Why is medicine changing?

Why do doctors now continually lecture morality onto people? Isn't their job to cure the sick and heal the injured?

Sites like psychologytoday.com just offer moral lessons and lectures, and not really objective advice to help people. It wasn't like that when I was growing up, so what changed?

It seems every doctor on TV says **** like "meditate" or "eat healthy" (which most don't do) or "be kind to all!" (which again most don't do)

Sooo.....surely there is some case afoot amongst the medical profession, right?

Reply 1

bertstare

Wait what? First people complain about how doctors just prescribe pill after pill and don't really care about preventing disease, and now you're complaining they've turned into a bunch of hippies who don't provide enough proper treatment?

For record I've never heard of any doc saying any of this stuff in place of proper advice or treatment

Reply 2

carlisomes

Original post by bertstare

er...yes. Medicine is science-based, this is why medication exists...

but then if they're hippies, i don't know, it's just it seems to me and many others they try to morally lecture us (which other professions don't do incidentally)..just want to know why, that's all....

Reply 3

bertstare

Original post by carlisomes

A little confused with what the problem seems to be - they try and promote healthy lifestyles to prevent and reduce the incidence of diseases (as many are lifestyle induced). Is there something wrong with that? No doctor is going to tell an already sick patient to go and meditate instead of prescribing a proven medication, unless he wants his licence revoked

Reply 4

Kyalimers

Meditation and other forms of unconventional treatment have some proof of working. Eating healthy has been regularly proven to reduce disease risk and severity.

Furthermore, you are probably the only person in the world who has complained about the holistic nature of medicine.

Reply 5

carlisomes

Original post by Kyalimers

Though presumably you're not the only arrogant person in the world...I like how you know all seven billion people...

But then yep, meditation is a religious practice.....if doctors want to promote religion and morals, so be it...we should expect all other vocations to do so as well.

Reply 6

carlisomes

Original post by bertstare

Er...OK...but then if it's wrong to voice opinions or comment on why medicine acts like moral arbiters, so be it..lol..

Reply 7

teen1234

Original post by carlisomes

Well at my dentistry interviews, which are very similar to medicine, ethics and morality was a big topic of conversation. One of the unis pretty much spent the whole time on ethics. These people are supposed to be trustworthy and patient client confidentiality is something that they have to deal with. Doing the 'right' thing is a huge part of these careers.
Not to mention some of the doctors on tv may be psychiatrists in which case there is a lot of moral/ethical considerations.

Reply 8

Kyalimers

Original post by carlisomes

I didn't realise you were going to take every word so literally. Perhaps you should try and acquire some common sense.

Meditation is not a religious practice. It is comparable to yoga and other forms of alternative medicine. Whilst some have religious roots, none of them are endorsed and strictly embedded within religion. They are all open concepts.

I have a feeling you don't actually understand the medical profession. The aim is not to hand out pills. The aim is to provide holistic care of an individual to try and return them to a state of health and well-being. Sometimes, medication can't do this; for example, in certain end-of-life situations.

Reply 9

carlisomes

Original post by Kyalimers

If it's not religious, demonstrate as such...

And common sense? I answered your point...what did you expect? I must ingratiate to a stranger on some baseless account?

I understand medicine. At least in the Western tradition, it's to research conditions, bodily states and not tell people how to live...but hey, as an advocate of meditation is probable some spiritualist gurus are using it to preach to us or undermine us..

Reply 10

bertstare

Original post by carlisomes

Er...OK...but then if it's wrong to voice opinions or comment on why medicine acts like moral arbiters, so be it..lol..

Literally no idea what the point of this thread was

Reply 11

carlisomes

Original post by bertstare

Literally no idea what the point of this thread was

I'm just stating my opinion....do I need your permission or approval for this? if so, you must Asperger's or something or don't get the world around you...If you don't like it, then you'll just have to come and physically remove me from my keyboard...

I'm just asking why medicine is becoming moralistic...

Reply 12

Northern Downpour

Meditation and eating healthy is 'objective' advice that can help 'cure the sick'. Not seeing what your problem is here.

Reply 13

bertstare

Original post by carlisomes

Medicine has not "changed" to become "moralistic" whatever on earth that even means. A big part of medicine has always been the notion that prevention of disease is better than cure. Doctors, being the most knowledgeable professionals regarding human health, have always publicly tried to promote generally healthy lifestyles and practices. It benefits individuals, it benefits the community as a whole. This is the first time in history I think anyone has actually had a problem with this

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 14

carlisomes

Original post by bertstare

20 years ago, it was "don't smoke because it can cause cancer"...fine, there are plenty of evidence to demonstrate that..

But saying to meditate or be spiritual implies a certain agenda, as these are religious practices....Maybe it's just me, but then doctors should know their place and not morally lecture society.

Sportspeople don't (never heard Mo Farah, Hamilton or Rooney do it..), Dawkins doesn't, Stephen Fry doesn't, Sir Patrick Stewart doesn't, Russell Brand doesn't, so why then don't sportspeople, comedians and actors, but doctors? Seems odd, doesn't it?