Re: COMPETENT physicians
On 07 Oct 96 18:16:22 EDT, you wrote:
>Joseph,
>
>>>...should be referred to a competent physician..<<
>
>Isn't it enough if they're just physicians? Why should the criterion of
>'competence' be introduced here? I automatically assume that any physician is
>basically competent in his or her field of specialization.
>
Several of the NLP books mention referring clients to a physician who
understands what the NLPer is doing and is willing to work with them. This is
what I meant by "competent physician". I made the assumption that if you would
not just tell a client "go to a doctor" since some doctors could do things
that make your work with the client more difficult. You would want to have
some confidence in any professional you refer clients to, at least I would.
>>>Rule out physical causes before treating alcoholism/addiction "as if" it
were
>a mental illness.<<
>
>I very much agree that 'ruling out causes' is a useful part of the diagnostic
>process. There is however much to be said for the opposite of what you
propose,
>using the very same argument.
>
>For instance: Let's take chemical imbalance. Given that alcohol abuse causes
>chemical imbalance, it may be a good idea to cure the addiction before doing a
>comprehensive medical check-up. Excluding the chemical imbalance caused by
>excessive drinking, a much better medical diagnosis will be possible.
>
>And a 5-day program, as apparently developed, is a small investment in terms
of
>time. We're not talking 15 years of psychoanalysis here. So, imagine a medical
>doctor would say: "I'd like you to sign up with Bernhard Frit, come back in
>week's time and we'll do some checks to see if anything else may need
>attention". Wouldn't that make a lot of sense? The least it will do is exclude
>the booze from the blood-samples.
>
>Kind Regards,
>Rene Duba
>
>
It would seem to depend on the specific biochemical indication. If someone is
producing a surplus or deficiency of a particular chemical it may be
influenced by mental activity and addressed trough therapy but if there is an
inability to produce a chemical or an total inability to process it, then they
may need medication or some other treatment from a qualified physician.
Also, you can be held legally liable if you try to treat someone for severe
migraines and they die from a brain tumor that could have been diagnosed and
treated. Always insist on a physical to rule out organic illness. Many
alcoholics drink to medicate treatable causes of physical pain like backaches,
migraines and so on. When the pain is removed the therapy has a much higher
chance of success.
<christij@unix.asb.com> 423B78C80FEA5495 CF64AD5F214797DE
http://www.asb.com/usr/christij 95E3789C5679C4D7 03210B57E76FE66
I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it
is for or against. I'm a human being first and foremost, and as such I
am for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole. - Malcolm X
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