Here’s one of those things we all know is true but still find hard to believe. Most people spend more time researching what car to buy than they spend on the decision of whether or not to have surgery. Think about it.

We compare models, model years, colors, safety ratings, resale value, options, interest rates, and online reviews for, on average, 2 to 4 months. Usually we visit numerous dealerships and check out numbers of online car sales sites. We usually test drive 2 to 5 cars. When all is said and done, we’ve spent between 6 and 10 hours. According to Kelly Blue Book, we put all this effort into a decision that will last for approximately 8 years, the amount of time we keep our cars on average.

But when it comes to making a decision about having surgery, something that will affect our health and quality of life immediately and for the rest of our life, we often say “yes” after a single conversation. In non-emergency surgical instances, most people decide in days or weeks, usually after just consulting one doctor. In fact, only about 15% of people get a second opinion, even if the surgery is considered major or life-altering. Approximately 70% of patients do not do any independent research at all. Instead, they rely entirely on what their doctor tells them.

That just sounds crazy, and the data proves it! Studies have found that when second opinions were pursued, diagnostic agreement between the opinions varied from 53% to 96%. Actual agreement about the need for surgery at all varied from 0 to 83%. That is really something to think about! But if you don’t do the research, you’ll never know.

Why…

So, why is this happening? Why do so many of us go this route and end up regretting bad decisions with something as important as our health? It’s not that we don’t care. It’s because human beings are wired to find the shortcuts. Our brains literally shut down when we feel that we’ve got “enough” information. Psychologists call this “bounded rationality.” It’s also known as “satisficing.” Regardless of the term you use, it’s when we feel we’ve got enough information to make a decision. We don’t need to look any further. But that brings up the question…what is enough?

Enough Already

For most people, “enough” happens when there are three situations exist:

1. The first is our confidence in ourselves. While comparing gas mileage might be easy, comparing medical advice may not be. We may not have confidence in our ability to make decisions about our own health, often we quickly get overwhelmed, and so we decide to trust in the “experts.”
2. We get emotional. Buying a car is often exciting. It is an expression of who we are, our identity. Surgery is about fear, anxiety, and vulnerability. Whenever we go into any type of fearful state, our brain seeks out comfort and pushes back against complexity. That’s when we defer to authority. In this case, it’s the doctor.
3. In some cases, we avoid medical conversations and decision making entirely. If a situation feels threatening, it’s human nature to avoid it all together. Unfortunately, that’s when we let other people make our choices for us, often choices that later lead to regret.

And while we’re specifically talking about surgery here, think of all the medications, tests, and other things that you have agreed to in the moment in your doctor’s office without doing any research on your own or even asking any questions.

The Paradox

Here’s the deal, we actively research cars that begin to depreciate the minute we drive them off the lot. But when it comes to our bodies, the one thing that is actually with us for an entire lifetime, we defer the decision making to a relative stranger.

Why do we do this? Because we’ve been trained to react to and on some level even expect health problems, not to live a lifestyle that would prevent the majority of them. We think that our age will eventually catch up with us. We haven’t yet learned to stop blaming our age and instead take responsibility for our lifestyle.

Making Changes

Living your 100 Year Lifestyle^Ⓡ means living a lifestyle of prevention that keeps you visiting your chiropractor on a regular basis and living a lifestyle that works with your body’s innate intelligence to create health. That means minimizing the need for second opinions but knowing enough to get them if you ever do need them.

It means developing confidence by understanding your body, how it’s made, how it works, and how it’s designed to heal itself.

It means taking responsibility to make good decisions every day that maximizes your body’s natural ability to function, adapt, and heal. This means understanding what your body can do when it’s aligned, balanced, and properly supported.

Then, if a crisis does happen, you will already be in the driver’s seat when it comes to your own healthcare. You can replace a car. You can’t replace a life.

If you could use some company on your health journey, find a 100 Year Lifestyle^Ⓡ provider near you today!