Having had personal experience of being successfully treated by naturopathic physicians for health problems, I decided to pursue a future career as a naturopathic doctor. I am interested and motivated to learn about naturopathic medicine because its holistic approach and philosophies are very impressive.
What is Naturopatic Medicine and Why It Makes Me Interested?
Naturopathic medicine is a holistic therapy that combines the wisdom of nature and scientific knowledge in the study of health and human systems to improve health and to treat disease. It concentrates on whole-patient wellness, meaning it focuses on the mind, body, and soul; it customizes each diagnosis and treatment plan to fit each patient. This study attempts to address the root cause of disease and focuses on prevention as well as self-care rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatments. It uses natural, non-toxic, non-invasive therapies, such as colon hydrotherapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, and herbal medicines.
Naturopathic medicine believes that our bodies have such a powerful ability of self-healing. It emphasizes teaching people healthy eating habits and changing one’s unhealthy lifestyle into a healthier one to enhance the body’s innate healing power.
Read more about Naturopathic Medicine.
My Personal Experience with Naturopatic Medicine
When I was young, I had a very weak immune system and was always falling ill. My parents brought me to see many well-known medical doctors in my country, Indonesia, as well as in Singapore. As usual, all of my doctors treated me symptomatically by prescribing me antibiotics and pharmaceutical medicines.
They did not bother to find out the root cause of my sickness. Consequently, my health problems were never solved and my immune system deteriorated. Changing doctors did not help to solve the problems. Instead, I was prescribed even higher dosage of drugs that further complicated my health problems.
During my teenage years, I would often get stomachaches and headaches and these got worse every time it happened. The diagnosis doctors ran on me showed that everything was fine; nothing was wrong with my health. However, I did not feel well overall. Consequently, I often could not go to school. None of the doctors I consulted could specifically identify nor cure my problems.
A friend of my mother recommended I consult a naturopathic physician.
She was diagnosed that the root cause to all my health problems was only constipation. The naturopath treated me using colon hydrotherapy and educated me about the holistic concept of naturopathy, healthy diet and lifestyle.
I was impressed by the way naturopathic physicians treat their patients. They provided at least 45 minutes to one hour for patient consultation. They found the root cause of my disease by reviewing my health history, daily lifestyles and symptoms thoroughly.
The naturopath treated me friendly and listened to my complaints with care. Their passion makes me feel comfortable and confident to get well. By following all of her advice and treatments, my stomachaches and headaches went away. My immune system improved and I became healthier, more energetic, and emotionally felt happier.
As the living evident of the outcome and driven by curiosity of the discipline, I am interested to learn more about naturopathy.
I have compassion to help others desperate to solve their health problems like I was. My dream is to provide my patients with individualized, integrative, non-invasive treatments that comply with the naturopathy philosophies. I have a strong desire to educate people about healthy eating habits and lifestyles to create a healthy living environment.
Dr. Yuliani Chandranata, ND, MSAOM, LAc, Dipl. O.M. (NCCAOM), BSc. is a US board certified Naturopathic Physician and Acupuncturist & Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner. She received both her Naturopathic medical degree as well as her Masters in Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine from Bastyr University, USA. Her undergraduate and pre-medical degree was from the California State Polytechnic University of Pomona, where she majored in Biotechnology, with emphasized in Microbiology and Biochemistry, and minored in Chemistry.