 | Rather listen than read?
Link here for the MP3 podcast version. |
Do you have a sixth sense? You know – that inner feeling, that nagging idea in your head, that thing you “just know” that won’t go away?
That’s intuition calling, providing you with information that may not be quantifiable, but can certainly be useful to us patients when we experience health problems.
Intuition happens with our unconscious minds try to analyze a situation, provide us with answers, or at least help us ask questions. It may be based on instinct, or some deep-rooted knowledge we have developed without even realizing it.
Since it can’t be seen or measured, not everyone believes intuition is real. But intuition does exist. In fact, intuition is used to help keep our nation secure; both the United States Customs Service and the Department of Homeland Security teach their agents to tap into their intuition to help them identify potential problems.
How can intuition help you improve your healthcare? The key is to learn to identify your intuitive thoughts, and then to trust them enough to use them to pursue additional information.
For example, say your doctor tells you not to worry about that lump, but its existence nags at you. Your intuition will lead you to a second opinion. Or say you experience new symptoms after starting a new drug, and even though the doctor tells you those symptoms aren’t side effects of the drug, you have a strong feeling they are linked. Intuition can lead you to research more about that drug, or an alternative, then to discuss a possible substitution with your doctor.
Some of us confuse intuition with wishful thinking, and that can be problematic. The difference is actually quite simple. Intuition will guide you toward new information until you are confident you have answers you can use to make medical decisions. Alternatively, wishful thinking is a form of denial, and will prevent you from getting the care you need.
Don’t be afraid to follow your intuition. Even if you are unsure, or you can’t identify what it’s really telling you, it can never hurt to pursue more answers. Seek a second opinion, ask your doctor more questions, do some Internet research, or talk to other people who have similar medical challenges to you.
Using your intuition to learn more about your diagnosis and treatment options will give you confidence that the medical decisions you make will be the best ones for you. |
...............................
Learn more about using your intuition to help you make medical decisions. |
