In my 30s I learnt that my mother, Mavis had Huntington’s Disease (HD). This has empowered us as a family to make the very most of our lives, from learning to ski at 40 and travelling widely. In order that my family would have more support than we had with Mavis I have supported the Wellington Huntington’s Disease Association since its inception. While I was Chairperson we appointed our first Social Worker. This has improved the quality of life for many families with HD.

Many Huntington’s families have complained that their medical doctor is unable to cope with HD symptoms and their effect on the family and friends. I believe that naturopathic medicine and natural therapies are appropriate and easily available if you know something about them.

The tradition of naturopathic medicine and natural therapies arises from the needs of our ancestors to cope with problems and illnesses. They are all holistic philosophies. They consider the whole person and what each needs to do to be responsible for themselves to live healthy and satisfying lives. They aim to remove those things which hinder healing. They do not use drugs. Practitioners are trained in many ancient and modern healing skills, from traditional herbalism, to genetic research, nutritional science, diet and exercise, manipulation, homeopathy, counselling, and pharmacology.

As a consumer in NZ there is a huge range of practitioners to select from. Homeopathy, Osteopathy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine are the GPs of Naturopathic medicine. The others are the specialists. They all have their training schools. All good therapists are affiliated to the relevant NZ Association.