Learning to Advocate for Your Health

Has your body ever felt “off,” but you’re told that everything is fine? It seems like I’m hearing this more and more these days. If this is you, I understand and feel for you. That’s why I’m learning to advocate for my health.

When it comes to our health and our bodies, we’re the only ones that can take control. It’s up to us to figure out what’s going on, and who to work with to fix it.

You Know Your Body Best

Let that sink in for a minute. You know your body best. When something doesn’t feel right, we know it, even if it’s not apparent to someone else.

Now, I don’t want this to be taken the wrong way or to discredit health care professionals. They are needed and appreciated. BUT with that being said, I don’t always think that mainstream medicine is the best option for everyone.

When you go to a traditional doctor’s office, they look at the symptoms you’re giving, and match it to a diagnosis or medicine. Often times, not all symptoms can fit into a definitive diagnosis or class of medication.

I can’t tell you the amount of times where I’ve been to the doctor, have labs drawn, and been told that I’m “fine.” Even if your labs are at the highest or lowest end of the “normal” range, that’s not always normal. If you know that something is not right with your body, you need to advocate for yourself.

Frustration Turns to Advocacy

Unfortunately, I feel like one of the only ways to learn how to advocate for your health is to go through periods of frustration. Let me give you a few of my examples.

I’ve been on quite the journey with acne. My cystic acne developed out of no where. The first time I went to my dermatologist, I was given oral medications to treat my skin. And crazy story, but they didn’t work. My doctor then wanted to put me on oral antibiotics, but that’s when I drew the line.

Since I know my body best, I knew that the root cause to my acne stemmed from my gut. After being on antibiotics for my SIBO, my skin rebelled. Adding on more antibiotics to “fix” my skin would just make my gut 10x worse.

The point of this being, sometimes we know what we do and don’t need. I’m not saying that I’m a doctor or dermatologist, but I do understand that the body is interconnected. Who would have thought that my gut issues would manifest through my skin? My dermatologist didn’t, but luckily I sought out other resources.

When to Seek Other Options

I want to point out that sometimes there may be nothing “wrong” with your body, and the root cause could be stress, under-eating, etc. The underlying root cause is SO different for everyone. That’s why it’s important to work with someone you trust and who listens to you.

When I told my GI doctor that I thought I had low stomach acid, I was told that there was no reason for that. When I told my dietitian the same thing, she completely agreed and said that it made sense since I had H. Pylori. See what I mean?

If your doctor or medical professional helping you is making you feel frustrated, confused, or lost, it’s time to seek other options. Finding someone who listens to you and looks at all of your symptoms holistically makes all the difference. If I didn’t work with my dietitian, I would probably still be having horrible cystic acne, and most likely on Accutane. I was an advocate for my health and did what was best for me.

Something else I want to point out that is HUGE in advocating for your health is finding a reputable healthcare professional. Key word: reputable. Do your research! Learn who you’re taking advice from. Is it a Registered Dietitian who has extensive schooling, or a nutritionist you found on the internet? No hate, just something to be aware of.

Final Thoughts

It can be really scary to advocate for yourself, let alone your health. You are in control of your body. If you don’t like the way someone is treating it, you have every right in the world to walk away and find someone else. You should feel comfortable with the people and actions used to help your body and mind. If you don’t, there’s always someone else.

Advocating for your health can look different for everyone. Maybe it’s choosing not to be weighed, switching doctor’s, or requesting further lab work to address your symptoms. Whatever it is for you, I’m proud of you. It’s not easy to stand up for yourself, but remember that you know your body best, and everything will eventually work out.

xoxo