08.22.06

Alties Were Born Out of the Failures of Mainstream Medicine

Posted in Health-related--Natural Alternative Treatments at 10:24 am by Administrator

Apparently, the terms “Altie” and “AltNut” have been around for a while. However, I just learned of it a few days ago as a commentor on my blog was calling me an AltNut. I didn’t know what the term meant, but he seemed to use it as if I should be offended by being called such a thing. So I did a little search on it because I was curious what it was that he was calling me. I found the definition to be fairly broad, basically meaning anyone who believes and/or practices any form of treatment other than conventional mainstream medicine. (I say broad because there are so very many different alternatives that if you followed or believed any one of them, you would be considered an Altie). The term is popularly used amongst the mainstream medicine diehards who “hate” that there are people who look outside of mainstream medicine to treat their bodies. It’s from the term “alternative treatment” that the term “altie” stems, and “altnut” is a more fanatical version as I believe that one means, “alternative nut.” In short, both terms tend to be used in a derogatory fashion in reference to alternative medicine advocates.

My initial response to being called an “AltNut” was, “Hmm, I guess he’s trying to offend me (rather than civilly discuss or present his point/s of view). I think by calling me AltNut, he was showing his frustration towards me, and people like me, because he had not much else to say, or perhaps didn’t know any other way to express himself. Sort of like how some people use expletives to release energy in times of frustration and when attempting to exercise “some” restraint or show of cleverness it comes out like this: “Why you, why you, baffoon!” “You pig!” “You rotten, no-good, playboy!” “You AltNut!” Tee hee. The combining of the two words (alternative nut) to make one word is their artistic rendition of verbal graffiti. It’s my impression that the people who don’t have very good debating skills, and who have little control over their emotions are generally the ones who resort to name-calling in that fashion.

The next thing that came to mind was “Why so much hostility towards alternative advocates?” The mainstream medicine folks have a “list” of traits that are used in semi-jest and semi-seriousness as to what constitutes an altie. As I mentioned earlier the definition is broad, and some items did make me chuckle a bit as there was some truth in it, but nevertheless, since I have treated myself by means outside of the mainstream medicine, I would technically be labeled an altie. Then I thought about others who would also be labeled as alties, which made me wonder what other unifying traits we all had that would define us as alties. The one thing that came to mind is that most all of us did not start out as what they call alties. I think I only became what they call an altie about 6 or 7 years ago. Upon reading other people’s health conditions, many were like me who didn’t start out to be alties. Gee, what happened that made us transform from non-alties to alties? The common theme I noticed when reading the accounts of so-called alties is that they had a history of health problems or developed some health problem for which they had sought the assistance of mainstream doctors. Then they were either prescribed various drugs for their ailments or their ailment was elusive and the docs couldn’t even figure out what was wrong with them. Example, “Doctor, I’ve got this constant pain in this area, what is it, and what shall I do?” Doc runs all sorts of test, all the tests come back negative, doc gives out a depression drug, and possibly a pain drug, but nothing further is done. Then after weeks, or months, and in some cases years, the patient is “still” suffering from the same condition and is now developing other conditions, for which the same routine is followed–nothing found, more drugs, but now the added insinuation that it’s “all in your head.” So what’s a logical person to do if they want to find relief? Start doing his own search to get to the bottom of this miserable pain is what he does. The doc isn’t helping me (Some people even jump from doc to doc hoping they’ll be able to help, but to no avail), so I guess I have to help myself. And so the journey to the “alternative treatment” world begins. Not all find their answers, but some such as myself do. Because of our personal success, we believe in alternative treatment. At least that is my feeling and that of others I’ve met. Now that we feel better and have found relief from our illnesses through unconventional, alternative means, they have officially joined another world. So, you see, we didn’t all start out that way.

You could say in a way that alties were born out of the failures of mainstream medicine. Had the mainstream doctors “fixed” our health issues, then ill people would never have sought and joined the altie world. They would have gone to doc, paid him, been treated and healed, and that would have been it. But alas, many patients were left holding the bag, and they ran with the bag to the altie side. So in this light, the frustration with alties from the mainstream medical folks is brought upon themselves due to their lack of ability to satisfy alties. They did not provide alties with the services they had sought, thus alties took their business elsewhere. Being an altie then is a reminder to them that they have failed to heal their patients (although the mainstream drug pushers like to use the argument that they are really trying to protect patients from themselves). They are offended that alties no longer look to them for “all” their health care. And I think that is why they are so offended whenever someone uses alternative means to treat themselves. That is why their feelings are hurt and they feel the need to use emotional terms as “altie” and particularly “altnut.” It’s really not the person that they are attacking, but that knowledge that doctors are not really gods after all. Actually, altie can be just a harmless way to describe us, but altnut implies being a “nut,” so that one is more emotionally loaded.

So am I offended at being labeled an “AltNut?” Not in the least. I’ll even attach a picture of myself to show that I am now well and recovered due to my being labled an AltNut. I know it’s normally used to put people down, but “altie” or “altnut” are used just as manipulative silliness, not fitting of a professional health practitioner.

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