Medical Disclaimer

Today I read another disclaimer typically assigned to every pharmaceutical information sheet or internet webpage. Instead of just feeling annoyed by it and then ignoring it I decided to share my concerns. Here it is in full - Disclaimer: This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for you. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about this medicine. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. You must talk with your healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using this medicine. The whole thing is disempowering. Effectively they say – ‘We know enough about our product to bring it to market (not whether or not it can benefit you) but don’t think that what we tell you about it is enough to let you use your own judgement about it. Only your healthcare provider can do that. So if it causes you harm it’s her fault, not ours.’ While pretending deference to healthcare providers, who by their knowledge and training are able to decide on which medicines are safe and effective for you, the manufacturers disarm them by declaring that this information sheet does NOT include all information about the possible uses etc of this medicine. Are we to believe that with the introduction of each new medication our healthcare providers receive additional product training on its efficacy and risks? – Unlikely! The truth is they probably don’t know any more about it than you do if you’ve read the leaflet carefully. Generously I’ll acknowledge that one partial sentence is true – ‘You must talk with your healthcare provider..’ The BBC2 Horizon team recently produced a fabulous documentary on the effectiveness of Placebo medications which work even when there is no deception of patients. The very fact that they were being listened to, supported and knew that others wanted their best health is often enough to stimulate the brain’s own pain suppression circuits. In the future we’ll come to appreciate the importance of placebo in healthcare. In the interim we’ll go a long way if we can actively restore a genuine doctor patient relationship instead of the time driven, computer dominated appointment it has degenerated to. That feels better. Now that I’ve vented my irritation has evaporated. Our species needs to communicate – commune, community, communication all have the same root. I’ve just benefited from placebo without even moving my lips!

Tomb Time

In the Christian tradition Good Friday commemorates the day of crucifixion of Jesus Christ and Easter Sunday commemorates his resurrection. The story tells of suffering and death followed by transformation and glory but the time in between is seldom considered. It does however have many parallels in life. Spring is a time of natural beauty, rich in promise. Brighter days have returned and there is warmth in the air. Across the world farmers sow their fields in the hope of an autumn harvest. The seed is buried in the ground and dies so that new life can spring forth. While we know it’s happening, there’s nothing to be seen until the green shoots appear above ground. When relationships fail the act of separation is often very painful. The emotions experienced can cover the full spectrum from anger, sorrow and remorse to profound relief. The resulting ‘Tomb Time’ is a necessary passage to a new life beyond, though unlike the farm seed there’s unlikely to be a regular time frame for recovery. Seeds are hardy however and wild seeds often lie dormant for many years before germination. Wounded soldiers returning from war suffer from a range of issues. Missing limbs are immediately obvious but not so the psychological trauma resulting from life changing surgery and the loss of fallen comrades. Reintegrating with society and their families can be most difficult. Many don’t make it. It’s a sad fact that more soldiers die by their own hand after returning home than die in battle. In current times Europe is coping with a refugee crisis where millions of displaced persons are seeking safety and the hope of a normal life far from the homes they have known. History has shown that the intense psychological stresses associated with forced migration result in high levels of heart disease. Stress also suppresses the immune system and leaves us more vulnerable to cancer. How might we minimise ‘Tomb Time’? Clearly it would be unnatural not to have it. Indeed, we would be very concerned for any individual who endured a life changing event without showing emotion. In her book ‘On Death and Dying’, Kubler-Ross describes the stages on the journey to recovery. Change takes different times depending on the nature of the transition and the individuals involved but recovery tends to follow a standard path of denial, anger and depression. Perhaps the key consideration for transition in recovery is environment. The farmer prepares his fields before sowing. Heartbroken individuals need a psychological refuge, a place of calm neutrality. Soldiers need the support of family and society. In every case, Love is the common denominator. Since change is a constant of the universe it follows that we will all experience it. Tomb time is a fact of life. This is a central reason why we must act together to provide an environment of empathy and support. We can be sure it’s not a question of ‘if’ misfortune should strike but ‘when’. So let us not show indifference toward others who find themselves in distress; our day is coming. As we sow, so shall we reap.

Set Points

It has long been known that the growing child, in the womb, takes as normal the level of hormones in circulation in the mother’s blood. This means that before the child is even born it has unconsciously learned what ‘normal’ levels of stress and normal weights are. When in later life the individual wants to de-stress or reduce weight, she can find herself struggling against her very physiology. Returning to ‘Factory Settings’ may mean accepting their predicament exactly as is. Although this may be looked upon as a convenient Get-Out for some who don’t want to believe their situation can change, and so effort is futile, it masks the fact that change actually requires acceptance of where and how we are in any moment. This was put to me in a slightly different way at the weekend when a friend spoke of how his daily mediation routine now included a ‘brain scan’ in which he would ask if there was anything he could do to serve his mind and body so that it would be optimally positioned to take him through the day. This level of introspection was born from a deep sense of self care rather than accusation. He was entering into a respectful and purposeful dialogue with his subconscious before setting out on his day of discovery and service as he moves toward the image of his life that he wants to manifest. It reminded me of a pivotal moment in my life as a project manager when my effectiveness was multiplied many fold when I adopted the stance of team facilitator rather than driver. Instead of telling everyone what they had to do I was inviting them to express themselves with maximum creativity toward achieving our collective goal. The energy level in the group soared. While physical set points may be immediately obvious, the mental and spiritual set points are generally harder to recognise. Rather than a genetic inheritance, mental and spiritual components are more down to nurture than nature. ‘The apple never falls far from the tree’ is another way of saying that an individual’s behaviour is largely determined by one’s parenting. A child growing up in an abusive household or one with poor or no role models, will develop survival strategies just to get by. Their set points have generally not equipped them for collaboration in society. They are more likely to get into trouble and have their schooling disrupted. In many cases a tendency to be unruly may result in their being medicated to impose docility and compliance. It’s easier to ply children with medication than to help them work through their challenges in more helpful ways. Irrespective of whether we’re born into privilege or deprivation, we’re all damaged to some degree and our perspective of the world distorted. Depending on our ability to function we may seek healing in our lives and embark on the journey of self-actualisation through life-coaching or psychotherapy. ‘Life Happens’ so that we are dealt a variety of ‘learning experiences’ from which we can choose to grow better or bitter but the further our set point is from ‘reality’ the more the adjustment is going to hurt. Introspection and healing is often painful and most of us avoid it. It’s also very hard to appreciate our environment when it’s an integral part of our life. – How would a goldfish describe water? Understanding and accepting exactly where our set points lie can provide the impetus to change but understandably we seldom want to go there. If you do choose to make the journey it’s important to have the right support and to choose a travel companion you trust to hold the mirror to you. Someone who’ll challenge you but also soothe, encourage and support you as you go on your way.