-=> Quoting Sondra Ball to Robin Arnhold <=-
Hi, Sondra,
 
 RA>Yes, they can, and people encourage this by looking up to doctors,
 >respecting them, and believing that every doctor knows everything there
 >is to know about medicine.
 SB> 
 SB> I think part of that stems from the fact that when people are
 SB> seriously ill, or their loved ones are seriously ill, they are afraid;
 SB> and the doctor probably does know more about this specific illness than
 SB> they do. I say probably, because sometimes lay people know more about
 SB> their own illnesses than doctors do.  Because they are ill and weak and
 SB> scared, they turn power over to the doctor.
And doctors can be so intimidating.  I find it hard to ask a doctor his
or her opinion of a treatment I've read about or heard about on TV.  My
mother's doctor in particular can really put one down--'well, any durn
fool knows -----'.
 
 SB> In any case, in the end,
 SB> she turned out to be a wonderful and very loving adult.
I'm really glad to hear that.  She is one of the lucky ones, since it
seems that more often that people who had a misereable childhood find
that that childhood follows them around when they're adults and creates
all kinds of problems.
Take care,
Robin
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