Tag Archives: healthcare

The Most Predatory Systems in America

In America today, several systems are notoriously predatory because they extract resources–money, labor, health, or dignity–from people without providing safety, care, or fairness in return. These systems often target the most vulnerable while shielding those with wealth and power. Here … Continue reading

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Finding the Right Doctor

Finding a doctor who listens and understands can be highly challenging, especially when you’re already in pain or dealing with complex needs. From an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) lens, the quality of our relationships, including with our providers, greatly affects our … Continue reading

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Connection in Healthcare is Essential, But Medicine Sabotages It

Connection is vital in medicine, and is often ruptured by institutional demand for rushing and the culture of separation. That’s two strikes against doctors who want to connect, understand the importance, and need to feel connected themselves, and all doctors … Continue reading

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Why a Doctor Visit Can Increase Our Pain

For someone with a chronic condition, going to the doctor can increase pain because the body is already in a heightened state of sensitivity. When pain persists over time, the nervous system adapts by becoming more responsive to potential threats, … Continue reading

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How Repeated Medical Abuse Conditions the Nervous System

Fabrizio Benedetti’s insights into conditioning in his book, “The Patient’s Brain: The neuroscience behind the doctor-patient relationship,” are highly relevant for understanding how repeated medical abuse can shape a person’s nervous system. Conditioning—where the nervous system learns through repeated experiences—plays … Continue reading

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Creating Confident Patients: An IPNB Approach to Healthcare Advocacy

From an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) perspective, understanding and addressing the reluctance of patients to question healthcare providers involves recognizing the complex interplay between the brain, mind, and relationships. Here are some ways to advocate effectively for patients’ needs: Foster a … Continue reading

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Beyond Lifestyle Changes: Why Healing Takes More Than Better Habits

In today’s healthcare system, we often encounter the idea that some of our biggest health issues can be resolved through lifestyle changes. While this is technically correct, from an Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) perspective, such change is also complex. When people … Continue reading

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The Kaiser Strike Exposes a Broken Mental Health System Built on Symptom Management, Not Care

As nearly 2,400 Kaiser mental health workers continue their strike, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the mental health industry is not providing the care most people need. While the striking workers are asking for more time to manage their workloads … Continue reading

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Burnout on the Picket Line: A Call for Revolutionary Change in Mental Health Care

Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers have entered their second week of striking. The strike involves psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, and therapists who provide mental health services to Kaiser’s 4.8 million members. The union seeks better staffing levels, pay parity with … Continue reading

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The Illusion of Autonomy: How Power Dynamics Shape Freedom

While agency and autonomy are often celebrated in Western culture, it’s important to look at who benefits from these ideals and how they are distributed. Upon closer examination, there are significant disparities in whose agency and autonomy are truly respected, … Continue reading

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