Fear Of Flying Or Medicine - Getting The Job Done With Normal Language
When I started writing this, there were a series of thoughts that rushed into my mind all virtually at the same time. You know how the creative urge or surge is like the origin of the universe - a massive big bang and huge chunks of everything full of energy go flying off in every conceivable direction for an infinite expansion of your mind. And most of that is at the speed of light. So, in 1 second, my mind was 186,213 miles in all directions away from the original incubating energy blast of this thought process. There is no doubt that man is created in the model of God, we have been given such God-like conceptions and imaginative abilities.
Back to the more mundane. Why fear of flying or medicine? When I originally started out, I recalled how recently, the total evolution of 30 years of practice, perhaps a little more focused in the direction of this essay over the past 6 months/6 years, I have begun to relate to my patients using a much more straightforward and natural language. This is not without its risks and hence "fear of flying."
I have always had a reputation for being straightforward. But I will skip past that and go directly to the more present issues - if my exploding thoughts can be contained enough to stay orderly so that you can perceive what, on earth, I am talking about in the first place.
- I have recently had some unbelievable successes in helping my patients to accomplish very difficult goals that needed to be accomplished - which I believe occurred in large part because of #2.
- I have become much more connected to my patients by being incredibly straightforward in my language, presentation and relationship with my patients. This is not anger I am talking about, but an ordered common and peer-based strength of thought, speech and connection.
- That is, my speech is now much more natural and at the same level as that of my patients when they are relaxed. Still, my word choice is professionally directed and effective in the sense that I am there to serve my patients' needs and to get the job done. By so speaking and communicating, most importantly, I keep no distance between the patient and myself as I am no more than their equal, their partner at the same psychological and speech level. I am there as their servant, their employee, their professional bus or cab driver on the road to health and individual freedom so that they may pursue their own productive wishes in an unfettered life. Most of us want, need, respond to and respect clear, focused, evocative (not provocative) and potent language/emotional connections. My natural language is a way I achieve that.
Then a bit of caution, and hence again "fear" of flying so to speak, again creeped into my mind as I began to recall how heroes are frequently found in cemeteries because of their heroic actions getting them killed. And, I began to think about my speech format might cause upset. The vast majority of my patients appreciate and respond naturally, not negatively to my using such language, as such language breaks down inappropriate social barriers. All of this is based on my philosophy of equality and effectiveness as stated above. I believe I keep such language appropriate for my familiarity with my patients who may speak whatever way and who are appropriately/positively affected by such language. How can I know? First of all, from American Presidents on down, almost everybody uses common and natural language, including most of my MD colleagues and my patients. There is a small percentage of the population that does not. All of my colleagues say this and that or the other. About the only word I rarely if ever hear from my colleagues is "......."
I was thinking that if I were asked to explain this trend toward my normal and natural common language, some who speak the same way with virtually everyone except patients might say "how unprofessional." I believe my language is very professional in the sense that it is oriented towards meeting my patients without pretense and is natural communication with my patients. Once again appropriate and effective words and phrases that these patients are familiar with and hear and use themselves in common communication including with me. Not all words are used in every patient relationship, but all relevant words may be used wherever appropriate.
My words are chosen to enhance effective communication, to be effective in my service to patients, to keep no distance between them and myself in order to accomplish their wishes and needs for self-health and health-freedom. This is not an essay on the use of common language, it is an essay on "getting the job done."
H. Robert Silverstein, MD
Hartford, CT