Waiting until you are sick and then getting treatment is the accepted model for treating diseases. This works well for urgent health issues, but when it comes to chronic illnesses, the model starts to fail. With more than 50,000 diagnosis codes for insurance reimbursement and a prescription drug for almost every chronic ailment, our healthcare system leans more towards treating sickness than promoting wellness.
A Better Way to Approach Health
Sometimes, doctors resort to alternative and natural ways in addition to their “schooled” treatments – this is known as integrative medicine. A typical appointment in a private practice setting can last from 30 to 50 minutes, and this time can be used to address a lifetime of illnesses. Being able to guide patients towards better health means realizing that simply filling prescription medications aren’t the key to actual healing.
The biggest failure of our current healthcare system is its inability to influence change that leads to real health. Some of the blame for this needs to be placed on the food industry for producing harmful and addictive “fake” foods. It’s hard to differentiate the nutritious from the detrimental when we don’t know any better. In fact, children are taught from a young age to trust health advice that comes from a prescription pad and be suspicious of alternative or natural medicines, and there is even a war on vitamins.
Of course, part of the blame falls on the patients as well. Many people are content taking pills for various health issues because it’s easier than working towards a healthy weight, eating responsibly, and staying active.
Finding Your Health Answers
Mainstream healthcare won’t change overnight, and the best insurance policies won’t fix the problems. Instead, start making your own changes and take responsibility for your health. It often takes a health crisis or pain to motivate people to make lifestyle changes. These changes can have a dramatic impact on physical, mental, and emotional health, prompting a complete revamp of everyday life, exercise routines, and understanding of personal passions. A more profound spiritual connection, love, and healing emotions may also develop from these changes.
Being accountable for your contributions to your healthcare is crucial. Are you the creator of your life or merely a victim of your health? If you acknowledge your experiences and learn from your mistakes, you can become the creator of your own life. You can accomplish your goals by being accountable at all times.
The key to reversing diseases isn’t prescription drugs, it’s personal lifestyle patterns, including diet, exercise, communication, and thoughts and emotions. Teaching patients about these patterns and ordering necessary lab tests can help steer them away from synthetic medications and towards targeted nutrient supplements and bio-identical hormones. That’s the ultimate goal for doctors who want to provide long-term, sustainable healthcare and genuinely help their patients feel good.
