Coaches often use the phrase “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team'” to emphasize the importance of group effort. Any good team is truly made up of partners, members who see the value of working together as more important than any of their individual glories.
As far back as our human history can be judged, people have always found that teaming up brings benefits. We are a communal people. We work together, play together, pray together, and look for ways to increase our connectedness via technology. In short, we are a “tribe.”
Why then is it that people so often feel alone when it comes to health issues?
Whether it’s a physical or mental health issue, you’ll often hear people say they feel alone, as if they are the only person on the planet who has such feelings. Many folks suffer in silence for long periods of time, feeling isolated with their health problem(s).
But, as we become more connected in this age of social sharing via technology, we are awakening to the realization that there isn’t much “aloneness” any more. We can be pretty much as connected to our social networks as we choose to be – any time, any place (…well, except where wireless signals are weak!) This awareness of our common connections is starting to spread into the dark areas of our inner selves, too.
In the past, when people felt symptoms of physical or mental disease, they typically had few options for discovering what was going on short of telling someone and asking for help. But, we humans have a tendency to want to hide personal issues of which we’re uncertain or which may turn out to be embarrassing. Thus, many times, people leave such issues to simmer, unspoken and undiagnosed.
Now, though, Internet searches and social sharing platforms are changing all that. You can go online – anonymously, if you so choose – and search through health information on virtually any topic. You can share your thoughts and concerns with friends, even if those friends – and you – are only known to each other by screen names and avatars. You can find whole groups who have similar symptoms and problems and who often share similar feelings.
Of course, there is a lot of baloney information on the Web, so you do need to be careful about what sites you choose to trust and to whom you choose to listen. But, getting some information, some education, about your health concerns starts the process and can often lead you to finding the help, the “team,” that you need.
When it comes to your health these days, there actually is an “I” in “team.” That “I” is you, and you are not alone.
Dr. Gregg
Posted – April 9, 2013