Sunday, April 26, 2009

Super Ordinate Goal

For this topic, the psychology term, 'super ordinate goal' comes to mind. Chronic disease is a complicated issue strewn with blame of all causes from individual to environmental to government...you name it, its been blamed. The only way that this surmounting problem can be addressed is if every views it as a super ordinate goal. Basically people need to view chronic disease as something that affects everyone and everyone has to set aside their differences and work hard to fix the problem so that everyone can benefit. The overbearing model could be like the Ecological Model. Individual, Interpersonal, Community, Society, Supranation.
Individually, people need to take responsibility and as much as they can in whatever environment they are in, to live a lifestyle following chronic disease prevention guidelines. For example in diabetes, individually people need to watch what they eat, get their exercise, take their medications. Say one can't exercise because the neighborhood has a high crime rate, and there is only the space of a coffin in their room. Well, to the best of their ability they can still do some lunges in that space at home.
Interpersonally, anyone who has or has the potential of developing a chronic disease should have support. If everyone gave each other support then the individual could be more motivated to be responsible.
Environmentally, the community needs to become more responsible in working together to decrease crime rates, make more parks, have more clinics, have more mobile clinics, talk to people more about health, etc. The community needs to be involved to change the existing environment in which individuals live in.
If this were to succeed, the society plays a role in changing the pop culture and social dynamic on how we view chronic diseases and how we can do something about it. If the media tells me I can't do anything for chronic disease over and over again, I will probably believe it. So if I was an average viewer, I probably wont do something I dont even think is possible to achieve because the media says so.
Ultimately the government needs to get involved and instill some doable policies acceptable by most of the population. For example, the government could put mandatory prevention education in all facilities and funnel money into organizations. At the same time, the facilities have to show proof of decrease of chronic disease, etc.
Ideal? Yes, but without everyone being in on it, it cant be done.
Chronic disease is rampant because everyone has stopped being responsible. Everyone is blaming each other. To fix this,everyone needs to take a piece of responsibility and help take care of this problem if we are every going to fix it.

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