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Health Care Crisis
Written by Bernie Siegel, MD
The present health care crisis is not !st relate" to health care it is a crisis relate" to what
is happening in o!r society. We ha#e become "epersonalize" as a society, in#este" in
technology an" not the e$perience people are ha#ing. St!"ies #eri%y what happens to
chil"ren who grow !p !nlo#e" an" e$periencing in"i%%erence, reection an" ab!se. By
mi"li%e i% they ha#en&t 'ille" themsel#es an" others while see'ing re#enge an"
e$periencing g!ilt relate" to their actions, almost one h!n"re" percent o% them ha#e
e$perience" a maor illness, while lo#e" chil"ren ha#e one(%o!rth the serio!s illness rate.
)n%ormation "oes not resol#e !nhealthy beha#ior. *eople who smo'e or are two h!n"re"
po!n"s o#erweight are not acting o!t o% st!pi"ity or a lac' o% 'nowle"ge. What e#eryone
nee"s is inspiration. When parents, teachers, clergy, "octors, politicians an" other
a!thority %ig!res "isplay their lo#e %or in"i#i"!als they are relate" to or caring %or, the
health o% the planet an" its resi"ents will impro#e. This is not abo!t li'ing what people
are "oing b!t it is abo!t lo#ing them an" maintaining a relationship with them !ntil they
realize they are worthy an" lo#e". +t that point they begin to %ollow instr!ctions an"
beha#e in a manner that is li%e enhancing an" not sel%("estr!cti#e. ) 'now this %rom my
e$perience as a s!rgeon who "i" not reect his patients.
When yo! grow !p witho!t lo#e what yo! see' are rewar"s an" %eelings that yo! ne#er
e$perience" in a healthy way. So the in"i#i"!al t!rns to a""ictions o% "r!gs, %oo" alcohol
an" more as a way o% rewar"ing themsel#es an" n!mbing their pain. We nee" to listen to
each other an" treat the wo!n"s o% the in"i#i"!als we are caring %or an" abo!t. St!"ies
re#eal that when a patient states their "octor listene" to them "!ring their o%%ice #isit they
are %ar more li'ely to ta'e their me"ication an" %ollow the "octor&s a"#ice.
Society nee"s to see parenting as a p!blic health iss!e an" help parents to bring their
chil"ren !p %eeling lo#e". We ha#e birthing classes b!t no parenting classes. The latter is
"esperately nee"e" i% we are to a#oi" sel% "estr!ction. +ll a!thority %ig!res in a person&s
li%e become either "estr!cti#e or constr!cti#e parents %or the in"i#i"!al. This incl!"es
e#erything %rom global warming to obesity. )% yo! grow !p with a sense o% sel%(worth an"
esteem yo! "o not beha#e in a "estr!cti#e an" !nhealthy manner towar"s yo!rsel% an"
others. +s the %ather o% %i#e chil"ren ) 'now the importance o% letting the chil"ren 'now
that parental "iscipline comes %rom a sense o% lo#e %or them. Then they %ollow "irections
beca!se it gi#es a new sense o% meaning to the message. ) was calle" a CD by a s!ici"al
teenager, who is ali#e to"ay beca!se ) became her Chosen Da", who lo#e" her. We all
ha#e the potential to reparent o!rsel#es an" others.
Doctors also nee" to !n"erstan" what people nee" is treatment o% not !st their "iagnosis
b!t their e$perience. When yo! as' patients what they want %rom their "octors they "o
not as' that e#ery "isease be c!re" b!t they "o as' that "octors, ,-noc' on my "oor, loo'
me in the eye when they tal' to me, say hello an" goo"bye an" call me by my name..