Thanks for your post. I am not anti-medicine. I take some meds myself for high blood pressure, and a few other things.
Nor do I believe that "all individuals are self-actualizing and clear in advancing their own interest all of the time" but if you were subjected to a medication that was giving you harmful side effects would you say "I can't advance my own interest because not everyone can, so therefore I will continue to take this harmful drug?" Of course not. Converting all action to one narrow view as though it must fit into a perfect philosophical slot does not work.. Sometimes people do get clear and they act accordingly.
I've responded to a couple other comments below.
Christopher Rhoades Dÿkema wrote:
>
> Marta Russell wrote:
> > When
> > the patient knows this and expresses it,
>
> Why necessarily accord the patient's perception primary acceptance? This gets
> to Yoshie's comments in a later post about the "informed consumer," a
> questionable myth.
Again, I do know that in many instances patients get incompetent advice and they do know something is causing them harm... further I know many patients who know more than doctors about their condition -- just to survive they have had to know it. Doctors who do not understand quadriplegia, for instance, often will put a quad in harm's way by not knowing details the quad does know. You should see how many times quads get decibutus ulcers just cause the professionals did not know about pressure sores. Once a quad goes through that once, they will fight to not be put in that position again! Your comment suggests medical professionals are immune to being ignorant.
I know what I know. So there must be others who are informed as well.
What is the alternative -- fascist medicine where the "professional" is in total charge and dictates what we all must passively do?
Really I don't get where this thread is going. It is not totally one way or the other way. There seems to be some need for a formula here where everyone can feel better cause they've got it locked down.
Marta