In Honor of Halloween: Scare Tactics

Figured this would be a good topic to cover in honor of a holiday that's all about scary things and fear!  I had written this awhile back but never published it.  I decided now is a good time to get it out there.

I need to vent a little bit.  It feels odd knowing I'm about to get all opinionated and get up on my soap box while bearing in mind that there are a LOT of people reading this... It's crazy how much this blog has grown in popularity... I always just think it's small since it only shows like 21 or 22 followers on the side bar... but apparently that's just through Google and there are WAY more than that reading... judging by the fact that I've gotten stopped by total strangers a couple of times already who ask me, "Hey, are you the author of that blog?"  Super cool... but at the same time a little intimidating!!

But I need to vent.  I'll try to be as nice as I can.  As I mentioned in one of my previous posts about my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week, a close family member fell ill.  She's not doing well, but I'll write about that in a future post.  What I'm writing about happened about two-ish months ago.  Well, since she fell ill I've gotten to see just how SCREWED UP the medical system is.  She's diabetic, and had switched over to a doctor in Belleville because she was getting tired of her Red Bud doctors.  Well she certainly jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire with this move.  This doctor woman decided she needed to be on cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication, an insulin injection for her diabetes, and some other diabetes medication.  My family member tried to argue with her about the cholesterol and blood pressure meds, as they're pretty much pointless and going to cause you more harm than good in the long run (I'll probably write individually on these topics soon), but the doctor insisted that if she doesn't get on these meds then she's going to die.  So she took them, because she certainly didn't want to die!

This happens A LOT.  It happened to me, it's happened to other family members, it's happened to friends, it happens to the majority of people out there.  Scare tactics.  I don't know who these doctors think they are getting off using these measures to FORCE patients to obey their orders, but it's not fair, it's not kind, and it's not dignified.  It's like doctors forget we are PEOPLE with feelings and thoughts and concerns, and most importantly that we have the ability to make decisions for ourselves.  And when we're put under that kind of pressure from doctors using scare tactics, the majority of us forget that we're people with feelings and thoughts and concerns and the ability to make decisions for ourselves.

If you have a doctor or go to a doctor that likes to use or has used scare tactics to make you agree to taking a prescription or having a procedure done or even going into surgery, or doesn't take kindly to you asking further questions about his or her advice, FIND A NEW DOCTOR.  Have enough self respect to not let people BULLY you into decisions regarding your HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.  We are fortunate enough to live in a day and age where information is at our fingertips.  We can do our own research, we can talk to people who have been there and done that, we can make informed decisions for ourselves.

If you're told to get on a drug or told to have some sort of procedure done and something in the back or your head or the pit of your stomach is causing you a little discomfort about the idea of that drug or procedure, sending up a red flag, then allow yourself some time to think about it before doing it.  If your doctor is telling you you're going to die if you don't take the prescription they're pushing on you, go find a more respectful doctor.  Doctors should be here for us to guide us down a road of health and well-being.  How is scaring us and putting horrible ideas in our heads helping us at all?  Doctors don't control you, govern you, or live in your body - you do.  Doctors should be looked to for advice, not for orders.  And then do your own homework when it comes to the advice you get.  Make sure that advice really does suit you.  What are the side effects?  Who else is on this medication that you can talk to?  How long has it been available - is it something newly released on the market that doesn't have much research to back it and you can't know what you're getting yourself into?  What are some alternatives to this drug - in what ways can you adjust your lifestyle to give yourself the chance to not even need it in the first place?

Being sick is scary.  Being diagnosed with a disease is even scarier.  Too many doctors take advantage of that frightened state of mind and talk you into doing things that may not exactly be necessary.  I mean, let's face it, we're all vulnerable and gullible when we're scared, aren't we?  We'll do anything to save the day, and more than likely do it without hesitation.  And doctors know that.  So if they can offer you a drug that could MAYBE save the day, the patient just does what they're told.  Anything to live!  Anything to save their health!

What if that drug makes things worse?  Or what if it fixes the problem at hand, but gives you far worse problems down the road?

My wish for the world is that everyone learns to take their health into their own hands.  Take responsibility for this body you've been given.  And I hope to someday see a day that doctors become respectful advisers. Sure, there are some out there, but not nearly enough.  Doctors are not God.  They do not live in your body and know what you experience on a day-to-day basis.  You do.  Doctors have an education to work off of, but that doesn't mean they have all the answers.  Listen to their advice, but follow up on it before jumping into it.  And run away FAST if they try to bully you into a decision.