| We Need Both: “Pills AND Skills“ |
| What typically happens when you visit the doctor these days? You go in to the doctor’s office expecting to get a pill. How often do you actually get self-help skills from your doctor? Then what? You go back later for a stronger dose because you haven’t dealt with the root cause of the pain or illness. You may even get sicker. Or you remain on the medicine indefinitely. Does this sound familiar to you? Every day we are bombarded with Prescription ads that say “Ask your doctor if this pill is right for you,” but how often do you ask? Do you ever really know? Knowing what the short term and long term effects of what you put in your body is important. Here are a few things to consider: 1. Individuals require different dosages. Medications are designed and tested on average bodies, but that may not always represent you. 2. Beware the cocktail effect of medications! Medications can be partnered unsafely with other drugs. Most adults are on multiple prescriptions, using medications in combinations is not the way they were tested and approved. Yikes! 3. When a person is on a variety of pills to treat different issues, it’s incredibly difficult for a doctor to sort out which of the patient’s symptoms are due to the underlying illness or due to the side of effects of the pills. So, what can you do? Abandon pills? No! Stopping your medication without consulting your physician is not a good plan. We need work with our physicians and let them know we want a “Pills-and-Skills Model of Healthcare.” As a Dr. Sears Health Coach I advocate for the Dr. Sears approach so you can take back control of your health. Dr. Sears says, “the best way to lower your pill bill is to raise your self-help skills.” The Pills-and-Skills Model means changing your mind-set from “Doctor, what can I take?” to “Doctor, what can I do.” Want to learn more about the Pills-and-Skills model and how to open your own Internal Pharmacy? Do you want to learn how your body can make its own medicine? Allow me to teach you! Join a Prime Time Health Workshop or eWorkshop today. Health Coach Pro-Tip Next doctor visit, have a list of questions ready about your medications and health concerns. Remember asking your physician “what you can do” vs “what can you take” changes the dynamic of your relationship. Make sure your doctor knows you want more than a quick fix or a band aid. You want to treat the root cause. |