Healthy decisions
Making health decisions can be difficult for many people these days. There is a flood of information mixed with varying agendas as well as misleading and missing information. Here are a few sober remarks that might help and encourage you.
If you feel unwell or not yourself, get to the bottom of it until you are satisfied and can receive treatment that is appropriate. If tests show no result than that is good news as there might be an imbalance or reaction happening that has not yet manifested on an organ level. “There is nothing wrong with you,” does not mean it’s just in your head. On the other hand beware of “medicalising” emotional problems, e.g. badly behaved children are not ADD… When a health problem is an imbalance and still on the energetic level this is where subtle methods like alternative medicine are ideal.
It is always best to catch things early. Many health problems can be averted if you pay attention to your health by applying small remedies to small problems. Do not soldier on, do not suppress symptoms while the cause of your suffering remains untouched. Take the time to get a massage before a minor stagnation turns into inflammation or chronic pain. Staying in bed with the flu and sweating it out for 2-3 days can save you from getting the same infection over and over again for a year.
When you have a considerable problem, choose a practitioner whom you trust and a method that you feel confident about. Human beings and their circumstances are different and what works for one person or one situation might not work for another. Think bilateral. The world is not black and white. If you prefer the treatment of alternative medicine you can still get useful tests such as blood tests or parasite analysis. In China there are many cancer clinics where Western medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine doctors collaborate so patients can enjoy the best of both worlds.
If you have been diagnosed with a serious illness, double check the diagnosis until you can be confident. A proper diagnosis defines the root cause of your problem and does not just consist of an umbrella term for your symptoms. A proper diagnosis should also include a principle of treatment, i.e. a clear strategy to resolve the underlying cause of your suffering, as well as a prognosis.
Do your research at the beginning and try to be unbiased about the questions you ask and consider all options. If irreversible intervention is suggested, ask your doctor “What happens if this fails?” and “What happens if I choose a different path and have no surgery?” In other words whatever method and path is offered, make full use of your right of informed consent. Your doctor might say one thing, ask the nurses about their experience. Explore all consequences of the suggested intervention. If the recommendation is to remove a great part of your bowel, ask every detail about how you will live without it after the surgery. Where medication is prescribed read about the possible interactions and side-effects. Research the drug – who is producing it, how long has it been tested (by whom and on exactly how many people), have there been any issues? Scientific claims require as much critical thinking as everything else. Just because it comes out of a research laboratory or is written up in a scientific magazine does not mean it is safe or unfailing. How many drugs have been recalled? We all remember when asbestos, round-up and smoking were considered safe…
Once you have done your research which should include choosing a medical practitioner that you feel is trustworthy and qualified stick with it and follow their advice. Implement the strategies that are prescribed to the best of your ability for at least 3 months. Without your compliance and consistency the best doctor cannot accomplish anything. If no change occurs you need to review the decisions that have been made. If your condition changes for the better or the worse again this needs interpretation. It is better to settle for a course of treatment because mixing different methods might actually confuse the body and provoke unnecessary interactions. Doing a bit of everything is not a proper method and can render treatments ineffective.
Every valid system of medicine requires to have a consistent view or philosophy that explains and understands the cause of disease sufficiently, may these causes be gross or subtle. Otherwise there is no basis for a proper diagnosis. Only with a genuine diagnosis that is capable of determining the cause can a principle of treatment and a prognosis be decided. Otherwise it’s like trying to stab a snake in the dark.
By definition a valid system of medicine is a comprehensive understanding of cause and effect within the human body and the ability to implement the appropriate measures to counteract and ultimately resolve problems. For example, medication that you take for the rest of your life without change in your condition is not medicine. Dealing with an allergy successfully would result in the body being strong enough to deal with a substance instead of removing it for good.
If you are sick, consider all of your circumstances: look into your emotions, where you work and live, what you eat, any pollution you might be exposed to (including dirty electricity). Often when the cause of an illness is unclear these factors play a huge role. You might not think much of drinking a litre of diet coke a day until your have symptoms of paralysis. You might think living near a mobile tower gives you a better phone connection until you experience nervous exhaustion. Living a hectic corporate life style might bring a lot of money and excitement until you suffer from adrenal fatigue.
Adjust your expectations: if you have had a chronic or insidious problem for years and have been everywhere it is not realistic to expect a magic bullet that heals you in one treatment.
Also listen to your gut feeling: resist the demand to be only rational, “objective” or scientific. It is vital to use or make good connections. If there is a practitioner that you prefer because you like them better than that is the one you should see. Accurate diagnosis involves a good communication between doctor and patient. Does your medical practitioner look at you, listen to you, touch you, answer your questions? Trust and confidence play an enormous role in successful treatment. So instead of dismissing the human factor – use it to its fullest!
It is your body that cannot be replaced, it’s your precious life that does not come again, so take good care of it.
If you have questions about specific problems and conditions feel free to email or ring us.