In his August 11, 2013 article entitled, “The 10 Most Common Reasons People Visit Their Doctor” (posted on www.fool.com), Sean Williams cites a recent study done by the Mayo Clinic. Between 2005 to 2009, the Mayo Clinic compiled information from 142,377 patients, to find out why they went to see their doctor.
Although it would seem obvious that people usually seek help for life-threatening diseases and/or significantly painful symptoms, this study found that people tend to see their doctor for less urgent and less dramatic reasons.
According to the Mayo Clinic’s study, the top 10 reasons people visit their doctor are:
1. Skin disorders , including cysts, acne, and dermatitis
2. Joint disorders, including osteoarthritis
3. Back problems
4. Cholesterol problems
5. Upper respiratory conditions (excluding asthma)
6. Anxiety, bipolar disorder, and depression
7. Chronic neurologic disorders
8. High blood pressure
9. Headaches and migraines
10. Diabetes
Ultimately, people tend to visit their doctor to alleviate, and ideally resolve, a biological condition. Yet, there are times when medical intervention cannot adequately or fully address a biological condition. Those are the times when it could be beneficial to address the EMOTIONAL aspects that could be affecting people’s physical health. A majority of the medical conditions listed above have been found to have some connection with high stress levels in people’s lives. Stress itself can be caused by many types of life circumstances, including job responsibilities, relationship problems, grief and loss, etc.
It is a good idea to visit your doctor whenever you have concerns about a biological condition. However, if you find that medical intervention is not enough to alleviate or resolve your biological condition, it may be helpful for you to work with a licensed counselor to address the emotional aspects that could be connected with your physical symptoms.