By Simon Yu, MD
We live in a society perpetually engineered by an artificially generated fear, stress, and negativity. Many people are unfortunately naturally attracted to the negative publicity. Sensationalism and fear mean making a fortune for those who can benefit from it. There are also many professionals, including physicians, who are afraid of negative reviews on the Internet, and, therefore, are willing to spend money to attempt to remove any real or unfair malicious reviews.
I recently received an annoying letter in postal mail saying that my practice got a Ripoff Report with a bad review. The letter stated they could help me make the bad review disappear. The letter starts with, “The truth is that your listing on Ripoff Report is a silent business killer. Much like tabloids at grocery store check outs, this site’s sensational nature draws attention.”
Furthermore, “Your listing on Ripoff Report not only makes you look poor, but has cost you thousands of dollars in lost business and will continue to do so. Fortunately, something can be done about it…the worst thing you can do is ignore them… Call xxxx Today to Make Your Ripoff Report Disappear!”
I also get phone calls once in a while saying the same thing, that they can help make the Ripoff Report disappear from Google search for only a lump sum of money. I usually politely decline with the remark that everyone has a right to complain.
I do not particularly like to broadcast the complaints. However, I do not want the complaints to disappear with computer tricks promoted with what I think of as deception and extortion. Some people choose their physicians based on Internet ratings. Most patients choose their physicians based on “word of mouth” from friends and family members.
As a general rule, even though a patient has decided to see me, the more that he/she is attracted to negativity from the Internet or others, the less likely they are to respond to any therapies, no matter what I do. About four years ago, I wrote an article dealing with a very difficult, overweight, out of shape, emotionally toxic patient, Dandy PooPoo (not real name). He seemed familiar with alternative medicine and knew how to use the system, blackmailing, demanding money back, and essentially trying to get a free medical evaluation by berating the physician’s experiences.
The title of the short article I wrote was, “The Original Incurable: The Gifted Village Idiot in the Holistic Medical Community.” (You can find the article on my website.) Dandy said that he has seen many holistic doctors and accused me of not knowing what I am doing. He said if he didn’t get his money back, he will make my life miserable, bad mouth me all over his holistic community friends, cause appointments to be canceled, and disparage me all over the Internet. I told him, he is not a nice person, and that I do not make deals from extortion so he can do whatever he wants to do.
These negative thoughts and emotions are often based on Fear, Blame, Anger, Shame, Guilt, Insecurity, or Victimhood. My message to you is: Do not surrender to Negativity! Negativity is an unseen force, like a whispering gossip or an Internet bully, that damages our lives and poisons our dreams.
Every day, patients come to see me because of fear. Many fears are derived from the latest new disease promoted by media stories which are paid for by pharmaceutical companies in the name of “educational awareness.” The stories create a phobia of real and artificially generated fears about cholesterol, chest pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, allergies, ED, psoriasis, cancer, and other endless medical conditions.
To calm my patients, I usually tell them, according to the latest data, old people with high cholesterol live longer than those with lower cholesterol, obese people are less prone to develop dementia, diabetic patients with very tight control of their sugar level do worse, as evidenced by an increase in overall mortality, than moderately controlled diabetic patients, and a slight rise in blood pressure with aging may not be as bad as we thought. Coffee, sea salts, alcohol, butter, eggs, chocolates, and red meats are actually good for you in moderation if you know what “moderation” means.
I also remind them, we are going to die anyway and might as well enjoy ourselves in the present moment. Many medical doctors retire or die early due to conflicts between their love of the medical profession and their own stress, fears, and negativity. Here are some quotes from the wise ones to reflect and decompress your stress and negativity:
“If you are depressed, you live in the Past. If you are anxious, you live in the Future. But, if you are at peace, you live in the Present” by Lao Tzu.
To be Happy, you must follow F.A.C.T.S: “Forgive others. Accept your mistakes. Cry and move on. Thank God for everything. Smile always.”
“If you love something, set it free; if it comes back, it is yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.” Richard Bach.
Think of those people on the Titanic who declined their favorite desert that fateful night and worried about their appearance. Enjoy every moment of life.
“God is dead, Said Nietzsche. Nietzsche is dead, Said God.”
Every Third Tuesday of the month, Chaplin Paul Johnson and I conduct a group session with some distinguished speakers for the Prevention and Healing Wellness Support Group. This August 18th on the Third Tuesday, I will cover a simple tool to help you and your family. It may radically open up your healing process and transform your health and wellness. This session will cover the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and The Healing Code by Alexander Loyd, Ph.D., ND and Ben Johnson, MD, DO, NMD. Everyone who is interested in self-healing is invited to attend and learn how to crack their blocked healing codes.
Dr. Simon Yu, M.D. is a Board Certified Internist. He practices Internal Medicine with an emphasis on Alternative Medicine to use the best each has to offer. For more articles on alternative medicine as well as patient success stories, and Dr. Yu’s revolutionary health book, Accidental Cure: Extraordinary Medicine for Extraordinary Patients, visit his website at www.PreventionAndHealing.com or call Prevention and Healing, Inc., 314-432-7802. You can also attend a free monthly presentation and discussion by Dr. Yu on Alternative Medicine at his office on the second Tuesday each month at 6:30 pm. Call to verify the date. Seating is limited, arrive early. Also, on the third Tuesday, we welcome you to attend our Free Monthly Prevention and Healing Support Group to support your healing process. See details on our website, www.PreventionAndHealing.com.