cabbagedad posted:I am not an authority on this topic but still want to join the conversation.
My dad was a dedicated chiropractor, considered a leader in his field by the institution. He never stopped schooling, researching, learning, growing within his profession. He wrote books, was constantly asked to speak at seminars, teach at schools and clinics, etc. He explored every aspect of related holistic healing - all the various adjustment techniques, acupuncture, healing stones (yeah, that was an interesting period in a conservative midwest household in the 70's), you name it. And, this was WAY before any of this became the least bit common here in the states. It was not uncommon for people to share with me, unsolicited, how my dad saved their lives, saved them from desperate physical ailments. He was, by all accounts, a great doctor (probably much like pedaldad).
However, he was also fully immersed in his profession and that meant (at the time) fully buying into the belief that traditional American medicine had little value, how the prescription of medication was almost never appropriate. All six of us kids rarely if ever saw the inside of a hospital or medical clinic growing up. Dad handled everything. Problem is, as was customary of the time and place, Dad smoked and drank regularly. Much later in life (after retirement), when those things started causing real physical ailments, at some point, traditional medicine was the only avenue. I believe, only then, did he come to believe that the true approach to proper medical care is a combination of holistic and traditional medicine. Things have improved over the last fifty years, but there is still a huge chasm between the primary foundations of traditional medicine and holistic medicine.
I have been involved in other professions and endeavors where I was fully immersed and very well informed in my position and believed 1000% that my actions were the right course. Later, only after stepping completely away, I sometimes was able to see a bigger picture and came to realize that wasn't the case, even with the best of intentions and tons of experience and knowledge to fall back on.
I believe that even the very best doctors on both sides still tend to rely heavily on their college training and industry status quo as "the truth". I think there is a bigger picture that has yet to be clearly seen by most that would involve a much more proper blend of prevention, lifestyle, traditional and holistic medicine. I know we have taken a few baby steps in that direction but we have so far to go.
Another point... I'm guessing that Tyler Skaggs' tragedy was, as has been discussed, tied to some earlier event of prescription due to his TJ and spiraled into addiction. I agree with those who classify this as disease. However, it is my perception that the national epidemic involves a much larger contingency of drug abusers that are just looking for the high, who's path with opioids never included actual prescription by a real doctor for a real medical condition. That is us as a society becoming weaker. Isn't that the real issue on a national level? So there is validity to both positions... addiction is a disease and we are responsible for our actions.
Thank you for your very diplomatic post.