Let’s Talk About “Incurable Disease” And “Incurable Patient Syndrome”

You may be one of those people who have been on the medical merry-go-round so long that the platoon of physicians you’ve seen may refer to you as having “incurable patient syndrome.” That’s how some doctors often define patients when they cannot pinpoint the source of disease or pain. In some cases it likely is a real medical problem they just aren’t trained to look for. And in some cases, it’s more likely that there is something else behind the patient’s suffering.

No Incurable Diseases

My colleague and good friend, Dr. Simon Yu has written about this in a recent newsletter. He clearly states that he does not believe that there are incurable diseases. I’m right there with him. And he does acknowledge that there are “incurable patients.” He explains that “Incurable patients may not necessarily have a true medical problem. In this situation,” he says, “their expectations will never be fulfilled, and they will never be satisfied. They go through the journey of looking for a solution by visiting one doctor after another.”

Sound familiar? Don’t get me wrong. Many, many times mainstream medical doctors just aren’t looking for causes that aren’t things they’ve learned about in medical school that can be treated with a pill or surgery. But for patients that may truly be described as “incurable,” there is real hope.

No Incurable Patients But A Lack Of Interest In Self-Evaluation

Dr. Yu points out that, “In many of these situations, it is not a medical doctor that is necessary but an honest self-evaluation or counseling assistance to assess your condition of Body/Mind/Spirit. Your “incurable” medical conditions may actually be a result of your unresolved emotional state.” He states, “This is not to say that you should automatically accept a statement from a medical doctor that “it’s all in your head.” Rather, it’s very important to be honest with yourself in asking if your emotional state may be causing, or not allowing the healing of your symptoms.”

You Can Lead A Horse To Water…

You’ve heard the expression, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Patients who are not going to ever be satisfied, fall into this camp. My patients with real medical conditions who finally arrive at my door after years of searching for relief are typically ready to follow some pretty firm personalized directives that allow the body’s natural healing responses to begin to work. If a patient arrives at my office and chooses to continue making the rounds of different doctors, I put them into the category of not being able to make an honest self-assessment and they may ultimately be “incurable” through their own choices. They are the ones you simply cannot make drink even though they are thirsty. They will have to face their own inner selves if they are ever to be free of suffering.

As Dr. Yu notes, “Removal of suppressed guilt, fear, shame or self-doubt can trigger a major shift in one’s hormonal, psychological and immune response. Conventional medical professionals dismiss the phenomenon as a placebo effect or at best spontaneous healing. But the resolution of strong emotional issues can allow the body to heal itself.”

If you are interested, you can read more of what Dr. Yu has to say on the subject here:
https://preventionandhealing.com/blog/incurable-disease-and-spontaneous-healing/