In 2019 when surveyed about where they got their health information, 26.2% of the public responded “results at the top of Google,” while 25.1% said “a trusted government website.” These responses came second and third to “your doctor” (56.7%)*¹.
Now you’ve probably heard the expression, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” It’s true: when it comes to health, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, or worse, over-confident in self-diagnosis, with even a small amount of health-related information if you’re not careful.
Information overload is real.
When you’re searching for answers about your health, it’s easy to get bogged down and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available online. And this influx of advice from sources of varying credibility and quality can add to your stress, feed paranoia about diagnoses, and suggest remedies (or even diagnoses) that may not be safe or even helpful for your current health problems.
Here are three main reasons we want you to say goodbye to relying on Dr. Google.
Three Reasons Why Information Overload is Bad For Your Health
Reason #1: It’s too easy to get bogged down looking for answers in Google.
Because so many of us are using the internet to get answers to health-related queries, it’s easy to see why as many as two in five Americans have self-diagnosed with a serious illness². This can have harmful knock-on effects, not least increasing stress and anxiety levels.
Moreover, if you’re looking for something specific, it can be easy to get distracted by all the things that are said to be beneficial – but these so-called remedies may not be accurate or proven.
Not only that, but you could end up spending hours reading articles and trying all kinds of unproven potions and lotions that are said to “help” with your issue, but that aren’t backed by a scientific approach. So not only are you never going to get that time back, but you may also find yourself back at square one in terms of help and support for your health issue.
Reason #2: Scratching “the itch” (without the science to back it up) is never a good idea.
Trying all the things that are said to be of benefit to your health issue(s) without the use of a scientific approach can, literally, be bad for your health.
It’s very tempting when you’re dealing with a health condition or symptoms like eczema or acne to try what’s trending, but there are specific treatments for these (and other) issues that have been proven effective in rigorous clinical trials. It’s not enough just to do what worked for someone else; you need to find out what specifically works for YOU!
Reason #3: Information overload equates to ineffective extremes (immobility or hyperdrive).
Information overload makes itself known in many ways – whether it’s in not taking action, taking too many actions and not sticking with it, or taking too many actions and not knowing which one(s) helped the most.
This could lead to harmful effects in the present – or weeks or months later. In addition, if you don’t know which product helped you, and the circumstance around why it may have worked, there is a strong likelihood that should these issues arise again you may have to spend time, energy and money to figure out what can relieve the issue.
Holistic Health & Personalisation (It’s good for your health)
The simplest solution to a “case of the Googles” is to get professional advice.
Our current healthcare system was designed to be efficient and standardised, but when we look at the ways it fails people with chronic illness and mental health conditions, we can see that it’s actually anything but efficient in addressing these often long-standing health concerns.
Thankfully, there are other options.
A holistic consultant, for example, is someone who will promote wellness by focusing on the fundamental underlying factors that influence every client’s experience of health and disease. Helping you to address your health concerns using an approach that focuses on the whole you – and not just an isolated set of symptoms that you have. They work with humans, not diagnoses.
Your practitioner will work with you to identify and consider multiple factors, including environmental inputs like toxic exposures, the quality of the food you eat, your genetic makeup and how this unchanging blueprint may be activated and expressed through the influence of your environment and life experiences, as well as mind-body elements like social and emotional, psychological and spiritual factors. Through assessment of these underlying causes and triggers of dysfunction, your practitioner can understand how key biological processes are affected. Most of these dysfunctions can be addressed; some completely restored to optimum function while others can be substantially improved.
The goal of this process is not to make everything equal, but rather to find balance between all aspects of one’s life to achieve well-being. This is why a holistic consultant is an incredible asset: all of their work with you will be tailored to you and for you – because healthcare is not one-size-fits-all. And at The Thrive Practice, we approach your health with you at the forefront – no one else.
Want to learn more about getting personalized support to reach your health goals whether it’s rebalancing your hormones, restoring your gut health or an overarching wellness plan? Click here to learn about our programmes.
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*People could choose more than one source of health information.
