What Sort Of Patient Are You
By www.menhealthonline.biz
The following nine statements are concerned with the subject of control over your health. They are arranged in threes. Think about the first three statements together. Which one best represents what you think?
I Having regular contact with my doctor is the best way for me to avoid illness.
2 I am in control of my health.
3 Most things that affect my health happen to me by chance.
Now think about the next three statements. Which one of these do you most agree with?
4 Whenever I do not feel well, I should go to see a doctor.
5 The main things that affect my health are what I do myself.
6 If it is meant to be, I will be healthy.
Finally; the last three. Which one do you agree with this time?
7 I can only do what my doctor tells me to do about my health.
8 If I take care of myself, I can avoid illness.
9 Being healthy or sick is all a matter of luck.
The questions fall naturally into 3 groups.
Questions 1, 4, 7
If you agreed with two or three of these statements, you think that your doctor has a high degree of control over your health. This is likely to make you rely on your doctor more than you should. When you go to the doctor, you should be sure to find out what you can do to help yourself. If you continue to believe that the doctor will keep you healthy, you may not look after yourself at all well.
You are a ‘powerful other’
Questions 3, 6, 9
If you agreed with two or three of these statements, then you think that your health is controlled to a large extent by luck. You think that your health is well beyond your control. This could be quite dangerous. People who think their health is not within their own hands often fail to look after themselves well. If this description fits you - watch out!
When you go to the doctor, discuss this with him and be sure to ask him to explain how you can look after yourself. Most of us can learn to protect our health rather well. Do not leave your health to chance.
You are a ‘fatalist’
Questions 2, 5, 8
If you agreed with two or three of these statements, you think that, generally, you are in control of your health.
There are plenty of things you can do to protect your health and prevent illness. The only difficulty you may have is accepting that, sometimes, you will get sick despite your best efforts. This is something to remember. If your doctor says you have a health problem, ask him how it can have happened.
You are an ‘Internal Controller’
Look at this example of three people with high blood pressure. All three are overweight. All three have been pre¬scribed a life-long course of tablets to keep the blood pressure under control. How do their different attitudes affect their decision to follow the doctor's advice?
Mr A. believes it is the doctor's responsibility to make sure his blood pressure doesn't go up and that only the doctor can do anything about it. He takes the tablets and relies on the doctor to help him lose weight.
Mr B. believes that high blood pressure is just one of those things that people get ‘at his age' and that there's nothing anyone can do about it. He doesn't bother with the tablets and can't see the point of losing weight; he reckons he can do very little to affect his blood pressure. When his number’s up, his number's up.
Mr C. believes that it is up to him whether or not his blood pressure stays up or down - so he takes the tablets conscientiously and watches his weight.
So, to recap, we can say that there are three types of patient:
1
