For years, I struggled with persistent acne and went the traditional route - dermatologist visits, topical creams, antibiotics, you name it. Everything was focused on treating what was showing up on my skin, but nothing was really working long-term. I'd see temporary improvements, then the issues would come right back. When I finally turned to alternative medicine, it completely changed how I understood my body. Instead of just addressing the surface symptoms, I started learning about gut health, food sensitivities, and how everything in our bodies is connected. That journey led me to discover I had a dairy sensitivity I never knew about, and I ended up doing a complete detox and changing my entire diet. What struck me most was how much I had to become an active participant in my own healing. I couldn't just take a pill and hope for the best - I had to really understand what was happening in my body, track how different foods affected me, and make some pretty significant lifestyle changes. It required patience because there wasn't an instant fix, but the results were so much more lasting. This experience completely shifted my approach to healthcare. Instead of waiting until something goes wrong and then seeking external fixes, I became much more preventative and proactive. I started paying attention to early warning signs my body gives me, educating myself about nutrition and wellness, and taking responsibility for my daily choices that impact my health. The biggest change is that I now see myself as the primary person responsible for my wellbeing, with healthcare professionals as valuable partners rather than the sole authorities. That shift has been incredibly empowering - I feel much more in tune with my body and confident in making decisions about my health.
From Triggered to Transformed: How Quantum Time Release Gave Me My Power Back For years, I thought healing had to be hard. As a woman who had survived divorce, betrayal, and burnout, I believed that the only way to feel better was to talk it out. Endlessly. To rehash every painful memory and wait for the "aha" to arrive. It never did. Instead, I stayed stuck. I knew my patterns, but I couldn't shift them. And that disconnection between what I intellectually understood and how I actually felt kept me looped in emotional exhaustion. Everything changed when I discovered Quantum Time Release. QTR is a trauma-informed alternative healing process that helps clear stored emotional energy from the subconscious mind without reliving the original trauma. Using a blend of neuro-linguistic programming, energetic release, and subconscious re-patterning, it helps you let go of anger, grief, shame, fear, and guilt at the root. Not just in theory. In the body. One of my clients, a powerhouse woman in her early 50s, came to me during menopause. She was successful, active, and emotionally intelligent, but couldn't seem to release the extra 25 pounds her body was holding onto. Diets didn't work. Exercise left her depleted. Her doctor had just prescribed blood pressure medication. But I could feel it wasn't just about food or hormones. Her body was holding emotional weight. Years of people-pleasing, suppressed resentment, heartbreak, and survival-mode living. We began using Quantum Time Release to clear the emotional charge behind her symptoms. Within weeks, she felt lighter. Not just physically but energetically. Within months, she dropped the weight without punishing her body. She came off her medication. She felt vibrant, sexy, and alive. She fell in love again. That's what happens when your nervous system gets the signal that it's safe to let go. Quantum Time Release changed everything about how I approach health. For myself and my clients. I no longer outsource my healing. I listen to my body, I work with my subconscious, and I trust the wisdom beneath the surface. Western medicine has its place. But sometimes, what we truly need isn't another prescription. It's permission to feel, release, and finally return home to ourselves. Riana Malia is an Identity Architect for High-Achieving Women and creator of the Clear to Create Method. She helps women release emotional residue and reclaim the love, health, and life they were always meant for.
As a CONTROL System practitioner I have made numerous changes to my own health and well-being since I qualified in early 2022. Firstly I stopped taking a sleeping pill every night, because I learnt how to 'power down' my subconscious mind before bed. Then I reviewed my eating habits and stopped the mindless munching on biscuits and chocolate. Do I miss it? Nope. The biggest change came next - I stopped smoking overnight after a 50yr/20 a day habit. If only I'd known how easy it was! Other changes have been more subtle but no less powerful - I rarely get angry, I listen to what my mind is telling me and I wake up every morning very happy to be me. Oh, and I've found that my subconscious is very good at word puzzles!
