ICAM’s Women’s Health Initiative Program was created to provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment specifically suited to a woman’s needs. The program addresses health issues such as Menopause, PMS and other Hormonal Imbalances such as Adrenal Dysfunction and Thyroid disease. One of the main reasons for the creation of this program is because these issues are frequently misdiagnosed as: Chronic Fatigue, Epstein Barr, Lyme, Fibromyalgia and Depression by conventional medical practitioners. When this occurs, a patient is left to trudge on in life –unsatisfied, unaware, untreated, and invalidated because the true underlying medical pathology is never found or treated effectively.
When a patient suffers chronically with signs and symptoms that do not resolve despite what is considered “appropriate” medical treatment, doctors begin to question the patient’s reliability and motives rather than question their own diagnosis and treatment practices. Then, when doctors have ruled out all possible illnesses fulfilling set criteria, they begin to label – not diagnose patients as having DEPRESSION. On the other hand, many patients may request and need a diagnosis so they do not feel they are going crazy or that their symptoms are all in their head.
It is common for a patient to have self-doubt after months or years of complaining, without improvement, and with frustrated doctors not really knowing what is wrong or what to do to help. When that happens, family and friends may begin to doubt any true medical condition exists, and start to avoid the patient, which leads the invalidated patient into withdrawal. Soon the patient suffering through this becomes easily coaxed into believing their problems are in their mind not their body. To make matters worse, after their doctor has exhausted his skills and patience, he will refer to a specialist who has a handful of predetermined “tricks of his sleeve”. Now, he too misses the boat and misdiagnoses the patient with “Fibromyalgia”, “CFIDS”, “Lyme” or some other diagnosis of the month. Again, the patient is given a label on their forehead of “DEPRESSION” because it is neither socially nor medically acceptable to call you a WACKJOB!
Although depression may be a true and accurate diagnosis, it is far too often brought on by the inadequacies of the healthcare professionals – myself included! Personally and professionally, I do not see how anyone who is “normal” could not fulfill the criteria for depression or BE DEPRESSED after going through this unhappy medical mystery tour. After months or even years of feeling lousy, friends and family become unsupportive and doctors instruct their staff not to mention a patient’s name in front of them. This may sound extreme but it is real. I know. I once was one of those doctors! Fortunately, after years of feeling helpless and hopeless, I turned to Complementary and Alternative Medicine and found a better way to help and treat my patients – not just their symptoms.
If you or someone you know is experiencing this kind of frustrating health problem, This message is for you: Friends, this is key for maintaining your sanity: The depression that you are experiencing is probably the only accurate diagnosis that your doctor has made regarding your ongoing, chronic, unaddressed, unresolved symptoms. Yes, you are hearing me correctly. You Are depressed and should be!!! BUT…Your Depression is a result of the longstanding unresolved symptoms rather than the cause of them and this is why anti-depressants often don’t help. If you are not chemically depressed they are of no value and often will cause harm.
The Women’s Health Initiative Program also stresses other (often neglected) healthcare issues that need to be addressed such as cardiovascular health and prevention, lifestyle change, and nutrition since they are paramount for optimal health. Getting a proper evaluation or diagnosis of the patient, which carefully considers and treats the patient’s whole self is what the Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is all about. Come see us when you are ready to feel your best again.
Remember…. If you ignore your health, It Will Leave You.
