What’s the point of acupuncture? A TCM practitioner wants out

[HuckleB]

http://www.naturopathicdiaries.com/whats-the-point-of-acupuncture/#more-937

"I have been going through the difficult and saddening process of leaving my field. I was not a naturopathic doctor. I went down the path of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and became a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. While searching for encouragement online, I happened upon NaturopathicDiaries.com. I felt connected to Britt’s story of leaving a pseudo-medical field and admire her for taking a stand against the dangerous misinformation in the alternative health care industry.

...

When I enrolled in my 4-year TCM program, I was 20 years old and brimming with optimism. I bought into the fallacy that mainstream medicine only treats symptoms and that alternative medicine treats the body as a whole and gets at the “root of the problem.” I went in genuinely believing that I would come out benefiting people using the power of traditional wisdom that had been tested for millennia. My family strongly believed in me and happily made sacrifices so I could afford the exceedingly expensive tuition.

After about two years into my program, I started to have doubts. There were so many things that seemed blatantly wrong. From the vitalist concept of qi to the curious mishmash of science classes and antiquated anatomical theories. The concepts were contradictory, and problems seemed endless. Even though I began questioning my faith, I was so deeply invested that I felt like I couldn’t back out.

...

The feeling of being wrong is dreadful, but continuing to practice a faith-based system of medicine with indifference is terribly worse. I am hopeful that more people who are wrapped up in holistic health fields will begin questioning the validity of alternative practices. Better yet, I hope these people will open their minds to the possibility that they have been deceived."

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Good stuff. It's a start, anyway.

[Silent3]

1. What’s the point of acupuncture?

A slender sharp one?