Why would someone come to this forum for medical advice?

Well I think first of all you're mistaken, I think they do it to reach out to other people, I have seen many people benefit from the advice others give. Although I agree with you people should seek out the help of a doctor, but sometimes they want advice or to test the water first, and also there are many smart people on here, dr.'s, students, counsilors that do help people!

A majority's of the answers people get here are "go see a doctor" which is pretty good advice but if you look around you will notice a lot of people lurking around here have had experience in certain areas some people need to know how to handle situations ways to cope some people don't have the money to see a doctor we can all give advice and help put them in the right direction (which is usually as said before "go see a doctor") but there are some things doctors can't do for you that some of us can. Some doctors only have some contact with illnesses in their clinic where they get about 15 or so minutes to talk to the person and prescribe something and bring in the next patient. So those doctors can't help much when a patient says "how do I live with my mentally ill son? how do I care for him?" sometimes a doctors only advice is "keep his medication up" not very helpful when your having a crisis. Believe it or not there are a lot of doctors out there who are very uncaring and unprofessional who will prescribe the wrong medications tell you your problem is one you may have to figure out your self or at times say your making it up, as a classic case with Anne Deveson and her son when he was highly delusional and tried to kill her the doctor simply said to her "there is no such thing as schizophrenia?" Some doctors suck and some are great and a lot of people here have had first hand experience in situations that can help, a variety of answers is usually more helpful than just one.

What would you rather hear a doctors opinion of what it is like to have an illness who has never had it or a person who has had the illnesses version of what it is like?

Sometimes we may just want other peoples opinions on whether the sound like they have a serious enough problem to see a doctor, whether they should indeed seek help sometimes they just need a friendly ear to listen to them. For years I have been looking for information on how to deal with certain mental illnesses and the most helpful things I have ever found are first hand accounts from the people who have had the illnesses them selves usually the things doctors say are repetitive and unhelpful and give me no information at all. People need to know what options are out there what kinds of treatments doctors or other professionals can give what to expect and whether they should be scared. Doctors are helpful people and can help us by prescribing medications and other things but sometimes they just don't know enough.

I fail to see the purpose of this question,the only person in the wrong here is you by using your mobile when you knew the restrictions in hospitals etc you could have requested the use of the ward/bedside phone, you say are training to be a healthcare worker but at the same time display a total disregard for the rules,did you lose a limb, did anybody die,get over it and do not rock the boat oh and you should check your spelling it may someday make a difference between life and death to someone .Oh and you did get an answer to your question but not the one you wanted and you insulted an answerer

its to ease the worry and tension over an issue. If you are worried aobut something for example pain in pregnancy and you are not sure if its somethign to worry about and go to the hospital, then they ask. This way if others have experienced it and state its nothing but growing pains then its eases your mind so you can hold off until your next antenatal. I and plently of others have found this useful especially for first time parents. Hospitals often look down on you if you panic about everyhting little thing in your pregnancy and with your baby, there fore hearing it form others who have been through it and have ways to help is easier and can be better then the doctors.

Because they NEED the opinions of good witches and psychics to gently guide them to proper health. A Shamaness like yourself should understand!

just pure curiosity to see what others think or can suggest, simple as that.

maybe they need herbal advice, my favorite treatments for illnesses!! Drs poison us!!

Thumbs up!! (=

I totally agree with you (the asker).