Alternative healthcare covers loads of different things - complementary therapies, diet, exercise, mental and emotional health and many others. A common factor is the holistic approach: treating the whole person, not just the symptom. The radical aspect of this, or any type of healthcare, is taking responsibility for your own body. Too often we give away our power to experts who we believe to know more about our own bodies than we do ourselves. True, we don’t all know anatomy and physiology, and often expert advice is essential, but we can learn to keep ourselves healthy and happy without relying on the pharmaceutical industry.
Alternative remedies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, herbalism, massage, aromatherapy and reiki can sometimes be expensive, and have been seen as a luxury that only the middle classes can afford. Luckily now they are becoming more widely available, with most GPs providing a list of local alternative therapies. There are lots of community projects in Manchester offering them cheaply, with some free sessions, and there are also self-help groups that incorporate some of these therapies.

Check out:
Kath Locke Centre, 123 Moss Lane East 0161 455 0211
Zion Centre, 335 Stretford Road, Hulme
Creative Living Centre, Bury New Road, Prestwich M25 3BL Telephone: 0161 7723524
Fax: 0161 7723797 Email: creativelivingcentre@hotmail.com
Boo Centre, Beech Road, Chorlton.
Bodywise (more expensive) Manchester Buddhist Centre 16-20 Turner Street,
Manchester M4 1DZ phone 0161 833 2526 email bodywise@altavista.net
The Angel, Healthy Living Initiative,1 St. Phillips Pl, Salford, M3 6FA
0161 833 0495
If you want to learn some of these techniques, Manchester Adult Education Service offers free or cheap courses in many of them, including aromatherapy, Indian head massage, reiki and reflexology. Call 0800 083 2121 or go to www.manchester-aes.gov.uk

Diet’s one of the most important factors in keeping yourself healthy. Manchester has a few really good health food shops; see the ‘food’ section for more details.

COUNSELLING SERVICES IN MANCHESTER
• You can usually access 6 free counselling sessions via your GP. They will refer you to a suitable service, waiting lists vary from a few weeks to a few months.
• Universties and colleges will also have their own free student counselling service. For students at Manchester University or UMIST the number is 0161 275 2864.
Check out the Shortcutz website for listings of counselling providers and many alternative therapies.
• If opting for a private counsellor, check their
credientials (where they trained and for how long, what method of counselling used, are they insured, how long have their been practicing, are they members of BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy)?  Some offer a sliding scale for fees (from £15 to 30 per hour).  Most counsellors will not charge you for an initial meeting – but ask.  Meet a few counsellors and pick one you are most comfortable with.

Other services in Manchester include:
42nd Street: 0161 8320170 (15 - 25 year olds only)
Drug & Alcohol Services: 0161 2146408
The Piper Project: 0161 865 3322 (counselling for stimulant drug
users, their families and friends, plus aural acupuncture, black
box therapy, reiki, indian head massage, chinese herbs)
Lifeline: 0161 8392054 (drug users and their families)
Manchester Rape Crisis: 0161 8348784
CRUSE: 0161 2368103/9404818 (bereavement)
Face to Face: 0161 2743999 (gay and lesbian switchboard)
The Lesbian & Gay Foundation: 0161 2358035
National Phobics Society: 0161 2279898
Kath Locke Centre: see above for contact
North & South Manchester Counselling Service: 07659 879 593

Mainstream culture is trying to make you unhealthy. You are bombarded with adverts for greasy or sugary foods, and TV encourages you to sit on your ass for hours, while telling you that you should be really thin, if you’re a woman, or have rippling muscles and 0.5% body fat, if you’re a man. Resist this by choosing to be your own ideal body type. Don’t diet, but do eat healthy foods that will make you stronger. Get some excercise doing something you enjoy. Get over the idea that you should feel guilty about your body- guilt is for if you accidentally run over a hedgehog, or don’t phone your Mum all term. You only get one body, don’t waste your life hating it.