Dealing With Those Who Prefer "Feeling Better"

I notice that often when someone wants to "get well" they tend to look beyond the doctor's office.  They will grab at straws until they find answers because they so desperately don't want to be sick anymore.  They want to experience their bodies in a state of health so badly that they will not accept taking pills alone (or in some cases they won't take the pills at all).  I have tried to understand why someone would want to "feel better" when they could "get well" and be free from the illness that they experience.  That just isn't a priority for some people.  It makes me really sad when I see that.

My friend's husband is an eye doctor.  She was telling me that there are some conditions where his patients would need nothing more than a cold compress on their eye to heal it.  Often the patient would yell at her husband for not giving him/her a prescription drug for their condition.  I can't even begin to make sense of that; these people would rather spend money on pills (that may have side effects) as opposed to just giving their eye some therapy that is gentle, simple and inexpensive?  It seems like such individuals don't place focus on "getting well" at all; instead they are demanding to "feel better" by use of medicine.

I recently learned that when advising people about wellness, it is necessary to understand their priorities.  For example, if you have a loved one who is sick, but they just want to "feel better"; then any advice given about "getting well" may be fruitless.  I always assess people's attitude before I give information and I'm also careful about HOW I give information.  Of course, I would offer all the information that I can, because as long as I plant the seed then I have hope that it will grow and blossom.