Quick Fix vs. Cure: Which Do You Want and Why?

We live in a quick fix society. Turn on the TV. Surf the internet. Walk into any store. Listen to any politician. Everything being sold is a magic bullet or quick fix. Why? Because we want everything yesterday. Why? Because we live in fear. Fear of things getting worse. Fear of there not being enough. Fear that there’s not enough time. Fear that there’s not enough money. Fear that we are not enough. Fear of death. Patience is an attitude that comes from living in the present moment and being ok with things as they are and knowing that there is always enough time, money, things, and that yours is on its way and that you are always enough.

In our society of the 21st century true patience is rare and fear rules. Living in fear has created a pattern of thought that is depressing. The majority of this country is living with the glass half empty and expecting a big leak to develop at any time. It’s no wonder that over 30 million Americans take antidepressants (1 in 10). With many billions of dollars of these drugs sold a year, antidepressants are always among the best selling category of drugs in the US. Antidepressants sales took a hit after a Newsweek article in 2010 that showed the results of studies about the effectiveness of antidepressants. The cover says it all:

The cover story brings our quick fix society to its knees: “The Depressing News about Antidepressants: Studies suggest that the popular drugs are no more effective than a placebo. In fact, they may be worse.” (to understand how medical science got into this mess, read this: Why it’s better to have a mind than a brain part 1 and part 2.)

Why do we keep putting so much of our money into things that promise a quick fix but don’t deliver?

Beliefs. Our society has developed a belief (or meme) unconsciously that has spread itself throughout every aspect of our society. (Read the intro to Virus of the Mind) This belief (self-destructive belief) that there is an easy, magic bullet, quick fix to everything is not only costing us billions of dollars a year, but is also costing us our health (because all quick fixes end up causing more problems in the long run than they solve). The only way to change this is to adopt a new belief (a new meme). A new belief that is self-supporting and start spreading this belief to everyone through every channel we have (create a positive meme or virus of the mind). This belief might sound like this:

• I am enough.
  


• There is enough time.
  


• There is enough money.
  


• It will get better. (It is getting better)
  


• Pain is not a normal part of aging. 
  


• I can live a pain free and active life.
  


• My body can heal itself.
  


• Good things are coming to me.
  


• People are good.
  


• People are well-meaning.
  


• We are all in this together.
  


• The world is a beautiful place.
  

The quick fix mentality applies to how we treat chronic pain, but research is showing us that these "fixes" often don't work, just like antidepressants don't work. 

• Meniscus surgery ineffective. 
  
• Hip replacements fail. 
  
• Fosamax increases the risk of hip fractures. 
  
• Dangers of Epidural Steroid Injections for Pain Relief. 
  
• ACL injury risk reduction programs don't work. 
  
• Anti-inflamatories are not the answer. 
  
• Medical intervention in back pain is usually not needed and unnecessary.
  
• MRI's lead to more problems than answers.
  

When suffering with chronic or episodic pain, instead of looking for a quick fix, you might be better off asking yourself these questions and adopting these beliefs:

• If pain is a signal, what is my body trying to tell me?
  


• If only my right hip (or knee or shoulder or wrist) is hurting me, it can't be my age that's causing the pain. What else could be causing the pain?
  


• What caused the discs in my back to degenerate?
  


• Why is only the cartilage on the inside of my knee worn away and not the outside?
  


• Why would my body deposit excess minerals and form a bone spur? I know my body is doing it for a reason. 
  


• Maybe it's not genetic. What could have caused my body to do this?
  


• Maybe "core strength" isn't the answer to everything.
  


• Maybe running doesn't cause osteoarthritis. 
  


• Pain is not a normal part of aging. 
  


• I can live a pain free and active life.
  


• My body can heal itself.

Here's a fun testimonial from a client who dropped the idea of a quick fix, started asking better questions, and changed her beliefs to empowering.