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by Lauren Young
ho is in charge of your life? Can you impact your life or are you just along for the ride? Dr. Julian Rotter is a psychologist who explored this concept back in 1954 and coined the term “locus of control” to describe it. Picture the locus of control as a continuum. One end is external and the other is internal. With external control, you feel that you do not have an impact on the outcomes in your life. It does not matter what you do, because you can control external events. Internal control, on the opposite pole, represents when you feel you can influence your life. The choices you make ultimately can impact your path and outcomes. Are you in the driver’s seat or are you a passenger in your life?
Controlling Wellness
Locus of control has a particularly interesting interaction with people’s health. Can you impact your current health state? Are you in charge of your wellness? Research has revealed several important outcomes. Internal locus of control—being in control of your health—is strongly related to better outcomes. From cancer to cardiovascular disease, studies have shown being personally empowered about your health has a tremendous impact for the better. This is a different concept than placebo,
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which is often confused with locus of control. Placebo is believing your medicine is working and causing good outcomes while locus of control is the belief that you can make your health better. Both have been shown to impact health in a positive way. Believing you control your path and that your path is a healing one can powerfully improve outcomes. Medicine is a quickly shifting landscape. Access to information and misinformation is more prevalent than ever. This has an interesting impact on locus of control. Dr. Google helps us diagnose ourselves with catastrophic diseases and/or we find social media groups that recommend kitchen medicine or anecdotal remedies. It is easy to become overwhelmed with information, building an extensive list of possible solutions…or none at all. Where do you start? While the internet offers resources, it doesn’t help guide your particular path nor does it strengthen your confidence. And if you already felt empowered about your health, it may not offer the most effective resources.
Doctor as Teacher
The old-world model of the doctor as an authority figure who hands you a piece of paper that solves your issue is still pervasive. Although this attitude is shifting and certainly does not describe many physicians, this may be what you are prepared to experience.
