine chests back into bathroom cabinets because they no longer have the need for drugs.

Rest assured they don't just suffer from simple symptoms. These are people who are battling every illness imaginable from cancer to Crohn's disease, asthma and angina. Patients who used to get sick all the time and constantly require medication are now responding to chiropractic and enjoying the true freedom and health that comes from being drug‑free.

Pay close attention to the messages your kids are receiving. Are you teaching the "old school" way of health? It says, "I'm sorry you feel badly. Your body is weak and you need these drugs to be well." Or, are you promoting a wellness approach? Its message is, "Your body is strong and has the ability to heal itself. Let's remove the interference so you can get well on your own. You can trust your body."

Children growing up in a wellness environment believe in themselves and will live their lives independent of drugs. Give yourself and your family every opportunity to live the healthiest life possible ‑‑ a drug‑free life! Empower them to believe in their own inner strength, healing capacity, and unlimited human potential.

(Dr. Eric Plasker is a licensed chiropractor and founder of The Family Practice chiropractic coaching and training organization, which provides all the systems, tools and support to build a highly successful and profitable family practice. An internationally known speaker and educator, he is best known for rallying the chiropractic profession around the LCfE (Lifetime Care For Everyone) and Family Practice visions. For a seminar schedule, coaching, training, or product information, call The Family Practice toll‑free at 866‑LEAD‑DCS (532‑3327), ext. 118. Or visit The Family Practice website at www.thefamilypractice.net)