Article: Please Stop Telling Me Your Natural Supplement Will 'Cure' My Illness

Andy

Andy

Retired committee member
Right away the title of my post will separate most readers into one of two camps: half will have their finger poised above the “love” button and the others above the “angry” one. That is a reflection of today’s society: Some people seem to believe that alternative medicine is absurd, nothing more than a pricey placebo effect. Others believe that Western medicine is nothing but a farce that promotes illness for profit. Precious few seem to view them as I do: complementary of one another. As a figure competitor (albeit one on a prolonged health-induced sabbatical), I love natural medicine. Over the years, I have garnered immeasurable benefits from the vast options available to me through naturopathy. However, as much as I enjoy kombucha and acupuncture, I enjoy living more. And I can only do so with the use of conventional medicine.

I have a complicated, potentially life-threatening genetic disorder that requires more than kale and happy thoughts to treat. My illness is hardwired into my DNA. If you could cure it, you would be in Sweden accepting a Nobel prize in medicine, not touting an herbal blend to “eliminate toxins” in order to facilitate the function of my failing GI tract.

My first and foremost pet peeve is when someone offers a holistic “cure” for my illness. It has happened to me for years, but since I have been slated to have the remainder of my colon removed and a permanent ileostomy placed next month, people have been coming out of the woodwork to propose alternative methods to heal my ailments.
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https://themighty.com/2017/11/people-saying-natural-supplement-will-cure-chronic-illness/

Just last week it was suggested to my wife that it was probably my diet that meant I was feeling tired...
 
I had an argument with my mum, who I live with, last week over these kinds of annoying suggestions. The biggest problem is that she doesn't take no for an answer so an argument becomes inevitable and ultimately makes me feel sicker than I already do.
 
Yea, the dark side of (false) hope. Despair, and blaming the patient for not trying hard enough.

Honestly, it doesn't matter whether its "alternative" or "conventional", how much can we expect of any treatment that doesn't get at the mechanisms actually making us sick?

We're not sick because we lack a certain vitamin, or because we ate badly before, or because our gut bacteria are weird. We're sick because something has gone horribly wrong in our bodies, and that needs to be fixed (or at least its effects on our body need to be minimised).

At the very best - the very best - we can maybe relieve some small things that were adding to the problem.
 
Didn't read the link but i agree with the person who said there is no such thing as alternative medicine, medication either works or it does not.
However the placebo effect can make people believe something works when in fact its a sham or even poisonous.

So in conclusion where is my curative galvanic belt? :rofl:

 
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From a New York Times article on "What Not To Say To A Cancer Patient".
NY Times said:
• Don’t make light of a patient’s physical changes by saying things like “At least you finally lost those extra pounds.”

• Don’t talk about other patients with similar cancers, even if they fared well — no two cancers are alike. It’s fine, though, to ask if the patient would like to talk with someone else who’s been through it.

• Don’t say the patient is lucky to have one kind of cancer rather than another, which downplays what the person is going through. There’s nothing lucky about having cancer even if it’s a “good” cancer.

• Don’t say “I know how you feel” because you can’t possibly know. Better to ask, “Do you want to talk about how you feel, how having cancer is affecting you?”

• Don’t offer information about unproven treatments or referrals to doctors with questionable credentials.

• Don’t suggest that the person’s lifestyle is to blame for the disease, even if it may have been a contributing cause. Blame is not helpful. Many factors influence cancer risk; even for lifelong smokers, getting cancer is often just bad luck.

• Don’t preach to the patient about staying positive, which can induce feelings of guilt in the patient if things don’t go well. Better to say, “I’m here for you no matter what happens,” and mean it.

• Don’t ask about prognosis. If the patient volunteers that information, it’s O.K. to talk further about its implications. Otherwise, it’s better to stifle your curiosity.

• Don’t burden the patient with your own feelings of distress, although it’s fine to say, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.” If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of interacting with a person with cancer, it’s better to say, “I don’t know what to say” than to say nothing at all or to avoid the person entirely, who may then feel abandoned and think you don’t care.​
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I don’t really care how something is labeled or perceived, if a treatment works, then Bravo! If it fails, it’s gets thrown in the garbage.

Regarding people making stupid remarks, unless I lock myself in my home, and have no contact with humans, they will continue. My dog looks at me like I am wonderful, beautiful, and amazing; now this is the kind of feedback I thoroughly enjoy :emoji_blush: :emoji_feet::heart:

In the past, I admit it, I offered my fair share of suggestions to other people. Some were spot on while others were made in ignorance. I did the best I could at the time, with the knowledge I had.
 
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@MErmaid my dog looks at me like I’ve no idea what I’m doing! Bet she’s longing to recommend something! Probably daily walks ;)

I think this issue is more the lack of social skills in how people suggest stuff. Sometimes I’ve seen noticeable improvement after starting a supplement or similar. As far as I can remember, these have never been introduced to me as recommendations from healthies.

What annoys me is the assumption that they have more knowledge than me on my condition and what may help. Apart from when I was too ill to read, if they stop to think about it this is very unlikely to be true, but they don’t stop to think before suggesting. :banghead:
 
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