How do we navigate the medical system in a way that feels empowering and maintains our sense of dignity?

This episode was inspired by listener Debbie Margulies' powerful question about maintaining control in medical settings and managing unhelpful pity from others based on your medical condition. Elizabeth explores the difficult experience of needing expert care while feeling stripped of your autonomy, as well as medical trauma that can impact our experience of getting medical care. Elizabeth also offers several tips and strategies to help with grounding. This is the first of two episodes on this topic.

Key Takeaways

• To help with medical appointments and/or hospital settings, you might consider bringing an advocate to appointments, setting boundaries with medical staff, and maintaining personal rituals to anchor your sense of self. 
• Depending on the situation, focusing on your personal growth journey rather than your patient/victim journey (as well as reminding others to focus on the power involved in this as a personal growth journey) can sometimes nourish a sense of empowerment rather than pity. 
• It can be helpful to identify elements you can control even in challenging circumstances (no matter how small). 

Resources

• Email your thoughts, topic ideas, and questions: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground
• Connect on social media: @thecalmingground on Facebook and Instagram
• Study on discrimination in healthcare
• Free Guided Meditation: https://www.thecalmingground.com/free-guided-meditation