I was recently discussing views on the American healthcare system with an Irish friend living in China.  That got me theorizing and wondering if other countries have similar, or different, approaches.

In this post, I’m going to talk about a specific subset of healthcare – how it’s a business in the United States, and how cultural dynamics, I feel, play into this. 

Here is my theory.  Over the past 5 or so years, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend.  Drug companies seem to be capitalizing on gullibility, advertising, and financial incentives to make billions of dollars off health concerns. Bodily issues, that have probably been around for centuries, are now being given an ugly name.  Here’s how this plays out.

STEP 1: Create Ugly Name for Non-life-threatening bodily challenge.  i.e. CREATE A PROBLEM.  So, say your nose itches a lot, they suddenly call it “HEFFERITIS”, or whatever ugly name they make up that sounds bad enough that you know you don’t want it.  You might have had it for a long time, and been doing just fine, but now you see a TV commercial that lists your symptoms, and attaches a name to them, and convinces you that you have a problem.  For many people, if they see it on TV, it must be true.  In other words, the drug companies pay for advertising and convince us we have a problem that needs to be fixed.

STEP 2: CREATE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.  Now that the problem has been laid out, and it’s on TV, so it must be true, the drug companies can promote their new drug.  Because you now feel you have a problem that needs to be fixed, you suddenly need to have this drug, it’s the perfect solution.  Here’s the thing, the SIDE EFFECTS ALONE are worse than the problem!  So, let’s take Hefferitis – you start off with an itchy nose, but if you take this wonder drug, you MAY end up with: “itchy feet, diahrrea – sometimes fatal, hallucinations, urges to kill people – sometimes fatal, depression from wanting to kill people – sometimes leading to suicide, dizziness, loss of vision – which may be temporary, loss of bladder control, temporary immune dysfunction, hair loss, neck rash – sometimes fatal…..” (And this is honestly only a slight exaggeration, you should see these ads!)

STEP 3: FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO DOCTORS WHO SELL SAID DRUGS: So, now you’ve seen the commercial, you know you have Hefferitis, and you go to your doctor to get his or her thoughts.  They are being financially compensated to sell said drug, so recommend it to you and tell you the side effects only happen 2% of the time, and so it’s unlikely to happen to you, and if it does, you can stop taking the drugs.

I just saw a perfect example of this – there is a recent advertisement on the television for “Menorrhagia” – heavy menstrual bleeding.  We’ve been living with this for centuries, but now apparently, it’s a disease that needs a cure, oh, and just stay tuned, I’m sure the new drug will follow soon!  Marketing first – get us all in a panic, and wanting the cure, and then when the drug comes out, we’ll run and buy it!

I guess eliminating pain and suffering might be a good cause, however, the side effects of the drugs seem more painful and to cause more suffering, than the problem of origin.

I don’t mean to belittle anyone that might have Hefferitis or any other problem that I cannot commiserate with.  I suffer from arthritis and high cholesterol myself, and recently herniated two discs in my neck, so I can understand how intense pain and aggravation would lead someone to seek out a remedy. I just feel like in the US, it’s not really about a cure, it’s about making executives at drug companies more wealthy, which is highlighted to me by:

1. The fact that we have drugs with such bad side effects
2. We’ve made it socially acceptable for KIDS to take drugs (e.g. ADD) but then try and tell them “Just say No to drugs” – conflicting message if you ask me
3. Insurance companies are miserable when it comes to medical reimbursement, but any drug with a generic form, or one that has no generic seems less problematic for them to pay for

So, I wonder, for those of you living outside the US, do you also see advertisements as I mention in this post?  Do you feel that your country’s healthcare approach is for your good, for the good of a corporation, or a combination?  Please leave your comments!

Today is our final day in the Culture Transition Tip Tuesday series.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the tips and look forward to hearing from you! here is Tip #10. 

If you’d like to cast your vote for the next topic covered in a video series related to transitioning
cultures, just click here!

It’s Culture Trasition Tip Tuesday once again!

Here is Tip #9

Relocating to a new place unfortunately brings the likelihood that you may feel depressed once in a while for a myriad of reasons I’ve mentioned before on my blog.  We can never have enough strategies to beat depression so here are a few tips in case you’re in the blues:

1. Get outside.  Feel the fresh air on your face, even if it’s raining or snowing, just go outside and be reminded that there is life outside your door.
2. Pet a dog. (Or cat, or horse…) Somehow, animals are magic when it comes to depression, and spending just a few minutes with the animal of your choice can work wonders.  If you’re allergic, take a Claritin or whatever your favorite allergy medecine is and find an animal to pet!  Don’t have one or live near someone who does? Find the nearest pet shop and ask to hold a dog or cat even for a few minutes!  No pet shop?  Try an animal shelter.
3. Do one thing on your to-do list.  It doesn’t matter how small – buy the tube of toothpaste you need, go to the coffee shop you’ve been meaning to try, wash the laundry – just do ONE thing.  Action steps help draw you forward and get out of the “I’m stuck” feeling.
4. Call or email a friend.  Pick one person, let them know what’s going on.  Don’t isolate yourself.  Try to unload one time, and promise yourself, and your friend, you’ll work on strategies to pull yourself out of the depression, starting the next time you contact him or her.
5. Throw out clutter.  The act of throwing out all those papers and boxes and whatever else is causing a mess is very therapeutic!

* Want to learn more ways to beat depression and settle in to a new culture? Check out The Personal Success Method! *

Some of you out there are no doubt considering a move to a new city or country for love, or might in future. It’s wonderful to meet and fall for someone in or from a different country, learning about a new culture, perhaps a new language, and it can even feel exotic.  But, before you make the move, you may want to think about a few things so you avoid moving half way round the world and learning that you had no idea what you got yourself into.  Here are a few tips to help you make the right choice.

1. Find out if you’re allowed to work in the country you’re moving to.  If you are moving someplace where you are legally forbidden to obtain paid work, consider how you will feel if you are currently supporting yourself or helping provide – are you ok with becoming a dependent?
2. Find out your potential spouse’s view of your role – working, childcare, housemaker, etc.  In some countries, the woman is expected to be more traditional – perhaps doing most of the cooking and cleaning, and raising children.  Again, discuss this with your potential spouse and find out if this is an expectation, and, if so, one that you’re comfortable with, or one that can be negotiated.
3. Visit your potential home before moving there.  Get a feel for whether you’re comfortable living there, how you feel there, the architecture, etc.  This will also give you a chance to get somewhat familiar with the new landscape, and perhaps enable to you to feel a little more independent when you move for good.
4. Make sure to spend a chunk of time together in YOUR home city – see if you’re still in love when you play host and guide and your loved one relies on you completely.  I can tell you from experience you may feel like you’re in love with a totally different person.  Before you get whisked away, make sure you experience your loved one in each of your respective home countries.  Usually you get accustomed to being the guide/leader (if you live in your home town), or the follower (depending on your loved one to take you around, make decisions about what to do, introduce you to people, etc.) when you meet and live in the same place for a while.  When you return to the other person’s home, these roles will reverse, and it will feel very awkward at first – make sure you’re still in love. It can be surprising and disappointing to learn that the feelings you thought you had fade after experiencing this role reversal.  If the feelings DON’T fade, then you know you have something strong!

* To get more tips and strategies to prepare for your new life together, Consider working with an Expat Coach! *!  *