# Doctors seem oblivious to the fact that emotions can make us sick??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-seem-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-emotions-can-make-us-sick/824557>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 15, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-seem-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-emotions-can-make-us-sick/824557 "2018-11-15T14:30:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-seem-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-emotions-can-make-us-sick/824557/1 "2018-11-15T14:30:41Z")

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I have been blessed with good health for most of my life. I have had 2 periods where my health collapsed about 40 years apart. Several more minor episodes in between that I was able to get control of quickly. In my case emotions were 100% responsible for my health issues. 40 years ago it was the first thing my Dr. addressed. This last time I couldn’t get them to even considerate it as a possibility. I have seen the same thing with a multitude of friends. What is up with this?? It doesn’t seem to make any sense at all.

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**Author:** ![Stuntman\_Mike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stuntman_mike/32/334_2.png) [@Stuntman\_Mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuntman_Mike)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-seem-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-emotions-can-make-us-sick/824557/2 "2018-11-15T16:00:06Z")

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Similarly, they seem oblivious to the link between psychology and health disorders. Doc told me for years “what to do”. It was pointless, I already knew what to do. The real problem was that I wasn’t doing it, despite knowing full well it was what I needed to do.

Only after I addressed the root psychological cause, on my own, was I able to follow through with what I was supposed to do. Had he recommended that psychology might be a critical factor in my behavior, I could’ve fixed this problem years ago. I had to figure it out on my own.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-seem-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-emotions-can-make-us-sick/824557/3 "2018-11-15T16:03:45Z")

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When the only tool you own is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. A surgeon will want to cut you, a chiropractor will want to squeeze you, an endocrinologist will want to give you hormones.

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**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-seem-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-emotions-can-make-us-sick/824557/4 "2018-11-15T17:40:45Z")

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Doctors are taught to look for the horse, not the zebra.

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**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctors-seem-oblivious-to-the-fact-that-emotions-can-make-us-sick/824557/5 "2018-11-15T17:45:36Z")

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> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> When the only tool you own is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. A surgeon will want to cut you, a chiropractor will want to squeeze you, an endocrinologist will want to give you hormones.

Yep.

This works the other way, too. Go into a psychiatrist’s office and tell them you feel depressed. Think they’ll check your hormones or your iron levels? Or do a SPECT scan? Doubtful.