Three Dangerous Medical Myths

“It’s All In Your Head”

“It’s Genetic”

“It’s Permanent”

If your current doctor tells you that your health concern is any of the foregoing, please leave the doctor’s office as soon as possible. Say “thank you for telling me your opinion,” smile, get up from your seat, and leave. Don’t make friends with the doctor’s staff on the way out, don’t make another appointment, and be glad that you knew these warning signals in advance of personally experiencing some serious harm. It’s time to get a second opinion before filling their recommended prescription.

These are serious recommendations. Remember, if you had already established a long-term relationship with a doctor, you wouldn’t have been told such nonsense. However, in today’s world of managed care and insurance company lists of whom you are “allowed” to see, one may find it difficult to find a doctor who can afford to take the time to find out more about your lifestyle, in an effort to reveal where your problem might have its origins.

The three most dangerous medical beliefs, above, are all opinions. None of them can be proven as fact. Did you know that an extremely low percentage of diseases have been proven to be truly genetic in origin? When you hear the words, “it’s genetic,” it is merely an excuse used by the doctor to pass-off a flawed belief system onto you, make you a “believer,” make you a “good patient,” and end your office visit. That flawed belief system is called “genetic determinism,” which is the doctrine that all human health is determined by DNA and cannot be changed by any of your actions or lifestyle choices. This underlying belief system is evident in a person who would use an expression such as: “it is programmed into your genes.” On the contrary, the whole new field of “epigenetics” disproves the mythical belief of genetic determinism (bad genes, bad dna).

The idea of permanency is usually (there are exceptions) also a medical myth, subtly promulgated by “big pharma” advertisements, where you are exposed to the assumption and belief system that it is okay to take the medicine every day for the rest of your life, along with the belief that your body can never regain its own ability to function without the medicine. Although I do not recommend cessation of the use of prescription medicines without first consulting your doctors, these beliefs are myths. In order to believe these myths one has to go against the evidence that the human body, by nature, is a self-healing and self-regulating organism.

Lastly, and the most dangerous of them all, when combined with the first two beliefs, is the belief that “it’s all in your head.” If you ever hear a doctor tell you something that can be translated as “it’s all in your head,” run; do not walk, out of that office and find a second opinion as soon as possible. I recommend getting a physical exam that doesn’t rely on only a questionnaire or an interview to fully reach a diagnosis. I also recommend seeking the advice of a licensed health practitioner who is familiar with alternatives to medicine, such as nutritional therapeutics (both assessment and treatment). Most medical doctors do not have a sufficient background in these types of approaches, so it will be necessary to find yourself a doctor of chiropractic whose practice includes nutrition and detoxification (it’s always best to find one who is a member of the predominant state association), or a doctor of naturopathy or even an experienced acupuncturist to fulfill your quest for an alternative.

Seeking a second opinion when you are faced with a doctor who wants you to believe these most dangerous medical beliefs, can save your life. The least it can do it help you to make the best choice for your own health needs.

In support of your health,

Barry J. Lieberman, D.C.

Beverly Hills, Calif.

also serving West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Century City, Culver City

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The Three Most Dangerous Medical Beliefs