Medical and health things we'll be horrified by in the future

[Leavesofautumn]

This is inspired by a recent thread about sunbeds.

What things happen now, that in fifty years time we'll be horrified by in the same way that we're horrified by certain things from Victorian times now, or even things from the 1960s? I'm talking about both medical treatments, and products that are harmful to health. In fact asbestos is still a problem now if certain buildings are being demolished.

Smoking indoors is an obvious one - even now I'm amazed we ever went into a restaurant and specifically had to ask for a non-smoking table.

Sunbeds are already banned in Australia and Brazil.

Prednisolone is a nasty drug and I'd like to see it eventually fall out of use once something better has been invented.

It's great that some people benefit from CBT, but it's shocking that it's still regarded as the default 'go to' therapy for anyone reporting persistent depressive mood when it does absolutely nothing at all for a huge proportion of the people who undergo it.

A medicine that was as ineffectual would have been superseded eons ago by something more effective, yet millions of people still get referred for CBT, wait months or years for their appointment to materialise, and then come away thinking what the hell was the point of having someone point out a load of facile and pointless observations that I realised myself long ago?

It's no wonder it's described as 'gaslighting' because that pretty accurately sums up exactly what it feels like for a huge number of the people who undergo it. Then, after a totally unsatisfactory experience, you are told 'well tough, that's all we can do for you, now run along' and you just have to pick up exactly where you were years ago, that's if the entire unpleasant experience hasn't set your mental health back and left you feeling even worse than before.

Injections, and relying on the patient to take daily medication. I'm surprised medical science hasn't come up with smarter solutions for these yet.

Also (slightly off topic) allowing people to drive round the dangerous animal enclosure at a safari park. The only thing between a child/idiot/etc is not carelessly opening the car door at the wrong moment!

The only thing between a child/idiot/etc and certain death.

Rich countries eating meat everyday, especially mass farmed, over processed, low quality meat. Excluding meat does not mean eating UPF or drinking nut milks.

Vapes and how readily available they are for children.

Meat, well all animal products. The science is there already but I guess this will be more of a future shock and horror.

As a pp said short car journeys.

Some of the injectable cosmetics.

One I’d like to say but very controversial right now.

Wards in hospitals, especially maternity wards, where partners of patients spend long stretches, bothering other women and filthying the loos.

That medication and surgery are the right treatment for gender dysphoria.

That talk therapy is the answer to healing trauma. A lot of the research now shows that a combination of mind and body therapy is needed.

That anxiety meds and anti depressants are the right thing for the pain of modern life, or for the menopause. There are so many more effective treatments yet doctors dish them out like sweets.

Meat, well all animal products. The science is there already but I guess this will be more of a future shock and horror.

We as a species have thrived on animal products since the beginning of times. Don't be ridiculous. Exactly what science supports the idea that it's healthier for human to be entirely vegan?

Women having to wait more than two years for prolapse surgery, walking around with their internal organs hanging down into their vaginas.

Yeah, this one is bad! I have a grandparent who is 8 years down the line, and is now doubly incontinent, can't eat or drink unaided, doesn't know who they are, who we all are and lives in a constant state of fear, it's traumatic for everyone involved. Not just dementia either, putting people on palliative care because there is nothing they can do, and them just having to deteriorate, live in pain and discomfort.

I'd love to see a time where your right to die can be exercised in certain scenarios. Of course it would have to be heavily legislated but I don't think it the worst idea on the world.

Oh, and also, current NHS waiting times, that people have to live unwell or in pain for years before they get appointments or treatments. Same with the current methods of getting GP appointments. Hopefully this is better in years to come, imagine telling your grandchildren you needed an operation for a very painful medical problem, but you had to wait 18months to 2years.

I'm all for assisted suicide, but how would that work with dementia patients? By the time it became necessary the person would no longer be of sound mind to consent to it. Would they sign a document years ahead, outlining exactly at what stage they have to get to before it can be put into motion?

@RandomMusings7 I wouldn’t say thriving more like surviving or thriving then failing. Yeah I agree, it was a good survival food.

I’ll link the studies I know of when I’m back from work.

@RandomMusings7
Agree 100% wrt pap smears.

In the US, all pap smears are for precancerous cells. HPV is tested separately.

The UK should routinely test for GBS.

I’m not sure you fully understand type 1 diabetes.

Living will? Sounds like an excellent idea. We should all give thought to how we want to be treated if we have an incurable condition. It's a very grim prospect but it would be a kindness to our loved ones and would be a big help to medical staff.

I've never had CBT but I thought it was developed as a cheap, quick but effective treatment for mental health conditions at the less severe end of the spectrum. Is it a way of trying to re-train people to have better habits, less destructive ways of thinking? I can see how that could work, but if it's actually being offered on a take-it-or-leave-it-there's-nothing-else-we-can-offer basis to people with much more complex conditions I can see how that's going to be really unhelpful and often actually harmful.

As @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g says, a living will. We could in effect do it now, would be quite similar in concept to us planning our funeral whilst we are still able to. Dementia would be the hardest of them all to manage, but if a family member hod POA over your healthcare then maybe they could?

I have been offered six weeks of cbt for intolerable pain, that make me suicidal at times, from an autoimmune condition of many years because NICE guidelines now state painkillers should not be prescribed. I think the word gaslighting more than covers the feelings i have about this.

Mercury fillings.

@Paperthinspiders Sorry, could you explain what you mean by this? I don't understand.

It also has a lot of nasty longer term side effects. My dh was on quite high doses of prednisolone for many years for uncontrolled athma. He is now on a trial of another drug given as a monthly injection which reduces his reliance on steroids. The whole aim of being on this new drug was to get him off the steroids in the longer term due to their side effects - osteoporosis etc

There is a website that is campaigning for assisted dying to be made available to people who are terminally ill who are of sound mind. It doesn't apply to dementia though and I think it should for those who have previously specified that they would want this.
www.dignityindying.org.uk/

There is a sister site beta.compassionindying.org.uk/ which gives you the opportunity to complete a 'living will' which records circumstances where you do and do not give consent to medical procedures, an 'advanced statement' detailing how and where you would prefer to be cared for in the event of being unable to communicate and information about how to choose for yourself the circumstances you would not wish to be resuscitated.

The documents are not legally binding but - so long as your doctor is aware of them your wishes must be taken into consideration.

I update this every year - even though nothing changes; I think it must give more weight to your thoughts if you have been reaffirming your wishes on a regular basis. I really do hope assisted dying is legalised in the UK sooner rather than later.

I would rather it be done now in a planned manner rather than rushed through at a later date when most health care has been privatised and it is less easy to ensure adequate safeguards are put in place.