when are doctors going to step up?

The medical community is failing people. That's why they turn to Facebook groups and Google for answers. That's why you get people passionately insisting that XYZ that worked for them, will work for everyone. Thats why you get the "mummy wars" hot-topics: Vaginal vs Cesarean, Breast v's Bottle, Vax or No Vax, Sleep Train or Attachment Parent, and the accompying accusations of causing 'shame' and 'judgement' or of being a 'sanctimommy' or 'breast/Nazi". That's why you get people accusing eachother of being horrible parents and saying things like "your kids should be taken away". 


Because you have all these people who are looking for answers, and looking for credibility in those answers finding that their health professional either belittles them, or tells them they "must" do ABC. That it is the only way. And far far too often, that recommended course of action is not evidence based. 

Quiz time: What do all of the following have in common?
 

• Infertility
• Complications from the Pill
• Childbirth
• Breastfeeding complications
• Reflux & Colic
• Timing and method of solid food introduction 
• "picky eaters"
• problems with eating solid foods 
• Baby sleep
• Vaccine reactions 
• Autisim/AspergersSensory
• Processing Disorder
• ADD/ADHD
• Oppositional Defiance Disorder
• Mental Health illnesses
• Chronic fatiuge/Fibromalgia/Adreneal Fatiuge
• Allergies
• Leaky Gut/IBS
• Ceoliac disease
• Autoimmune diseases
• Cancer

Answer:

They all have people desprately searching for answers and validation on the internet. People are turning to DR Google in their droves, hoping for that "right" peice to the puzzle. They are turning to forums and facebook, praying that they will find someone else who's plight resembles theirs. 

Because there are two other things they all have in common.

At some point in the last century there has been a spike in occurance rates/problems identified/people compliaing.

And they are all still things that far too many health professionals refuse to acknowledge even exist. 

It doesn't seem to matter wheather there is decades of peer-reviewed quality research that proves the existence of the issue or wheather there is only anecdotes and "psyeudo-science", the patients presenting to the health care providers are ingored, turned away, bellitled, treated as a nuiscance, shut up, made to comply, told it's all in their head, laughed at and fobbed off with perscriptions, drug based "treatments" and surgical interventions that either cause more harm, or just mask the symptoms. 

[Yep, even Cancer. Ok Chemo and Radiotherapy can actually sucessfully treat cancer and kill it. But if you don't want to have chemo.........if you are not sure that you really want to put your body through all the radiotherapy..... Essentially you are told you're giving yourself a death sentance, there's no alternative path within the medical community.]

The medical community is failing people. That's why they turn to Facebook groups and Google for answers. That's why you get people passionately insisting that XYZ that worked for them, will work for everyone. Thats why you get the "mummy wars" hot-topics: Vaginal vs Cesarean, Breast v's Bottle, Vax or No Vax, Sleep Train or Attachment Parent, and the accompying accusations of causing 'shame' and 'judgement' or of being a 'sanctimommy' or 'breast/Nazi". That's why you get people accusing eachother of being horrible parents and saying things like "your kids should be taken away". 


Because you have all these people who are looking for answers, and looking for credibility in those answers finding that their health professional either belittles them, or tells them they "must" do ABC. That it is the only way. And far far too often, that recommended course of action is not evidence based. 


Until such a time as the vast majority (like at least 85%) of health professionals are actually held acountable for staying up to date with their (non-drug company funded) training and the research. Are actually forced to treat based on impartial evidence. Are not given kickbacks and perks for perscribing drugs. Are "upstreamists" trained in functional medicine - who search for the cause, rather than just masking the symptoms and are trained to work collaboratively, to see the links across specialities. 

Untill such time as (this is a big one) health professionals can put their own egos aside, and volunatrily step down off the pedestal they enjoyed before the internet. Untill they actually listen to their patients. Actually report data back to drug companies and researchers*, we are going to continue to have the DR Google phenomenom.


To paraphase our suddenly desposed ex-priminster If you want a better patient, be a better doctor. 


*If you are female you may be interested in participating in one of HormonesMatter/Lucine Health Services "Real Women Real Data" surveys. At this point in time they have research surveys on womens experiences with: Oral Contraceptives, Gardsil, Hysterectomy,  and Lupron,
*Both men and women can participate in their fluoroquinolone antibiotics survey.