Cognitive dissonance among patients within our modern medical system: establishing health sovereignty in a sickcare model
About 4 years ago, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The physician prescribed me a thyroid medication, and on that day I swore to myself that the medication was a temporary intervention– I would not depend on it for the rest of my life. Here I am 4 years later, proud to say that I’ve weaned off my thyroid medication and kindly discharged my autoimmunity into remission.
When I first received the diagnosis, I was relieved. I was relieved to know that I was not going crazy. There had been days when I seriously doubted my sanity and felt like I was dying. The diagnosis gave me hope. I didn’t succumb to the gloom or surrender of being labeled, as some people might. I viewed it as a starting point from which I could begin targeted research and find healing.
While the diagnosis brought me relief, I felt a bit embarrassed because I had never taken pharmaceuticals and low-key refused to feed into the big pharma conglomerate narrative. I also had a bit of shame wash through me, like I had done something wrong or something to deserve these health issues. Was I at fault? No. Was I responsible? Yes.
And these are the questions which lie at the crux of my monologue. Despite the rampant outsourcing of authority from patients to and within the current medical system, remember that you, as a sovereign individual, have the power to delegate either fault or responsibility upon either or both yourself and/or others.
Cognitive dissonance in our modern medical system
Our healthcare system may seem like it’s provided by and functions under the direction of an almighty source, and herein lies the cognitive dissonance. You have been told by your doctors that your health is your responsibility, but you’ve also been told by mainstream medicine that your health problems are the fault of others.
Doctors tell their diabetic patients, “You need to eat better and exercise because that damn sugar is going to kill you.” Or doctors tell their arthritic patients, “You need to get that knee replaced because that damn arthritis has worn away your joint.” Or, “You need to get physical therapy for your worn-out back because that damn car accident crushed your disc.”
This did that. Tit for tat. The system always establishes the need and thereby establishes the control, to keep score. Don’t worry, your body is already incredibly accurate at keeping score. You don’t need the medical system attempting to do it for you. Why would you give away such power to such an irresponsible and incongruous force?
Your sovereignty lies in your ability to hold your power. That power is diluted when outsourced to the hands of another. When you can learn to hold it yourself, then the magic happens.
The modern medical system currently controls the mainstream narrative. But don’t you have a story to tell?
Stories either outsource power or establish power within
As demanding and challenging as the work of a physical therapist can be, I have to marvel at how incredible the work can be too. Physical therapists not only get to see the physical workings of the body (functional and dysfunctional), but we also get time to interact with the patient. And here is when we get to see how mind and spirit manifest within the body.
Therapists often spend more time with their patients than any other healthcare provider. This means that patients talk, and sometimes they tell us everything. By giving patients the time and energetic space to talk, I have heard unbelievable stories. The unbelievably incredible stories and the unbelievably unfortunate stories. Heart warming and heart wrenching.
Yes, I get emotional listening to stories sometimes. But the clinical pearl is not being able to discern how I feel when I hear the story (or even how the patient feels), but rather how I hear it (or even how the patient wants me to hear it).
The way a patient tells their story IS the story.
It’s the vocal tone, the narration, the waves and emphases of emotion, the level of attachment. The way they tell their story says more about their situation than the actual story itself.
Patient A’s story may be brief and concise – to the point with no deviations, with the unstated but ultimate conclusion that “I was there, and now I’m here.” His finger points, “I am here.”
Whereas with Patient B, their story may be all consuming to them, with the open ended conclusion that “the story was then and the story is still now and may forever be”. His finger points, “It did this to me”.
Patient A claims responsibility for himself. Patient B delegates fault to an outside source.
Responsibility for one’s health can only be rightly delegated to the self. When delegated to a source outside of the self, that responsibility transmutes into fault.
The variabilty in an experience ultimately comes down to choice: what you choose and how you choose it. Daily choices determine the outcomes. The variable itself is not the determinant of a consequence, rather it’s the choice to engage or not engage with the variable.
Let’s look at a hypothetical diabetic patient:
The diabetic can choose to blame sugar as the cause of disease, or he can take personal responsibility for his choice to eat the sugar.
Furthermore, it’s how the choice is made– And how the outcome is perceived.
If the diabetic chooses to eat sugar, he reaps a consequence. From there, he can either accept the consequence, thereby taking personal responsibility, or he can resist the consequence, thereby becoming a victim.
When he eats the sugar, how does he make the choice? Is the decision made from fear (or guilt) or made in love? Additionally, does he believe this choice harms his body or honors his body?
And how does he perceive the outcome? If he ate the sugar, does he accept the consequence yet shame himself for the decision, thereby victimizing himself? Or does he accept the consequence with full embrace of the decision?
If he didn’t eat the sugar, did he not do so because he was afraid of the consequence?
How often do you become a victim to yourself, when you blame and shame yourself? How often do you become a victim to others, when you blame them?
The way you construct your story holds greater weight than the actual story itself. Artificial intelligence can write a story. Humans bring texture, depth, emotion, and life or death to the story.
How do you construct your story? Through love or fear? Or do you let others write it for you?
