Crisis Intervention or Prevention- Which do you choose?

Changing your perspective on healthcare is essential to living a longer, healthier life. In the United States, we are programmed to care for our health only after it has become a problem. But you’ll benefit most if you can start to look at healthcare as a lifelong process of prevention.

The crisis-intervention model of healthcare—for many years the most common way to address health—encourages you to take drastic steps to regain your health only after your symptoms have been made fully manifest. Most people wait till their symptoms have been with them for some time, probably getting worse, before they decide to have the problem identified and treated. But hoping it will go away is not an appropriate way to deal with your health problems.

Admittedly, nowadays the medical arts can do amazing things. Procedures have been developed to bring humans back from the brink of death. Trauma procedures save countless lives, miracle drugs change body chemistry, and skilled surgeons replace body parts with incredible ease. All of these skills allow medical doctors to fight the battle of crisis care. If you’re truly in crisis, such as a life or death health situation, there’s nothing

better than medical care. Many people seem to ignore their health problems because of their faith in medical science’s seemingly limitless ability to stitch them back together.

In the preventive model of healthcare, you don’t wait to get sick before you take measures to ensure good health. Daily habits that help prevent health problems are stressed. But even when preventive measures are taken, there are times when ill health manifests. When it does, early intervention is a key to prevent further problems. Symptoms—the body’s warning signals of ill health—can be recognized and addressed immediately.

In the crisis-intervention model, the first heart attack motivates the patient to stop smoking, start exercising, eat healthier foods, and use supplements known to be good for heart function. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. Regaining health and preventing future problems is much more difficult after your body has suffered from disease. In the preventive model, patients don’t smoke because they know it causes problems. Exercise is a regular part of the weekly schedule because it’s good for cardiovascular health. Low-fat foods and heart supplements are emphasized because they are known to help keep the heart healthy.

Those who depend solely on crisis intervention may be aware that they have a family history of disease and are at risk, yet they refuse to care for their health. For instance, you may know someone who has a family history of diabetes, yet insists on eating sugar-laden foods. In the preventive model, this person would admit the possibility of susceptibility to diabetes and take steps to reduce his or her chances of contracting the disease. This person would eliminate most or all sweets from their diet.

In crisis intervention, patients rely heavily on insurance coverage, which usually covers acute care quite well. Some patients even admit to avoiding early intervention because they’re waiting for their problem to become serious enough that their insurance will cover the surgery or other emergency care. They thus avoid any out-of-pocket expense. In the preventive model, patients admit responsibility for their healthcare and budget for the costs of preventive care, which is less often covered by insurance. The costs of preventive care may include paying out-of-pocket for such things as supplements or a gym membership as well as visits to a masseuse, chiropractor, homeopath, or other provider of preventive care.

The fact that you’re reading this book indicates that you have an interest in taking preventive measures to ensure your good health. Congratulations! That’s the first step outside the crisis-management model of healthcare. For more suggestions, read chapters 17, 36, and 39.