Alternative Medicine? I Prefer To Call It Complementary Medicine

Alternative Medicine? I Prefer To Call It Complementary Medicine by Shannon Nelson

My life changed dramatically on June 4, 1995. I broke my neck in a swimming pool accident. When I regained consciousness, I found out that I would never walk again.

Before my accident, I was having an identity crisis; I did not like the course that my life was taking. I was unhappy with most aspects of it, and I wanted a change. Needless to say, breaking my neck was not the change that I was expecting.

I was emotionally distraught for quite some time after my accident. I went from being an active twenty-four year old to a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic. A few years after my injury, I developed severe health issues. I went through two major surgeries, but I did not find much relief. Chronic pain and depression became my constant companions for approximately six years. As a result, I was no longer able to get up in my wheelchair. During this period of time I was prescribed a variety of pain medications and anti-depressants. The side effects were horrible beyond words. I was barely able to function, and I was constantly dizzy, nauseous and tired.

When the spinal cord specialist in charge of my case bluntly told me that there was no hope for me, and that I should accept the fact that I would always live with pain, I gave up all hope.
In early 2007, I was introduced to energy medicine and energy psychology. I would love to say that they were an answer to my prayers (because it sounds so poetic), but I must admit that I wasn't doing much praying at the time.

Using a combination of energy medicine, energy psychology, and getting a deep understanding that our thoughts create our feelings and our feelings create our health, I gradually stopped taking pain medications and anti-depressants. Amazingly enough, I was able to get up in my wheelchair for longer and longer periods of time without the aid of prescription medications. My mental attitude has also changed dramatically.

While I still have break-through pain every once in a while, I no longer feel like a victim. I now know that virtually every physical ailment is the result of unresolved emotional trauma. I am currently working on my own list of unresolved emotional issues, one at a time. The more closure I bring to an old issue, the better I feel. I strongly believe that forgiveness played a crucial role in my recovery.

As I write this article, I am happy to report that I am currently able to stay up in my wheelchair all day, and I am taking adult education classes in order to prepare myself to join the work-force once again. My plans for next year also include mentoring children.

I am not a proponent of energy medicine and energy psychology as an alternative to traditional/modern medicine. I prefer to call it complementary medicine. I would never suggest to anyone that they should stop taking their prescription medications and replace them with energy medicine. I actually owe my life to modern medicine. I don't think I would have survived breaking my neck in a country where cutting-edge technology for spinal cord related injuries was not available. But for people that are about to throw in the towel because traditional treatments are not working, why not give energy medicine and energy psychology a chance? The potential benefits are definitely worth giving them a try.

About three years ago, when I was going through a particularly dark time, I joined a chronic pain support group seeking answers. I posted a message about my condition on one of their message boards, and I got several replies from caring people, some of whom were going or had gone through similar situations. I also read what I can only describe as horror stories of people suffering indescribable physical and emotional pain.

Like me, most of them had already tried and were familiar with a variety of prescription pain medications and anti-depressants; and like me, some of them were also hopeless. I will forever be grateful to those compassionate individuals who reached out to me and tried to pull me through even though they themselves were in pain.

To this day, I feel heart-broken whenever I remember some of the postings by people that were in so much agony that they just wanted a way out... I knew that if I ever found any relief to my pain or even a glimpse of hope, I would make it my mission to spread the word and reach out to people that are experiencing physical and/or emotional pain. This is the reason why I created www.hotchocolateforthespirit.com I truly hope that through my website, I will bring real hope to people that are about to throw in the towel.