Confusion between “identifying a diagnosis” versus “identifying with your diagnosis”
We all have our weaknesses and sore spots. We all have reasons to feel sorry for ourselves, feel offended, or let our emotions get the best of us. Maybe it’s a diagnosis, trauma, toxicity, poisoning, infection, etc…
Whatever your reason, don’t let it be an excuse. Don’t let it define your journey or outcome. Let it give you direction.
A diagnosis should give you reason to move forward. It’s a clue to help you understand where you should go, not where you must stay.
Too often people get stuck in their diagnosis. I think this is because our modern medical system too often gives a diagnosis as the prognosis.
Let me explain the difference. A diagnosis is the identification of an illness or injury. A prognosis is the expected course of the illness or injury.
Diagnosis and prognosis are not the same! The current status (diagnosis) is not what has to be the future status (prognosis). Note that prognosis is the “expected” course. It’s not “guaranteed”. The course could progress, or it could regress! Prognosis is the likelihood of the continuation or worsening, or even of healing.
A prognosis is not set in stone. Do not let the medical system’s label of a diagnosis fool you into believing a predetermined fate of unjust misery. You have the power to change the course how you see fit. Your doctor might disagree.
This is the trap that so many patients fall into:
Doctor gives patient diagnosis and discusses prognosis with patient.
Doctor explains why the issue happened and why the issue will continue if patient continues to do X, Y, and Z.
Doctor may briefly mention to patient, “you might get better if you change X, Y, and Z.”
But doctor knows patient won’t change X, Y, and Z, because most people have forgone their health sovereignty.
So doctor gives patient medication and sends patient away.
Patient is left feeling like there is nothing to do and is defeated to medically comply with good said doctor.
Don’t let the medical system trick you into thinking that you are your diagnosis. But don’t point the finger back at it either.
Point the finger toward yourself, not with disdain or blame or as punishment. Point it back at yourself with self-love and self-empowerment and ask, “What can I do for myself? Where can I find real help for my true healing?”
This is the health sovereignty that our society is so desperately seeking and so vastly in need of, to reclaim our collective healing.
Health sovereignty is established by eliminating fault and claiming responsibility
I’m not claiming that how people choose to live their lives is wrong or faulted. People are entitled to feel their emotions. When people are so deeply entrenched in health struggles, it’s difficult for them to think straight, let alone function. It’s difficult for them to make decisions or see a good (if any) way forward. I’ve been there, so I understand.
As healthcare providers, family, friends, or community members, our duty to our fellow mankind is to provide guidance and love to the lost ones. But we can only give help that they are willing to receive.
As the adage goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
We cannot drag people along or force them to heal. Because healing cannot be done externally. Healing comes from within. If people are not willing to sovereignly seek it, then they will never find it. Most people today are not willing to seek it.
And if they are curious about health sovereignty, here lies the other problem. Many people believe they can only be granted their sovereignty, as if it’s something they must have permission to claim. You don’t need anyone’s permission. No one can give it to you.
You are not a victim of the medical system. You do not owe it anything. Nor does it owe you anything. Citizens are not bound to placate the demands of the system, just as you cannot control it.
So don’t fall into the trap of blaming and laying fault because this action merely holds you captive as a victim. Only you can find your sovereignty within and thereby embody healing.
The system–patient interactions have created a tireless loop of finger pointing, making demands, and shirking responsibility.
The time to break the cycle is now. The system won’t be the one to interrupt the cycle. Sure, it might eventually self-implode, but it’s betting that you will shatter first.
Yes, now is the time for you to break the cycle.
Break it now. Reclaim your health sovereignty. Because no one is coming to save you.
The modern medical system is a sickcare model that poses as the healthcare savior
I throw a lot of shade at the modern medical system, but I do recognize that there are extremely compassionate, kind, and intelligent human beings who serve as magnificent providers. Shout out to the providers who ask questions, listen to others, and challenge themselves to help others.
And we are so fortunate to live in a time with modern medical care. The science and technology that we have access to is incredible with its ability to help acutely sick and injured people. But with the evolution of science and technology, society has become dependent on the medical system to “fix” all its problems.
Modern allopathic medicine is not meant to treat chronic disease, yet it’s erroneously deemed appropriate to do so. The majority of diseases today are chronic, not acute. The system is applying the wrong tool in trying to fix all the problems.
Because this doesn’t work, it’s unsustainable. The system pours its resources into a bottomless pit of sick and unhealthy people who rarely recover. But how can the system survive if it's unsustainable? It must somehow become self-sustaining.
This is possible when the people surrender their health sovereignty to the system. If the system creates the facade of helping people, without actually ever restoring their health, the model feeds itself. Sovereignty is the greatest resource a human possesses, and when people collectively give over this power, the medical system uses it and then some.
Sick people come crying, and the system warmly welcomes the lost souls. But the people find no redemption here. They are made to feel like a burden, dependent, and ashamed of the choices they make. They are made to feel like victims, so the only place they can go is staying where they are: sick, confused, and helpless.
God does not offer your redemption and healing for a price. These are yours if you simply wish to accept His hand. His is the hand of love and personal sovereignty. This is where you find hope and power.
From the pits of your despair to the heights of your joy, you heal when you claim I am.
I am healing, I am.
I am sovereign, I am.
