People with serious conditions know that serious symptoms are a sign that the underlying condition is about to take you down. What they often miss is that serious symptoms may artificially be held to “mild” by the medication—so “mild” symptoms on symptom-reducing medication may be serious—a last chance to take action.

They may need to take symptoms more seriously than if they weren’t taking medication because they ARE more serious, and only being held down by the medication. The underlying condition is in a serious state.

When you have a medical problem, you need several things that you do to help protect yourself from it, e.g. stop activity; hydrate; take electrolytes; take medication or supplements; sit or lay down; do a mindfulness reset, release tension in a key area, etc. To let you do nothing in response to symptoms is not the purpose of medication. You still have to take rapid, undelayed action to take care of yourself.

Most people don’t think they have several things they can do. This is an interesting part of Navy Seal training—to teach you many actions so you can always do something to improve a situation. Breathing exercises are part of Seal training. A Seal being debriefed will be asked how many of the things they have been taught they did, did they keep trying something. 

Saying “I’m fine” is like saying “This can kill me, but I’m choosing to do absolutely nothing”.

If something changes, do something in response.