Clinical Level Selfcare Series
Exploring common themes in David Crow’s consultation practice
Part 1: The Three Questions
When planning treatment strategies, health regimens and herbal programs it is important to discuss people’s knowledge, resources, abilities and dedication. In order for natural medicine to be effective, a program must be appropriate to the individual, and applying it must be feasible and realistic. I have found that asking three questions in the initial consultation helps everyone understand the what, why and how of natural medicine, which then creates realistic expectations about outcomes of treatment.
The three questions are:
- Do you know what to do?
- Do you have the resources and ability to do it?
- Will you do it?
Let’s look at each of these in more detail.
Do you know what to do?
Consultations with medical doctors typically lead to a medication being prescribed, which is the “what to do.” Consultations with practitioners of natural medicine can also be allopathic in nature, with people being prescribed nutraceuticals instead of pharmaceuticals. The two systems are not equivalent, however, and for natural treatments to be effective they must be individualized and supported with a healthy lifestyle.
The primary “what to do” questions in natural medicine are:
- What to do with the diet
- What to do with the herbs and nutraceuticals
- What to do with other lifestyle routines, such as exercise, stress reduction, sleep, etc.
- What to do with medications that are being used or considered
What to do with the diet is a common source of confusion, which often originates from diets being prescribed based on generic benefits or ideology rather than physiology. In other words, people are told that they should eat a particular diet because it has certain benefits, without considering whether those foods are actually agreeable and helpful to that person. Diets must therefore be individualized and based on the person’s unique digestive functions and capacity, which can change rapidly.
The same considerations apply for herbs and nutraceutical products. Simply because an herb or a product is known to have generic benefits does not mean that it will be effective for an individual. The same applies to other aspects of lifestyle modifications, such as the type and intensity of exercise, the biorhythm and sleep cycle, the meditation and relaxation practices, and so on.
What to do about medications is often the primary reason people consult with me, but it is also the most complex to answer.
My approach to finding the best answers focuses on four primary strategies:
- Working with your doctor to determine the lowest number of medically necessary drugs and the lowest possible dose of each.
- Using herbs that do not interfere with medications. This is a specialized aspect of herbal medicine that is especially important when certain classes of drugs are being used, such as blood thinners and immune suppressant therapies.
- Establishing realistic long-term strategies to first stabilize and possibly reduce the levels of pharmaceuticals using natural alternatives.
- If medications are necessary and natural alternatives are not realistic, using herbs to minimize side effects.
Do you have the resources and ability to do it?
Most consultations conclude after determining the “what to do” part. Implementing the program, however, is often difficult or impossible for many people because of a lack of resources and ability. The most important resources are time and money, and the most important ability is administering selfcare. The successful application of a program often requires finding skillful solutions to shortages of time and money, as well as learning new selfcare skills.
Unfortunately, preventive healthcare and natural medicine are not covered by insurance policies, which is the primary limitation to accessibility for most people. A fundamental part of any strategy therefore requires finding realistic solutions to complex socioeconomic and lifestyle challenges, which are often the root cause of the health problems.
There are many ways to use available resources skillfully to overcome limitations. For example, herbal programs can be very low cost if a person has the time and interest to prepare simple recipes rather than buy finished products. Many selfcare practices are meditative and yogic by nature, which involve gradual retraining of the body rather than spending money on treatments. Many times, resources can be reallocated from other areas of life that are not supportive of good health, which includes money spent on natural products that are not effective.
Discussing “resources and abilities” as part of a medical consultation frequently results in positive lifestyle changes, and increases the likelihood that a natural medicine program will be successful.
Will you do it?
Once we know “what to do” based on a correct diagnosis and treatment plan, and the available “resources and abilities,” the final question I ask people is whether they will do it or not. Asking “will you do it?” is generally synonymous with “do you have the will to do it?”. Occasionally, people will say no for a variety of reasons, but the majority of people answer affirmatively.
Now that we know what to do we then begin implementing the program a step at a time based on available resources and abilities; in future consultations we monitor the progress, address the challenges and make modifications that might be necessary to continue the healing process.
Learn more about David's process with his FREE e-book – Clinical Level Self-Care: What it is, and why it is necessary
