Doctors Profit From Sick Patients

Hello,

I believe it stems from historical practices in both our countries regarding pharmaceutical companies. Historically, treatment focused on medication, which led to significant breakthroughs like antibiotics. However, subsequently, there was a shift towards profit-driven motives, and medical training centered around diagnosis and prescribing drugs.

Fortunately, things are changing recently. In both the US and the UK, doctors and scientists are increasingly exploring natural approaches to prevent illnesses through lifestyle changes such as diet, sleep, exercise, and relaxation techniques. Additionally, here in the UK, there is a growing emphasis on activities like being outdoors, mindfulness practices, and cold-water swimming for mental health issues. There's also a movement towards holistic wellness, acknowledging that mind and body are interconnected.

Functional Medicine addresses this comprehensive approach to treating individuals. Personally, I rely on research from reputable online sources when dealing with various health issues, especially as I age. While I depend on medication for asthma and current mental health needs, I am comfortable with it if it improves my quality of life.

Finding doctors who understand your perspective is crucial. Recently, I encountered excellent healthcare providers who listen carefully and treat me respectfully. In contrast, some past experiences were unsatisfactory, leading me to avoid those practitioners after just one visit.

Do you think it's true that the medical system in the United States is structured primarily for doctors' benefit? It seems as though patients end up facing lifelong diagnoses and accumulating debt while doctors are compensated for diagnosing and treating illnesses.

I don't live in the States, so I can't really speak to your question first-hand honestly. But here in England, I'm super graeful for our NHS. Though, I do see some parallels with how doctors and pharma companies are buddies-like, they get perks or push certain brands which makes sense if you think about it.

I agree that patients don't always need a diagnosis or medication, but it feels like everyone expects it. It's easier to just walk out with a prescription and a quick fix rather than digging deeper into what might be causing the issues. The old way is faaster AND it keeps some people in their pockets-so they're not about to change.

We have to find doctors who think differently, you know? And we gotta do our own reesarch on our symptoms and approach ourselves more holistically. I's tough, but maybe if enough of us start doing this, the system will shift eventually. That's my hope anyway!

Hi there from down under! Your description of "the health system" definitely aligns with what I think about it. If you have a chance, maybe do everything possible to get some kind of universal healthcare in place. Is Medicaid still around? We've had Medicare here in Australia for the last 50 years, so i guess it's something that can be done

Yeah, it's crazy. Even with Medicare, doctors seem hell-bent on diagnosing everything under the sun. I mean, where's the profit in keeping patients healthy if they don't rack up those billable hours?