Trog Blog #5: Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar

No, that’s not a Freudian slip. It’s just a Freud reference because I am going to use a psychology term in a second.

This clinical pearl is simple: STOP projecting onto your patients.

I know it seems like a ridiculous clinical pearl to share. But you would be amazed at how hard it can be to not project your own history onto other people. Think about it: we are social creatures by design. Someone is coming to you, most likely, because they are in pain. You seek to be an active listener and empathetic provider.

It’s pretty hard to not think about that time you blew out your back. Or that one time you fell and sprained your wrist. Or how you struggle with anxiety and you’re picking up on this patient’s anxiety.

Stop it.

Actively fight that. It’s inherently selfish; it places the emphasis on you rather than your patient. And for the love-of-all-that-is-holy, don’t say “when I hurt my…. I also struggle with…this treatment really helped me…” At a minimum it’s trite, at worst it is dismissive to your patient.

Not everyone has the same issues you do. Not everyone will benefit from the same treatment you did. Not everyone views their issue in the same way you do/did.

Being patient-centered means you use the provider-patient partnership to come up with a plan that makes sense (to the patient), will be effective (from your end), and is actually what the patient wants to do.

Forcing someone to do hot goat-yoga because it worked for your bursitis isn’t good care.

But what can you do? How can you stay patient-centered while developing a treatment plan? I am glad you asked, come back for the next blog to get an idea or two…and remember, don’t live in caves…