Addressing Disabling Symptoms

Dr. Teranda Knight

We must bring more awareness to factors that are leading to individuals’ healthcare not being taken seriously. We must remove the notion that people don't want to work and identify that not everyone's symptoms are the same for the same diagnoses and treat it as such. Medications play a bigger part in the outcome of a diagnosis than just the symptoms of the diagnosis. Human ideologies normalize the symptoms of medications due to the informed consent of side effects that are known to that medication. However, research lack to show how the use of two or more medication side effect interactions could be driving disabling symptoms that healthcare providers are having a hard time treating because they only exist because of the combination of several different medications.

As a seasoned professional in the healthcare world, I have seen many patients filled with frustration and discontent to the field of healthcare. However, from my own experience I find that many of them did not have Munchausen syndrome defined as, ".... a psychological condition where someone pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of illness in themselves. Their main intention is to assume the "sick role" so that people care for them, and they are the center of attention (National Library of Medicine, n.d)." Many of them were purely the result of an area that lacks research for the motley of medication combinations administered by healthcare practices/organizations.

As a practice of any ethics board, "do no harm", there should be no healthcare organization or provider working to destroy the lives of the individuals they are supposed to protect from health disparities. Professionally, providers and organizations should take the opportunity to do more research on medication combinations if they feel "one size fits all" in healthcare. However, many of them do not believe this philosophy but is also too afraid to speak up.

There are individuals homeless in the UNITED STATES as a result of disabling symptoms that were discounted by healthcare professionals, or they gave up on healthcare approaches after losing everything they had for a condition no one knew how to address. It was the unknowns of medication compilation. Most of all, talent disposed of due to the system of processes, rule, guidelines, and regulations that are not full proof in their approach to healthcare.

Healthcare can improve instead of criminalizing individuals, stealing their assets, and leading to individuals being "blacklisted." Here is how:

1. Accept the payments received from insurance companies as enough for the services you have provided.

2. Utilize family financial situations and use it as an opportunity to donate instead of giving money to organizations that already have money and assets.

3. Do more research on the side effects of medication use with other medications.

4. Create a list of services not covered by insurance companies or that insurance companies are known to not pay for and create funding account for those services and reduce the cost of the services.

5. Create a community campaign page on social media that pays the cost of treatments people cannot afford. (one fund for copay assist and the other fund is for individuals without insurance)

6. Listen when someone says they do not feel well or is not able to perform as usual as a sign their symptoms are disabling and to evaluate medication interactions.

For more ways to improve and reduce "doing harm" reach out today and I would love to join your team to show how you can help and still be profitable. Schedule Today!

#improvelives

#disability

#homelessness

Disclaimer 

The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. It reflects the knowledge, research, and professional experience of the author, an unlicensed behavioral health expert with years of education and applied practice in leadership, behavioral health, and higher education. This content is not intended to serve as medical, psychological, or legal advice, nor should it replace the guidance of licensed professionals. Readers are encouraged to consult qualified providers for personalized support regarding their specific circumstances related to treatment and the care of diagnoses. The information has been edited and modified with ChatGPT.