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By Dr Pius Musau
They say that if the only thing you have is a hammer, everything will look like a nail. For the personnel who either have a limited view or have failed to understand the patient’s complaints, a psychogenic problem may end up with a physical diagnosis and an array of medications. This patient will end up sicker principally because of the wrong diagnosis and possibly the side effects of the medication.
What is often missed out is the fact that even a patient with an obviously physical illness can have an underlying psychological problem that may only need a one on one talk to resolve.
Categories of illnesses
The World Health Organisation defines health as a state of wellbeing and not the mere absence of disease. There are physical diseases that can be diagnosed in the lab, mental disorders of varied degrees and reactions to not only the diseases but also the anticipated outcomes. A patient with psychological affection can only get worse with medications that reinforce the belief of sickness.
Little knowledge is dangerous
Our patients listen to all sorts of people; some charismatic exorcist, the ignorant man of God, the nosy neighbour and the hospital cleaner who knows it all. Occasionally, they get treated the wrong way and for the wrong illness. And the stresses of life will bring some anxieties that finally show in physical forms. Improperly handled, these are the patients who will move from one consultation room to another in search of the elusive wellbeing.
You need no drugs if
• You have been moving from one facility to another with no improvement despite enthusiastic treatment for some ailments.
• You get unexplainable sensations that include shortness of breath, racing heart, tremors, faintness, sweaty palms and impending doom.
• All possible investigations have consistently come back normal even though you believe you are sick.
• You have been relying on hearsay from fellow laymen to validate your illness.
• Among your expectations are some noble concepts like a scanner or unknown blood test that will identify this problem that feels real to you, but elusive to everybody else.
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