Our healthcare “crisis” can be viewed and scrutinized from a variety of perspectives - affordability, accessibility, fraud and waste, chronic pain epidemic and others. These concerns are commonly discussed. Unfortunately, another type of crisis is frequently overlooked and ignored by the experts.

This crisis affects every healthcare consumer. This crisis limits the potential and success of your physical recovery. This crisis leaves you feeling powerless and desperate.

And…here’s the irony. You already “know” about this crisis without naming or labeling it. You naturally feel this crisis even though you haven’t described it with words. It shows up as an empty void in your gut after going to your doctor, physical therapist or some other healthcare clinician. It shows up as a racing heart or irritable bowels when thinking about an upcoming medical procedure. It shows up as avoidance, fear, and denial whenever your health is at stake.

So, what is this “crisis?” This crisis is our healthcare system’s refusal to fully acknowledge and integrate the mind-body-spirit relationship in healing. We have “mind” clinicians (counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists) and “body” clinicians (doctors, physical therapists, nurses) and “spirit” clinicians (chaplains, ministers), but these clinicians are working separately from one another. In other words, the three parts may be present in the larger system, but the system fails to bring these parts together as an interactive relationship.

“Be Aware and Power Up!” realizes that this healthcare crisis is a systematic problem. Although efforts to change this system are worthy, your physical recovery is happening now and cannot wait for its resolution. You and all other healthcare consumers must take your power back as individuals first.