The Changing Role of the Patient
by Gary Sandman

It used to be that we honored doctors as demigods of our health care or at the least, the holder of the key to our health. Times have changed. Either due to the fact that we seem to be questioning all authority figures, the dearth of information on the internet, the increase in chronic illness, (The World Health Organization has ranked the United States health care 15th in the world) or our health system¹s reliance on managed care - many adults are going beyond the scope of their primary care physician and searching for alternative therapies. Seniors wanting better quality of life, baby boomers wanting to remain young forever are in the forefront of demanding better health care. Over 60% of all Americans use some form of alternative medicine last year. All of this change points to the evolution of the patient's role from going to a doctor to have them "fix me" to becoming involved in one's personal healing journey.

Patients want a doctor who acts as their coach and information resource as well as the doctor who is able to red flag any signs that could signal a more serious problem. But they also want the doctor to be as informed as Dr Andy Weil, Dr Koop, Gary Null and the National Institute of Health combined. Unfortunately we are in a time of change in our health care system and there is no one person who has all of the answers for us.

The concept of Mind Body Spirit medicine has taken hold on Americans as an answer to health issues not addresses by conventional care. This incorporates using alternative practitioners as well as reassessing one¹s life and its affects on one¹s health. Recent studies show that up to 80% of all chronic illnesses are due to inappropriate lifestyle choices. With this is mind, we can gain more control over our health by paying attention to the effects of our actions, emotions, thoughts, eating habits and lifestyle on our health. We also need to learn to trust ourselves, so we can better determine our personal toxins and supports. Food, actions, thoughts, judgments, relationships, and work, all  have a supportive or toxic effect on us. Part of creating health is choosing supports and letting go of toxins.

Smoking cessation, dietary change or any lifestyle changes are not easy steps for most individuals. Unhealthy behaviors have secondary benefits which make the habit difficult to break. Most people need help in this transition phase. Alternative medicine practitioners are well trained and have many options in helping patients create healthy change in their life through the use of Mind Body Medicine, acupuncture, nutrition, supplements, meditation or other therapies. Certain herbs can literally help change our food cravings from sugars and fats to salads and fruits and vegetables. Acupuncture can help with appetite control. Hypnotherapy has been effective with smoking cessation. Plus most alternative medicine practitioners are trained to help people make these transitional changes and learn the benefits of healthier choices.

This preventative regime takes a very natural and simple perspective. Working from an attitude of discovery, the individual starts to experiment to determine what supports them and what is toxic to them. They look at food, drinks, daily habits, jobs, relationships, recreation, all aspects of their life. Two perspectives have to be examined in relationship to all of these things. The first is: What is my attitude or judgment that could be causing the toxic thoughts? The other -  is the examined object toxic to me?  We have a choice, we can change our mind or change the object of concern. We can change our attitude or change our job if it is not healthy for us.

Another aspect of health care that is coming to the forefront and affecting our role as a patient is the realization that we are all a little bit different than the person next to us. Sure we all have two arms, eyes, ears, and legs. But we all have certain peculiarities that vary from person to person besides our finger prints. Allergies can make one person¹s dessert another person¹s poison. Our nutritional needs are different and unique also. The Health and Research Institute in the Midwest has studied and tested individual nutritional needs for the past 20 years on over 20,000 patients. They have developed a testing mechanism that determines the exact type and amount of nutritional supplementation that our body needs. It shows our inherent strengths and our weaknesses and compensates for them with the proper amount of nutrients. Clients who  have used these custom blended formulas have reported better health, mental clarity and emotional well being. In separate work with children, they have had an overwhelming success rate with children with ADD, ADH and depression. These results are from providing the body with the appropriate nutritional supplementation that it needs to function. Similar to putting in the right grade of gasoline and oil for your car. Without the right amount of nutrients, health symptoms and illnesses can occur.

Further evidence of the need for individualized health care is found amongst cancer survivors. The one consistent thread amongst them is their ability to learn to trust them self. They decided on their treatments and lifestyle changes based on their higher guidance. They learned to listen and follow their gut instinct. Many practitioners concur with this assessment of healing. 'To heal' comes from the Latin 'to make whole.' For many survivors the illness or disease is actually a doorway to help them find more wholeness in their life. It gives them an opportunity to develop themselves as better people on the inside in order to balance out the hectic workaholic lifestyle we are fall prey to in the Nation¹s Capitol. More evidence is pointing to the possibility that the illness is the opportunity to make a change in our life. We can rid ourselves of our personal toxins and add more supportive people, places and lifestyle activities in our life. We can grow inwardly with a fuller richer healthier life and peace of mind. These are the true experiences of health.

Gary D. Sandman has been involved with alternative medicine practitioners and natural products for over 25 years. He is the President of the Alternative Medicine Referral Service offering free referrals to licensed and credentialed whole person alternative medicine practitioners. His company produces alternative health care educational programs for consumers.