Dysfunctional Healing

I've been thinking recently about "dysfunctional healing."  Multiple otherwise unrelated storylines in my life experiences have merged recently in my mind and I've come to a conclusion worth sharing…

If your attempt at healing isn't working, find a new approach!  Seems simple but - NOPE - It's not.

Years ago, I was on the nursing staff of a hospital serving as an orthopedic technician working with patients who had various bone issues.  One young woman was admitted following a motorcycle accident.  She had five breaks in her left (I think) leg.  After three months in the hospital and at least one episode of such outrageous agony that she pleaded with her surgeon to remove her leg, she was transferred to another facility for treatment that the surgeon could not provide or did not know how to provide.  The new medical provision saved her leg and life with all her limbs continues to this day.

This young woman and her family gave this surgeon every reasonable opportunity to fulfill his mission of providing healing within his realm of expertise.  He was not able to do so.  If this young woman had stayed with this surgeon, she would be minus one leg today.

Are you in a healthcare situation of any kind that is not getting better or is getting worse?  Your doctor is your medical service provider.  That person is not your friend.  That person owes you a particular service and if you are not "better" with the care that is being provided to you, it's time to move on to someone who can bring about healing in your life.  It's just that simple.  It's not a case of hurting your doctor's feelings. It's a case of you putting your goal of healing above your interaction or relationship with your doctor.

In the world of addiction, the process of entering detox and rehabilitation is so outrageously dysfunctional in our current procedures that it's way past time for a change.  As I have sat down on the sidewalks of Emerald City and the neighboring bridge communities, I have heard the thoughts of Masters of Social Work, a Pastor, skilled laborers and others with various college degrees.  I've heard the sincere and heartfelt input of men and women who never found high school due to the brokenness of their family settings. 

So many of these people hold within their intelligent minds and broken hearts the solutions to this plague of dysfunctional healing in the world of addiction recovery. It's way past time for all of us who care to sit on the sidewalks, to listen and to act on the recommendations of these men and women.  They are the "customers" in need of service.  Listen to them and find out how to solve the problem of provision of services to the addicted people of our city, state and nation.  Only then can we hope to see them move en mass into a new and reestablished healthy life.

You are the one looking for healing.  It's not up to you to protect the reputation or the feelings of that specific service provider or that system of service provision who is not providing what you need.  You must put yourself first so as to rediscover or discover for the first time in your life the health and healing that you deserve.