Journal

Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith, Michael Jackson, and many of us who know those with stories of prescription drug abuse... 

One underlying theme here is personal responsibility.  What is our responsibility first to ourselves and then to others?  What do we abdicate to others and give up for ourselves?  Is it laziness that allows for this behavior?  Poor self-image or confidence?  Or merely trusting what someone in a white coat has to say lock-stock-and-barrel.  We are each our own best judges for our health.  But that message is not one that we are taught in our current health care system.

As patients, we must take charge of our own health.  Gather as much information as you can, present it to your doctor and make an informed decision.  If your doctor is not welcoming of you as a more empowered patient, find another doctor.  I love it and prefer it when patients come to me with questions and their own research.  Hold me to task.  And I have no problem saying, "I don't know, but let me find out for you."  It is not about ego, it is about giving my paitents the best possible care and information I can and letting them make the decisions.  Take nothing I say as gospel.  Question it, and if it makes sense to you and results are found, then agree to it and follow my guidance.  I always say, "There is no excuse for a bad haircut."  You were sitting there watching it happen in the mirror. Yet, somehow, we place ourselves in the powerless role when working with someone with "authority."  Trust, but verify.

On the doctor side of this, MJ had a nutritionist (?) who refused to prescribe the sedative that may have killed him.  Though this is the only one mentioned, who was there to coordinate care?  Who was there to see the addictive and out-of-control state MJ was in and have the compassion enough to not simply give one more drug, but instead address the real issues going on?  Where is the personal responsiblity of his health care providers?

And where is our collective responsibility in watching MJ's slow and painful downward spiral that we looked away from when he would dazzle us with his unparalleled artistry?  And it does not have to only be him we are talking about.  Of our own close circle of people, our friends, our family members, who is struggling that we choose to not get involved with to help?  From a place of love and compassion, can we find it in us, to reach out to support those in need?  Help can be denied and later received when ready, but at least that person knows you are there for help.

Premature death is always tragic.  When gifts are no longer able to be given to the world, we all lose.  And we all have those gifts to give.  I love my neighbor as I love my Self.  Personal responsibility starts at home.  "Why would you shake a man's hand if you are not gonna help him stand?' Ben Harper

Be well,

Jordan Hoffman, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
"AcuJordan"

There is a time and a place for medications, no doubt.  Determining that is an individual decision that should be weighed after doing as much research and self-educating as you can coupled with sound medical advice.  Weight loss is  a challenging issue to deal with.  It involves life-style adjustments-- the hardest to affect in my patients-- psycho-emotional issues -- depression, body image, addiction--, and very real physiological health concerns with more than one diagnosed condition.  Where does one begin?  When I see patients one either multiple medications or multiple supplements, the first question I ask after reviewing their health history is why are they taking what they are taking.  And do they understand what interactions may be taking place.  It is a very slippery slope when you start chasing sympotms with meds.  Stacking them one at a time leads to its own health problems.  This is where consulting your primary care physician comes into play.  Ask them to help you coordinate your regimen.  It also helps to get a complemtnary perspective from another discipline that is focuses on seeing the whole of a person, as we are more than just the some of our symptoms.  I find that as an acupuncturist, my patients appreciate this Chinese Medicine can offer a different context for their dizzying array of symptoms, that can at times tie many of them together into a more understandable pattern of imbalance.  "Treating the root," we say.  And this is no more true than with the complex pattern of weight loss.

Be well,

Jordan Hoffman, L.Ac., Dipl. OM
"AcuJordan"