Is the Medical Model of Treatment Defining and Keeping You in a “Box”?

To listen to and watch the video presentation of the article, please click on this link: Is the Medical Model of Treatment Defining and Keeping You in a “Box”? Video Presentation

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A question that I need to consider: Is the Medical Model of Treatment Defining and Keeping You in a “Box”?

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First let me say

 That the medical model of treatment is essential, for without a diagnosis, those of us who are living with brain injuries and invisible disabilities would not have clue. I did not have a clue that I was living with the impact of a traumatic brain injury and an invisible disability for many, many years.

Need a Holistic Approach

 As a result, I spent much time and energy beating up on myself as a result. What I want to and do through Second Chance to Live is to encourage an ongoing holistic approach to brain injury recovery. An ongoing brain injury recovery process involving the mind, body, soul, spirit, and emotions. Involving the whole person.

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We no longer have to Limit our Ongoing Brain Injury Recovery

In my experience, I have learned a hard lesson many times. The lesson is that people cannot give me what they themselves do not possess. Does not mean that they are inadequate or bad people, just that I wind up frustrated when I seek to get what I need from them. I have heard this experience as likened to going to a hardware store looking to find bread. Hardware stores do not have bread, no matter…

Medical model of treatment is essential, but limited

No matter how many times I may go looking for and hoping to find bread in a hardware store. In my experience, I liken the medical model of treating patients to a hardware store. The likening is related to beyond the diagnosis and treatment. The medical model many times focuses on the diagnosis and prognosis, instead of on hope. Symptoms, rather than solutions. The medical model is essential to the…

The initial phase of being able to direct the individual to the right treatment course. Nevertheless, the medical model of treatment can keep the individual feeling as though they are limited. Limited beyond the prescribed plan and the prognosis inherent in symptom. What the patient/individual/consumer may be told is that they may never be able to do beyond the prescribed plan and prognosis. In my experience…

Succeeding beyond Symptoms

I have found that the medical model tends to put individuals in “boxes”. Put them in “boxes” by associating them with a diagnosis — a statement or a conclusion, and/or by a prognosis’ — what is or is not going to happen in the future. In July of 2013, I wrote a 2-Part series, Traumatic Brain Injury, Labeling Theory and Societal Stigmatization. Link to this 2-part article series is below this article.

Written to explore the impact of the “box”

To explore the impact of such a “box”.  Once a diagnosis or prognosis is made, a “label” is given to the individual. A label that essentially becomes what the individual may then believe about themselves and their future. Once the label is assigned to the individual, the individual may find themselves identifying with the diagnosis and prognosis. Many times, the label is associated with societal biases and prejudices.

These limiting biases, prejudices and stigmatization’s serve to reinforce that they are limited.

If the individual buys into the judgment of the stigmatization associated with the diagnosis and prognosis, the individual may find themselves unconsciously believing the label. Unconsciously, the individual may then find themselves internalizing and justifying the judgment and stigmatization brought on to them by the diagnosis, prognosis and subsequent label. Such labeling and stereotyping can lead the individual…

Lead the individual to believe that they are limited, powerless and helpless to move beyond.

Through my studies and experience as a counselor and one living with a brain injury I have seen the negative impact. The negative impact that such stigmatization has upon the individual. As noted, once a determination, diagnosis or label is given or assigned to the individual, the determination, diagnosis or label many times consciously or unconsciously becomes the identity of the individual. I have also observed…

That as the individual adopts the identity of the label they become vulnerable to being victimized.

Victimized by the identity of the label by believing in the stigmatization. The internalization of the label and stigmatization then makes the individual susceptible to being controlled. The impact of a diagnosis, prognosis, label and subsequent societal stigmatization can lead the individual. The individual to believe that they are intended to remain in the “box”. The “box”, then in turn creates a dependency upon…

We can find freedom

Dependency upon the medical model to treat the diagnosis to improve the prognosis. The medical model and societal stigmatization can set the individual up to believe that there is little hope outside of the “box”. The individual may also lead to believe that if the medical model cannot “fix” them they have little hope. Hope of being able to function and thrive beyond the “box”. As a bi-product of the medical model of treatment and societal stigmatization, secondary gains and dependencies may keep them stuck.

The “box” of limited thinking and believing that they cannot learn to thrive beyond the “box”.

Because of these secondary gains and dependencies, the individual may feel trapped within the “box”. Societal judgment and stigmatization of the label then perpetuates a continued need and dependency upon the medical model. Apart from treating the diagnosis (symptoms), the individual may be led to believe that little hope exists. In my experience, I have seen the impact of secondary gains and secondary dependencies. Secondary gains and secondary dependencies perpetuate, limit and discourage the…

Don’t be Discouraged

Discourage individual’s ambition to explore and live beyond the confines of the “box”, of a diagnosis and prognosis given by the medical model. In my experience, I have seen how the medical model through the diagnosis, prognosis and subsequent labeling process, undermines the individuals drive to look for solutions. Look for solutions beyond the “box”. Once labeled and stigmatized, the individual becomes conditioned to believe that they are limited because of the diagnosis, prognosis and stigmatization.

Living beyond the world of the “box”

With such conditioning, the individual may find themselves, in relation to their “World” through a “BOX” mentality. A mentality that limits the individual to believe that they cannot do anything different. Anything different beyond the limits of the box in which they have been led to believe is their lot in life. But the good news is that we can create something beautiful beyond the limits of the medical model.

Beyond thinking and the beliefs of a diagnosis, prognosis, label, stereotype and a societal stigmatization.

“Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it.” Zig Ziglar

Today’s Thought

We were created to live in hope.

Although you and I may have been given a diagnosis and a prognosis, we are not the diagnosis or the prognosis.

Although we may have been given a label, because of a diagnosis or a prognosis, we do not have to be limited by a label or a societal stigmatization.

Although a diagnosis, prognosis or a stigmatization may have been given or placed on us, they do not have to define our lives and what we can accomplish.

Although a medical model and a societal stigmatization may have placed you and I in a “box”, we do not have to remain in any “box”, or limited to secondary gains and secondary dependencies.

You and I were created to be so much more than a diagnosis, a prognosis or a label. We were created to live outside and beyond the confines of any “box” of a societal stigmatization.

“Never allow yourself to be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life. Define yourself.” Robert Frost

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”  Mark Twain

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 I would invite you to read the article series Traumatic Brain Injury, Labeling Theory and Societal Stigmatization by clicking on this link: Traumatic Brain Injury, Labeling Theory and Societal Stigmatization. In the event that you learn more effectively through listening and watching, please click on this link: Traumatic Brain Injury, Labeling Theory and Societal Stigmatization Part 1 Video Presentation 

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