“The dose makes the poison” –Paracelsus (shortened version of his original maxim)

This maxim beautifully encapsulates the ongoing dilemma of knowing the correct dosage of stress in our lives. Length of exposure can influence whether even small doses can be both beneficial or harmful. In this era of so-called personalized medicine, how often do we bring a scientist’s critical assessment to the dispensing, titrating and ingestion of this potential poison? No drug is more widely distributed and poorly controlled. The system may encourage us to give others agency over us, but in this instance, where the research is marginal, it behooves us to act as our own advocate.
In his book, Dying for a Paycheck, Jeffrey Pfeffer, offers some of the reasons people persist with a fixed dose: economics, prestige, interesting work, ego, inertia, the “not good enough” trope. The competing narratives informing our decision-making appear to distill down to:
Either
“selfless sacrifice for the institution and its lofty ambitions”
Or
“selfish pursuit of individual health and well-being”
The first can be dangerous to one’s health and the second is a based on a false premise.
Time is of the essence when dealing with such a powerful potential poison and we as individuals cannot wait for organizations to take action. Knowing our personal risk/benefit ratio demands immediate attention.
These key questions challenge us to truthfully assess what we are exposing ourselves to:
- How do I feel on this dosage? Excited, drained, energized, lousy.
- Am I improving on this dosage?
- Am I thriving on this dosage?
- How long can I sustain this dosage?
- Is it time to discontinue this prescription?
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi