Many of us are good at advocating for others. We advocate for our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, our friends, and our neighbours.

When we vote, we are advocating for our fellow citizens and for certain issues which we believe are important and will help the country. When we volunteer, we are advocating for the cause or organization we are giving up our time and energy to support.  When we donate money, we are advocating for the cause the charity supports.

In the healthcare context, odds are we have advocated for our loved ones to help ensure that healthcare professionals understand our loved one’s healthcare needs, concerns, and priorities. We might attend meetings so that our loved one feels supported, heard, and understood.

In some circumstances we might have to act as substitute decision-makers because our loved one cannot speak for themselves and make their own care decisions. In this difficult role, we act as surrogates and ask questions of medical options, outcomes, risks and benefits.

Yet while we might be comfortable advocating for others, can we say the same about advocating for ourselves? This is incredibly important. The reason being is that we are the ones who best know ourselves and are ultimately responsible for our choices. We cannot expect others to advocate for us, especially if we can advocate for ourselves.

Ultimately, we are all responsible for our lives and our health. Therefore, we must advocate for ourselves. We should become comfortable with self-advocacy. That requires learning about your health, being realistic about life, and asking yourself important questions about what is important in your life.

Self-advocacy means paying attention during medical appointments, being honest, and asking difficult questions.

Self-advocacy also means that you talk with your loved ones about your wishes in case of a medical emergency. You should also discuss your end-of-life wishes with your family. Designating a power of attorney for personal care decisions and a power of attorney for financial decisions are examples of self-advocacy which will help your loved ones make difficult decisions when or if you cannot speak for yourself.

Unfortunately, some might feel that self-advocacy in healthcare might make you appear “difficult” or “demanding”. You might feel its better to just go along with whatever the doctors suggest or agree with whatever your family wants.

Yet this is a terrible idea. Self-advocacy is an act of responsibility and courage. At the end of the day, it is your life and your choice. Make sure everyone knows this, especially yourself.