I often see natural medicine practitioners and influencers on social media strongly criticising mainstream medicine and dentistry. Yet when something serious happens—either to them or someone close to them—they may turn to the very systems they have previously been condemning.
When there is an emergency, a broken tooth or tooth loss, they seek dental care. When faced with conditions such as type 1 diabetes, they rely on essential treatments such as insulin. When something suspicious appears, such as an unusual mole, they don’t simply ignore it—they investigate it.
That contrast is hard to ignore.
This isn’t about dismissing natural or alternative approaches. There are valid questions to be asked about aspects of modern medicine and dentistry, and no healthcare system is perfect. Commercial pressures, financial influences, changing technologies and differences in professional opinion all deserve thoughtful discussion.
But rejecting conventional medicine and dentistry outright—or assuming that healthcare professionals are generally acting with harmful intentions—is, in my view, an oversimplification.
So it is worth asking: at what point does healthy criticism become contradiction?
And when does standing on a “high horse” prevent us from acknowledging the value of care that we may ourselves turn to when circumstances change?
Health Doesn’t Have to Be Either-Or
Medicine and dentistry are constantly developing. Knowledge changes, research evolves and approaches to treatment continue to improve. Some things we once accepted are later questioned, while new discoveries can offer better options.
Not every advancement is wrong, and not every practitioner is working against you.
Equally, questioning healthcare is not inherently wrong. We should be able to ask questions, seek second opinions, understand potential benefits and risks, and make choices that are appropriate for our individual circumstances.
At the end of the day, health is about informed choices.
The responsibility lies with each of us to understand the options available to us, ask questions and seek appropriate professional advice. Our choices can reflect our own values, circumstances and way of life without requiring us to dismiss every other approach.
Why Some People Choose Homeopathy
Many people choose homeopathy quietly, without feeling the need to make a statement about it.
For some, it is a personal choice based on a preference for a more natural or holistic approach to their health. Others may be looking for complementary support or may have concerns about the side effects or long-term use of particular conventional medicines.
I am one of those people, and so are my grown-up children.
My experience has led me to value homeopathy as part of my own approach to health. That doesn’t mean I believe conventional medicine has no place. Quite the opposite: there are circumstances where medical or dental assessment and treatment are essential, and recognising that doesn’t undermine a person’s interest in complementary approaches.
My Own Experience
There were a few occasions during my perimenopause when I was given diagnoses that were described to me as “serious”.
After considering my options, I made a conscious decision to follow a homeopathic approach and to take an active role in looking after my wider health and wellbeing. My experience was positive, and I felt that homeopathy played an important part in supporting me through that period.
Those experiences are too many to go into here, but they have undoubtedly influenced the way I think about health and healthcare.
My decision to explore homeopathy did not come from a place of rejecting or dismissing conventional Western medicine. It was a personal decision based on my own experiences, beliefs and preferences.
And that distinction matters.
Questioning Without Condemning
I believe we can question aspects of conventional healthcare without condemning everyone who works within it.
We can choose natural or complementary approaches without claiming that conventional medicine is always wrong.
We can value homeopathy without suggesting that everyone should make the same choice.
And we can acknowledge that there are times when conventional medical or dental care is the appropriate—or essential—option.
Perhaps the more useful conversation isn’t about deciding which side is “right”. Perhaps it is about being willing to listen, learn and make informed decisions rather than adopting an all-or-nothing position.
Never Outsource Responsibility for Your Health
Never outsource responsibility for your health.
Learn how the human body works. Ask questions. Understand what is happening in your body and, where possible, look beyond simply managing symptoms to explore the wider factors that may be contributing to your health concerns, root cause or causes.
That doesn’t mean trying to diagnose or treat everything yourself. It means becoming an informed participant in your own healthcare rather than simply accepting every answer without question.
And that is also why I believe we need more people educated in natural health.
We need people who understand that there can be different perspectives on health and wellbeing, who know how to ask good questions, and who can have informed conversations with healthcare professionals about the options available to them.
Health is personal.
What works for one person, or feels right for one person, may not be the same for another. Our responsibility is to make the best-informed choices we can, while respecting the choices of others.
For me, homeopathy is part of that personal journey.
It doesn’t require me to reject conventional medicine.
It simply reflects my approach to health, my experiences and the choices I have made for myself and my family.