Jami Wonders Why You Lie

Okay, maybe not you personally, but then again maybe. I say this because a couple weeks ago I had a dentist appointment. When the hygienist asked me if I'd been flossing, for the first time ever I said "yes!" It's the first time, because every other time, I've either just given the bland "no" or the pathetic but true "I did it for a few days, but I hate it so much I stopped." That's why I got annoyed when she later said "Okay, but remember you really do have to floss." She wasn't my usual, so I'll forgive her. Of course, later I realized that she didn't necessarily think that I, personally, am a liar, but that patients probably lie to her all day long, every day. I read a couple years ago, an article about how researchers estimate that 76% of patients lie to their doctors (not necessarily dentists) at every visit. What is wrong with you people? There are a couple articles on line about how doctors know what patients lie, but of course, they can't always know when or who or what you are lying about. I just don't get the point of lying to your doctor, and here's why: 1. You see your doctor, what, twice a year - maybe? What do you care if he/she thinks you drink too much or smoke too much or eat too much bacon? Your doctor most likely doesn't think about you past the end of the day of your visit; I sincerely doubt that they go home and tell their spouses what a horrible person you are. 2. The obvious - your doctor is trying to help you, and if you lie to him/her, you are just asking for a life-threatening error or misdiagnosis. 3. If you are so ashamed to be doing something that you can't even admit it to someone who is NOT ALLOWED LEGALLY to tell anyone else what you're doing and has seen you naked and will see you naked again, then you shouldn't be doing it. When I hear about people lying to their doctors, I wonder what my doctor must think of me. When she says "Do you exercise?" I say "Oh, I regularly start exercising, do really well for a few weeks and then find an excuse to slowly stop it all together. When she says "Do you drink alcohol?" I tell her "Every few months I usually have some sort of night out where I have a few more than I probably should." When she asks "Do you watch what you eat?" I say "In the sense that I see it before it goes into my mouth, yes. . . ." So, if doctors assume you are worse than you admit, she must think it's a miracle I'm still standing. I get that some people see doctors as some sort of authority figure and get some sort of rush from either "getting away with it" or from pleasing the doctor, even if it's a lie. If you're one of the former, you're just getting away with it until the lie kills you. The latter, your doctor doesn't give out gold stars and he's not going to go home and tell his wife and kids what a peach you are, so knock it off. That's my PSA for the day. And by the way, YAY STEELERS!!!!