Hoping Medical Interventions Work
And why hope without a plan is likely to fail.
Happy Tuesday, health heroes.
Hope is an essential part of healing.
It carries us through challenging moments and keeps us going when the road seems uncertain. But let’s face it—hope alone isn’t a plan. In today’s healthcare landscape, where 65% of U.S. adults report feeling overwhelmed by the system, relying solely on hope can leave us frustrated, confused, and stuck in a cycle of waiting and wondering.
According to a recent survey, the average U.S. adult spends eight hours a month coordinating healthcare, only to face delays of nearly a month to get an appointment when they need it. Younger adults aged 18 to 34 find managing healthcare even more overwhelming, with 76% describing it as time-consuming and difficult. This points to a system not designed for clarity or empowerment—it’s designed to react, not guide.
This is where I want to shift the conversation.
Why the Healthcare System Feels So Overwhelming
We live in a medical-first society, conditioned to trust doctors, medications, and procedures as the only answers to health challenges. However, the system often falls short of providing clear next steps, leaving people feeling helpless.
The culture of waiting: Delays in appointments and reactive care leave us in limbo.
Lack of direction: No one tells us what we really can expect. We’re left to piece together the entirety without a roadmap.
Over-reliance on hope: When we don’t know what to do, we cling to the hope that a treatment will work—but we lack confidence in why it should work, how long it will take, and if it’s the right approach.
The problem isn’t just the system; it’s how we’re taught to approach our health.
The Role of Healthcare: Where It Shines and Where It Falls Short
Healthcare is incredible when it comes to acute conditions—those moments when you break a bone, develop a life-threatening infection or need surgery to address an immediate issue. It excels at diagnostics, treatments, and life-saving interventions when things go wrong quickly. If you have appendicitis or a heart attack, healthcare knows exactly what to do and how to save your life.
But what about when you’re dealing with chronic conditions? Issues like fatigue, joint pain, headaches, or autoimmune disorders—problems that don’t have a clear diagnosis or a one-size-fits-all treatment plan? This is where the healthcare system often struggles.
Healthcare isn’t always designed to manage the complexities of chronic conditions or help you take charge of your health long-term. In these cases, it’s common to feel like:
You’re being passed from specialist to specialist without answers.
You’re being prescribed medications that manage symptoms without addressing the root cause.
You’re left in the dark, wondering what to do next when treatments don’t seem to be working.
The Missing Link: Where YOU Come In
This is where you step into your power. Chronic conditions, persistent symptoms, and even general wellness require a different approach—one that goes beyond what healthcare alone can offer.
Healthcare treats the condition; you treat the person. While doctors focus on addressing symptoms, you have the power to explore what your body needs to truly heal—through lifestyle changes, complementary therapies, and other interventions that healthcare often overlooks.
Healthcare focuses on the "what"; you focus on the "why." Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” you can ask deeper questions like, “Why is this happening, and what can I do to change it?”
Healthcare may provide some answers, but you help formulate a strategy. The system may give you pieces of the puzzle, but it’s up to you to put them together in a way that makes sense for your life, values, and health philosophy.
How Do You Know When to Take the Lead?
Ask yourself these questions:
Have you been struggling with the same symptoms or condition for months (or even years) without meaningful progress?
Are you tired of bouncing between appointments, only to feel like you’re getting more frustrated than answers?
Do you feel like your healthcare team is managing symptoms but not helping you heal?
If you answered “yes,” it’s time to rethink your approach. This isn’t about abandoning healthcare—it’s about supplementing it with a plan that empowers you to take control.
Your Body is Built to Heal—Give It the Support It Needs
This is where strategy meets hope. By stepping back and asking, “What else can I do?” you open the door to a world of possibilities that healthcare alone can’t always offer:
Lifestyle interventions like the Core 4: better sleep, exercise, hydration, and nutrition.
Complementary therapies like mindfulness, acupuncture, or massage (but there are countless more!).
A mindset shift that replaces fear and frustration with curiosity, like, “Are there books about people who overcame or managed other similar conditions that fall into the realm of mine, like inflammation, infections, autoimmune conditions, etc?”
When you combine the best of healthcare with your own thoughtful plan, you stop waiting for someone to tell you what to do next and start creating your path forward.
Hope with a Plan: A Better Approach to Healing
Hope is powerful, but it needs to be paired with action. Healing isn’t just about waiting for the proper medication or treatment to work; it’s about taking control of what you can do for yourself.
Remember: your body is designed to heal. When given the proper support, it is resilient, capable, and equipped to overcome many challenges. That support doesn’t have to come solely from medications or surgeries. Complementary and lifestyle interventions are often overlooked but can be powerful tools in speeding up recovery and improving overall health. Read more about that here.
So, what does “hope with a plan” look like?
Understanding your options: You have more choices than you realize. Beyond medical treatments, lifestyle changes, complementary therapies, and mindset shifts can contribute to healing.
Asking the right questions: Instead of blindly following the system's next step, ask, “Is this the only option? What else is there? Do I truly believe this approach aligns with what my body needs? Could I be doing something while I’m being treated?”
Relying on logic, not fear: A good plan isn’t driven by panic or pressure—it’s built on thoughtful, intentional decisions that align with your health philosophy and values.
Empowerment Through Strategy
This is why I wrote my upcoming book, Health Shift. It’s not just another guide to better health—it’s a framework for developing your healing strategy. It’s about empowering you to take control of your health journey by following what the healthcare system says and crafting a plan that works for you.
Create your health philosophy. What do you value most regarding your health? Whether you favor natural solutions, medical interventions, or a combination, your philosophy will become the foundation for your decisions.
Explore interventions logically: With a clear strategy, you can explore lifestyle, complementary, and medical options without feeling lost or overwhelmed.
Take back your power: No one knows your body better than you. With the right tools and mindset, you can make decisions based on reason, not desperation.
Moving Beyond False Hope
False hope in a broken system only leads to disappointment. But hope in your body’s ability to heal, combined with a logical, well-thought-out strategy, is a game-changer.
Have hope that your body is capable of healing when supported.
Have hope in your ability to make informed decisions and consider all options.
Have hope in a plan rooted in reason and tailored to your needs.
The healthcare system may not always have the answers you need, but you do. You have a brain capable of asking the right questions, seeking alternatives, and building a strategy that works for you.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your health challenges or unsure of what to do next, know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not powerless. Hope isn’t a plan, but it’s a start. Pair it with action, strategy, and a belief in your ability to heal, and you’ll unlock the potential for faster, more effective recovery.
Let’s move beyond waiting and wondering. Let’s take intentional steps toward health and healing—because you must have hope with a plan; otherwise, neither will serve you well without the other.
A little more about Dr. Alice Burron and The Health Navigator Group:
Check out our website!
Catch us on Instagram: @the.health.navigator and @dr_burron
You can also connect on LinkedIn, if you want to be professional about it. 👓
And if you’re not subscribed to Health Shift here on Substack — it’s time! This letter is completely free and packed with useful tools to help you on your journey to better, faster healing.