Have you ever counted how many pills you take in a day?

I have and the answer is way too many.

Like the other 50 million Americans today, I have an autoimmune disease that requires me to take multiple medications to keep me functioning. I take pills to help me get out of bed, to help me get in bed, and to help me perform my day to day activities. Then I started taking supplements to help my body process all the medications I was originally taking. Finally, I was taking more medications to combat the side effects from the medications.

I was taking so many drugs that I needed to use two pill cases and my schedule app to keep up with them all.

Then I began to add up how much money I was spending on prescription copays and supplements, I was amazed to discover that my drug habit cost more than my grocery bill.

Autoimmune disease can take over your life. There is time spent with doctors appointments, spending hours on the phone with insurance companies, hospital stays, and extra rest. I refused to spend the rest of my precious time planing out my medication regime.

I decided to start searching for other ways to relieve my symptoms, and the many side effects from some of my more toxic drugs.

For thousands of years people have been getting sick, they must have used something before modern medicine came into fashion to get better, right?

Looking at my long list of ‘issues’, I wanted to find other ways of healing without putting one more pill in my mouth.

Fortunately, I found plenty of other options than taking pharmaceuticals.

Here’s what I found and why I stopped taking my medications:

1. Brain fog – Cutting back on packaged and processed foods that are loaded with sugar, in addition to many other artificial and harmful ingredients — like artificial sweeteners — is the first step to fixing brain fog. Sugar might make you feel energetic and happier at first, but ultimately robs you of steady energy and focus. Also, making sure you get enough high quality protein and good fats high in Omega 3 will balance your brain and your insulin so you can think straight again.

2. Anxiety – There are over 19,000 studies and 27 clinical trial on how meditation relieves anxiety. Their findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that mindful meditation can help ease stresses like anxiety, and a list of many other common yet crippling issues. Meditation is cheaper than Xanax with no side effects.

3. Pain – This one was a game changer and got me off  all pain meds. Did you know you could use Essential Oils to relieve pain? Black pepper, clove, cypress, eucalyptus, ginger, marjoram, and peppermint oil all can be by applying to tender areas (just not around your face), then adding heat. This was a game changer for me. But be careful because all essential oils are not created equal. Make sure they are therapeutic grade with no synthetics. Also, use a balanced blend instead of singles to insure safety. This brand works best for many.

4. Sleep – Sleeping pills can leave you groggy and sluggish in the morning. You can also get dependent on them. Before you reach for a bottle of pills make sure you are setting yourself up for sleep success. Eat dinner at least 3-4 hours before retiring and walk away from electronics in that time too. Also make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet. Taking a hot bath or shower helps relax your muscles and doing it regularly tells your body its time for bed. Having a bedtime routine by putting these simple tips in place on a nightly basis prepares the body and mind for a good nights sleep.

5. Digestion – Chamomile tea and chewing fresh ginger are easy go-to’s as an option to Tums. Also, you can use essential oils directly on your stomach (then inhaled) to relieve stomach discomfort and increase digestive enzymes.

Of course, you should always check with your doctor before stopping any prescription mediations. But by shifting to essential oils, practicing meditation, tweaking my diet, and putting best practices in play for sleep, I was able to get off of many of my medications and supplements, and you can too.  We can all benefit by saving time, money, and the constraints of living by the clock to make our lives a little more manageable.

I would love to hear what works for you to shift away from drugs. Please leave your best practices in the comments section below. If you want to learn more natural ways to lean away from drugs, click here.

About the Author:

Lisa Douthit is the author of Amazon’s #1 bestselling book, Wellness Warrior – Fighting for Life in Fabulous Shoes and an Integrative Health Consultant who is passionate about healing from all perspectives.  After struggling with multiple bouts of cancer and autoimmune disease, no one understands the physical, spiritual, and emotional rollercoaster better than she does.

As one of the 40 million American women currently suffering with an autoimmune disease, she made it her mission to have a voice for all those with an invisible illness that cannot, as well as share the understanding of lessons she learned to help us all feel and be better. She has a private Facebook Group called Wellness Warrior Tribe for all those with chronic illness looking for support and encouragement.  For more out of the box thinking that is guaranteed to bring you joy, Like her Facebook Page here or join the tribe here.