Not seeing medical professionals as soon as medical problems arose. I now live with (likely) permanent chronic pain which may well have been preventable were the causes addressed at an earlier date.
The mental model that states that since all past problems have been inconsequential, all future problems must therefore be inconsequential is a problem here. Holding that mental state (my past problems have evaporated without issue, therefore my future problems will do likewise) is problematic because most people have not experienced enough major problems to draw on a meaningful sample size here.
There’s a strong case for not doing that. The lesson to be learned here is very general; but it’s very tempting to learn only a very specific lesson instead.
I’m unaware of a good answer besides “slog through the literature” or “pay someone to slog through the literature.” The institutional filters that are supposed to help with this are quite poor.
Not seeing medical professionals as soon as medical problems arose. I now live with (likely) permanent chronic pain which may well have been preventable were the causes addressed at an earlier date.
The mental model that states that since all past problems have been inconsequential, all future problems must therefore be inconsequential is a problem here. Holding that mental state (my past problems have evaporated without issue, therefore my future problems will do likewise) is problematic because most people have not experienced enough major problems to draw on a meaningful sample size here.
If you do not mind, could you tell us what your initial symptoms were and what condition was causing them?
There’s a strong case for not doing that. The lesson to be learned here is very general; but it’s very tempting to learn only a very specific lesson instead.
Every time you go the doctor, you put yourself at risk of iatrogenic complications. Following the rule:
Is not very pragmatic.
That’s true! I wonder what the right rule is?
I’m unaware of a good answer besides “slog through the literature” or “pay someone to slog through the literature.” The institutional filters that are supposed to help with this are quite poor.
If $20 isn’t too much money, then you can “pay someone to slog through the literature” by purchasing a one-week UpToDate subscription.
Not sure if it helps, but I found this book extremely useful for my chronic muscle pain: http://saveyourself.ca/tutorials/trigger-points.php