My interest in natural living began about a decade ago when my husband and I began having conversations about ways to change our home environment and lifestyle. He had always had eczema and I have a family history of cancer, so we got rid of cleaning supplies with chemicals and began replacing traditional toiletries with either natural ones or products that at least didn't include the most harmful chemicals identified as the dirty dozen. This approach evolved into seeking alternative medical approaches as well, whether it was using essential oils to treat various health issues, or using naturally occurring items over OTC medicines, like ginger to calm an upset stomach or taking elderberry syrup to increase immunity. I still go to my traditional western medical doctor and will still use OTC or prescription medications. But I've learned that there are often natural options that perform just as well, if not better, than traditional medicines, and when I can opt to use something natural, I will
Mindfulness as Medicine Taking Charge of Health The use of mindfulness meditation, one of the pillars of alternative medicine, has turned into a new era in my stress management efforts and overall well-being. It provided a low-barrier daily form of connection with my body and my frame of mind. This change prompted me to think of health in a proactive way rather than in a defensive way. Rather than wait until symptoms appeared, I started paying attention to the initial signals of disease, such as fatigue, irritability, or headaches, and dealing with them as a whole. Consequently, my perception concerning healthcare has changed as I currently see it as a combination of lifestyle and clinical care. This can be done by empowering patients with preventive measures such as breathing or non-stressful exercise, which can augment conventional therapy fruitfully.
Alternative medicine didn't just help me "take control" of my health; it helped me realize I was never supposed to give that power away in the first place. For years, I was doing all the "right" things: therapy, protocols, energy work, journaling, supplements. And still, something felt off. My body would shut down randomly. I'd get overwhelmed, anxious, or numb for no apparent reason. And no one could give me an honest answer that stuck. It wasn't until I started exploring breathwork, plant medicine, and nervous system-based healing that I finally started hearing the truth underneath it all: my system wasn't broken; it was loud. It had been screaming for me to slow down, feel, and stop outsourcing my well-being to people who didn't live inside my body. That's when everything started to shift. I stopped trying to fix myself. I stopped chasing the next solution or protocol. Instead, I started asking better questions like, "What is my body trying to protect me from right now?" or "What if this isn't a problem but an old pattern playing out?" I learned how to recognize when I was in survival mode, even when I looked "high-functioning" on the outside. This shift changed how I approach everything: healing, self-care, and what I even consider "healthcare." I still believe in getting support, but now I ask myself first. I check in with my system. I don't override or dismiss what I'm feeling just because someone with a credential tells me something different. Alternative medicine didn't give me a magic cure. It gave me back my capacity to trust myself. And that has changed everything.
One powerful way alternative medicine has empowered me is by teaching me to listen more closely to my body — rather than just managing symptoms, I started exploring the root causes of imbalance through tools like acupuncture, herbal medicine, and mindful nutrition. Example: Instead of relying solely on over-the-counter solutions for chronic headaches, I worked with a holistic practitioner who helped me uncover dietary triggers, stress patterns, and muscle tension issues. Through acupuncture, magnesium supplementation, and breathwork, the headaches drastically reduced — and I felt more in control, not just reactive. How It Changed My Perspective: I shifted from being a passive patient to an active participant in my health. I started valuing prevention, lifestyle, and mental-emotional balance just as much as clinical treatment. I now view healthcare as a collaborative journey, blending the best of conventional and alternative approaches.
One way alternative medicine has empowered me to take control of my health is through the use of acupuncture for stress management. I started seeing an acupuncturist a couple of years ago when I was struggling with high levels of work-related stress. The sessions helped me manage my anxiety without relying solely on prescription medications. This experience shifted my perspective on healthcare by showing me that managing health is not just about treating symptoms, but also about understanding and addressing the root causes of stress and imbalance in the body. I now incorporate a combination of traditional and alternative practices, like yoga and herbal supplements, into my routine. It's made me more proactive about my health and more open to exploring non-conventional methods to improve my overall well-being. This approach has not only improved my physical health but also my mental clarity and emotional resilience.
Alternative medicine helped me feel more in control of my health. I started paying attention to things like supplements, nutrition, and stress rather than just relying on prescriptions. It shifted how I think about healthcare. I see it now as something you actively manage day to day instead of something you only deal with when there's a problem. That mindset changed how I take care of myself and how I support others too.