If you don't currently have a primary care doctor, a large part of you might not view this as a concern. This can especially be the case if you're in good health, as you may rarely need to consult a medical professional. However, it's a good idea to reconsider your position by seeking out a primary care doctor in your community who is currently accepting new patients and becoming a patient yourself. Even if you don't see the doctor very regularly, knowing that you have a doctor and that you can rely on him or her for any number of health issues is a comforting feeling. Here are some reasons that you'll appreciate having a doctor.
An Authoritative Voice On Diagnoses
It's easy to notice a certain symptom that you have, hop on the Internet, and begin to research it. However, you might soon be overwhelmed with the number of potential conditions that you may have — and you may get yourself worked up if your symptom is associated with serious health issues. It's easy to forget that the Internet isn't a proper way to diagnose your health situation and that you're not a health expert. Instead of trying to diagnose yourself, you can easily arrange a visit with your primary care doctor, who can provide an authoritative voice about what's going on.
An Appropriate Place To Visit
Those who don't have primary care doctors will often visit the hospital when they have a health concern. The problem with taking this approach is that the hospital's emergency room is reserved for actual emergencies, which means that you may either get turned away or you may take up the time of medical professionals who could otherwise be caring for people with real health concerns. When you have a primary care doctor, you have a proper place to turn for your medical concerns, even when they're not overly serious.
Help With Your Mental Health
Stress and other mental health issues affect lots of people, but not everyone will take the initiative to consult a mental health professional such as a psychologist to seek treatment. Failing to address your mental health issues can be highly disruptive upon your life, but your doctor is someone to whom you can turn. Primary care doctors are trained to provide assistance with mental health issues, whether it's just a friendly and non-judgmental ear to listen or a recommendation for a mental health professional who may be able to help you.
Share27 September 2017
My name is Katie Langer. For a long time, I was bed ridden and I felt like I had no control over my life. I simply went along with what was instructed by my doctor and I didn't ask questions. It wasn't that my doctor wasn't willing to work with me, but I preferred to simply not think about the illness I was suffering from. I didn't realize that some of the symptoms I was suffering from were side effects of my medication and were not normal. After communicating more with my doctor, I was able to alleviate my symptoms. Since then, I've taken an interest in patient-doctor relationships and how to improve them.
