QUOTE: “If you cannot cure the patient, then blaming the patient often follows suit. When we don’t understand the source of the problem or how we can alleviate it, ‘the more psychological, spiritual, and moral meaning it takes on.”
In the Kingdom of the Sick : a Social History of Chronic Illness in America, 2013,
Edwards, Laurie (Laurie Elizabeth)
Commentary: Today, the quote can be expanded to “if you cannot prevent the patient from getting sick…” But we need to ask ourselves, why can’t our doctors cure their patients? Why can’t they prevent illness and disease?
Health is the best preventative, the best treatment, the best cure. Improvements in healthiness of diet, body, mind, spirits, communities, and environments present many alternatives to prevent, treat, and cure disease.
No medicine improves healthiness - despite the marketing efforts of our “health systems” (medical systems). When we are healthy, we get fewer colds of shorter duration. When we are less healthy, we get more colds which last longer. The same can be said for many diseases, from the common cold, influenza, measles, and COVID to depression, diabetes, hypertension, and many more.
But modern medicine claims, almost with pride, “there is no cure for the common cold.”
The Cure Quote Generator contains over 3000 random quotes about “cure”. Click the link to see a quote for today.
> Why can’t they [doctors] prevent illness and disease?
Because it is not their role.
It’s like with firefighters - why can’t they prevent fires? Or with Baywatch swimsuit guards - why can’t they prevent drowning? Or with teachers - why can’t they prevent failures at exams? Or with the police - why can’t they prevent crime? Or with retail shops - why can’t they prevent alcoholism? Or with smartphone manufacturers - why can’t they prevent gadget addiction?
All these organizations / groups are here to come into play AFTER the fact. Prevention is the responsibility of the “user”, you, me, and everybody else, each one separately and individually. WE need to learn the tricks of Life that keep us away from illness, fires, crimes, drowning of failed exams.
We can do this all by ourselves (in most cases) or by hiring specialized organizations (or attending special courses and trainings) or individuals (e.g. by taking private lessons, finding alternative sources of information or learning from nutrition and/or herb specialists).
This separation of roles is exactly as it should be. Doctors are (and should only be) emergency services. If you shift the blame for illnesses on them and force them into “prevention”, they will sabotage (even subconsciously) the whole treatment process for the sake of guarding and keeping their livelihood. Normal, common human behaviour. (Well, whom are we to find guilty of this: why can’t they be prevented from protecting their source of income?...)
It is most clear with “social” media which are openly anti-social - they go to amazing lengths to keep visitors 2000% addicted to their platforms. It is your and my responsibility to be aware of it and act accordingly.
No, you cannot use law to force doctors into preventing illnesses. How would you hold them responsible for myriads of habits of their patients?