Becoming an Empowered Patient
By Angela Levesque
There are many things about our current medical system that dis-empowers people. Now this isn’t an affront to the doctors or nurses, but more to the system that we have created. Most people who work in healthcare really do care about their patients and want to help, but the system that we have designed does not permit that compassion to flourish. Patients have a very short amount of face time with their doctors and this does not allow the doctors or the patients to really get to the root cause of the problem. Like it or not this is the status quo, but there are many things you can do to improve your health and feel empowered.
1. Be Accountable
Our healthcare is a partnership. There is nothing more empowering than being accountable for whom and where you are in life. Please do not mistake accountability for blame. It serves no one to blame yourself, but owning up to the fact that you can make a difference in your health is very important. I like to use the analogy of a car to describe our current relationship with our medical system. We wait until the check engine light goes on and then we take our car in, drop of the keys and say “call me when it is fixed”. This isn’t working for us. Our health should be looked at as a partnership and the main driver of it is you. So without blame, look at where you are, where you want to go and what is your part in getting you there?
2. Have an Advocate
Anyone who has been told news about something serious knows how hard it can be to listen to details after the news is shared. For this reason, bring someone with you who can take notes and ask questions. Also, if you know you are the type of person who is a people pleaser or avoids confrontation then bring someone with you who will speak up for you. This is your health and your life. Ask the hard questions and don’t be afraid to play the devil’s advocate. Make sure you take down details. So often Doctors will dumb things down, but ask for the layman’s version as well as the clinical details. It is hard to feel empowered when you don’t really know what is going on. If you do know of someone who can advocate for you that has some clinical knowledge, then even better.
3. Know your Potential
One of the marvels of modern medicine is our diagnostic capabilities, but I urge people to beware of labels for they are limiting. Listen to your diagnosis, prognosis and your doctor’s advice, but know your potential. Statistics tell the story of a population and they do not tell your story. They know not of your strengths, your support and most importantly your heart. Knowing what you have can be helpful, but do not let it set limits for you. You are not a statistic. So never let anybody put a ceiling on your potential and what you think is possible. All things are possible.
4. Do your own Research
Be an informed patient. It can be very daunting when looking over things on the internet, which is why it is good to have the clinical names and information on your condition. Go to respected sources and research your own condition. Again, the information you find on the internet is general knowledge based on a population, it is not your story. A great suggestion is to go the forums for people facing the same issues as you. It is a good way to see what has been working for other people and build confidence in knowing that you are not alone and there is help.
5. Listen to your Body
Awareness is a key part of making meaningful change. Awareness is a two part process: education and solitude. Once you have done your research spend some time in solitude. Ask your body what it needs and listen to the response. Your body is communicating with you all the time and if we create space for it, it has feedback for us. An important part of this process is to sit with your condition and feel it. If you feel fear or blame or anger than let it be until it dissipates. Let it in and let it go.
6. Avoid the Status quo
Illness is a message. If you continue to do everything the same way, you will get the same results. So changes in thoughts and/or behavior are important in changing the experience of an illness. But don’t make changes from the place of “I should“, they will never endure. Healing is a matter of harmony between the mind, body and spirit. The desire for change needs to come from the heart not from the head. This means you need to do the soul work and understand what needs to shift. If we make the changes from the heart, they will be seen as preferences not as a sacrifice.
7. Seek Outside Help
Doctors have a specific skill set. Appreciate what they can do for you, but know they can’t do everything. They are not trained in many of the things that will improve the long term maintenance of your condition. After you listen to the needs of your body, identify what you can do for yourself and when you need outside help. There are many avenues to take in the realm of complementary and alternative medicine. Is it your stress levels, emotional imbalance, or poor diet that is exacerbating your condition? Where can you use the extra assistance to re-gain balance? Always make sure that you communicate your outside assistance with your primary care provider to avoid any contraindications to treatment.
There are many things you can do to re-gain control of your illness and your life. Never let anybody tell you that you just have to live with it. There are always things within your sphere of influence that can make a difference. If one medical system is not working for you, then shop around. There are many different healing systems out there, each one with their own healing philosophies and techniques. We think of medicine as a strict science, but it is an art form and you are an artist.
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Angela Levesque is an exercise physiologist, mind/body educator and energy healer. She hosts a weekly online radio show called On Health & Healing on a2zen.fm. Visit www.hestiahealth.com for more information.
