Guest guest Posted April 16, 2003 Report Share Posted April 16, 2003 Tue, 15 Apr 2003 11:20:00 -0500 WC Douglass Playing doctor Daily Dose April 15, 2003 ************************************************************** Treat yourself -- to some sound medicine, for a change.... No M.D. who ever swore to the Hippocratic oath could in good conscience tell people NOT to go a doctor if they're sick... Right? Despite this, the fact remains that iatrogenic (doctor- caused) reasons account for more deaths in this country than all other causes -- except heart disease and cancer. And within this humbling (and terrifying) truth lies an interesting dilemma: Should people try to diagnose and treat themselves for illnesses? On the one hand, people who lack a medical education might do themselves real harm (or miss disease a doctor would discover) by engaging in do-it-yourself medicine. But on the other, they may just be saving their own lives! Hmmm. No easy answer to this one.... Which brings me to my point -- an idea that's gotten lost in the mainstream's idea of medicine: Personal accountability. What drove me to consider this is a recent study of 45,000 men and women concluding that people might be taking dietary supplements in an attempt to treat or prevent illness. Imagine! The horror of people taking charge of their own health... My question is this: Why SHOULDN'T people try to educate themselves about safe, natural substances that can protect them from disease -- or even cure them? Isn't this better in some ways than putting themselves blindly into the hands of the pill-and-scalpel quacks that are the third-leading cause of death in our country? As an M.D., I can't tell you that dietary supplements are a substitute for regular doctor visits -- or that every disease can be treated or cured with vitamins, minerals, nutrients and the like... But I have discovered natural wonders in my lifetime -- and I write about them every day. And I do believe that, in many cases, they're superior to drugs and surgery. I also believe that people have an uncanny knack for knowing when something is wrong with their health -- and that the failure of many doctors to simply listen to their patients is what makes modem medicine so dangerous... But I can't legally or ethically tell you that without also saying this: Always check with your doctor before taking any " natural " substances to prevent or treat any illness. And if he (or she) won't listen to you, find another doctor who will. I'm all for taking charge of your own health and going against the big-brother mainstream -- but I'd never encourage you to play at being your own doctor. The stakes are just too high. ************************************************************** The hard science behind the " Home Depot Phenomenon " I'm about to break the universal unspoken code of the manly man, here. So listen up -- especially you ladies -- because now I'm going to attempt to shed some light on why the husbands, brothers, sons, and uncles of this great nation (or rather, of planet Earth itself) are naturally attracted by tools of all types... Don't tell me you haven't noticed the men in your life being drawn like moths to a flame toward anything with " Craftsman, " " DeWalt, " or " Snap-On " stamped into it? Here's at least part of the reason why: Recent research cataloged in the journal Nature Neuroscience, shows that our minds -- those of both sexes -- are very likely to be hard-wired to automatically direct our attention toward graspable objects like screwdrivers, hammers, and other hand-held tools. Apparently, these objects, by their very shape, can command as much visceral attention as images of food, flashing lights, or an attractive body. Fascinating, isn't it? But this finding begs the question: If both sexes respond in this way, why do MEN seem to be more fixated on tools, guns, fishing rods, gearshifts, and other such " grabbies " in particular? What's really at the root of the Home Depot Phenomenon? Well, I can't prove it for sure, but it's probably caused by simple socialization -- learned behavior that's based on a person's sex, in this case... You know, that age-old " nature-versus-nurture " principle today's psychologists use to classify everything they don't understand (or don't want to admit) about what makes us tick... It's the same thing that draws women to shoes, I'd wager. But none of this explains the cosmetics phenomenon. (Maybe I shouldn't get into that.) Always learning -- and never pretending, William Campbell Douglass, II, M.D. P.S. After a terrible accident, Dr. Robert Atkins remains comatose from a head injury he suffered when he slipped on a patch of morning ice outside his New York office last week. You may know him as the pioneer of the healthy low- carbohydrate diet that's just lately being given its due after 30 long years. But I know him as a trusted colleague whose views about health, nutrition, and longevity are so close to my own that I've often thought of him as a brother – a " kindred spirit " in pursuit of alternatives to the mainstream. Even though his situation appears bleak, I remain optimistic. After all, he's in fine health, and he's a hell of a fighter. I'm pulling for you, Bob ************************************************************** Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.realhealthnews.com, L.L.C. The Daily Dose may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please click here http://www.realhealthnews.com/questions.shtml ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the Real Health Forum, search past e-letters and products or you're a Real Health r and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.realhealthnews.com ************************************************************** To learn more about Real Health, call (203) 699-4420 or visit http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/RHB/WRHBCC11/home.cfm ************************************************************** Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.