One of the privileges of being a physician is that I get a front-row seat to what people are actually struggling with. Not what social media says they’re struggling with. Not what’s trending in wellness. Not the latest supplement stack, biohack, or optimization strategy. What real people are bringing into exam rooms every day.

And lately, I’ve noticed something interesting. Over the last few years, the landscape has changed dramatically. Some things for the better, and some things… not so much.

“Patients are arriving to the doctor’s office with pages of notes, questions, supplement recommendations, and AI-generated care plans.”

Despite having more health information available than ever before, many seem more overwhelmed than ever. They’re listening to podcasts. Following wellness influencers. Reading books. Tracking their sleep. Uploading lab work to ChatGPT. Patients are arriving to the doctor’s office with pages of notes, questions, supplement recommendations, and AI-generated care plans.

Honestly, I don’t think the problem is that people aren’t paying attention to their health. I think the opposite is true.

People care deeply about their health. They want to understand what’s happening in their bodies. They want to make informed decisions. They want to advocate for themselves. That’s a beautiful thing.

But as I reflect on what I’m seeing in my private practice right now, I’m realizing that some of the biggest challenges people are facing aren’t necessarily the ones getting the most attention online. Here are a few things I’ve been noticing lately.

People are arriving informed, but overwhelmed

One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen in recent years is that patients are arriving far more informed than they used to be. People are no longer in the dark about their health. They’re asking thoughtful questions and taking an active role in their healthcare. In many ways, that’s a positive change.

At the same time, I’ve noticed that having access to more information doesn’t always create more clarity.

“Having access to more information doesn’t always create more clarity.”

Patients regularly bring me articles, supplement recommendations, lab interpretations, and AI-generated care plans. And while some of that information can be incredibly helpful, it can also become overwhelming.

Sometimes people leave the internet with twenty possible explanations for a symptom and no clearer understanding of which one actually applies to them. I’ve also seen how easy it is for people to get pulled into distracting rabbit holes or become convinced they’ve found the one missing piece that’s causing all of their symptoms. A single lab value. A viral supplement. A social media trend. A diagnosis that sounds like it explains everything.

Occasionally those discoveries are helpful. But sometimes they send people further away from the answers they’re actually looking for.

The positive side is that patients are becoming more engaged in their health than ever before. They’re asking thoughtful questions. They’re advocating for themselves. They’re challenging old assumptions and seeking to understand their bodies in deeper ways.

“One thing I often recommend is bringing your research into an appointment as observations rather than conclusions.”

One thing I often recommend is bringing your research into an appointment as observations rather than conclusions.

Instead of saying, “I know I have this condition,” try saying, “I came across this information and parts of it resonated with my experience. Could we talk through whether it applies to me?”

That small shift can create a much more productive conversation. It allows both the patient and physician to stay curious, explore possibilities together, and use information as a starting point rather than an endpoint.

People want partnership, not just healthcare

One of the most encouraging shifts I’ve seen over the last several years is that patients are no longer satisfied with simply being told what to do. They want to understand what’s happening in their bodies, what their options are, and why a particular treatment plan is being recommended.

“One of the most encouraging shifts I’ve seen over the last several years is that patients are no longer satisfied with simply being told what to do.”

They want to understand how nutrition, sleep, movement, stress, hormones, relationships, environment, and medications all interact. They want to know not only what a recommendation is, but how it fits into the larger picture of their health.

More and more, I’m seeing people seek out doctors who are willing to have those conversations. Whether that’s a functional medicine physician, an integrative practitioner, a naturopath, a nutritionist, an acupuncturist, a therapist, or a traditional doctor, patients are looking for care that acknowledges the complexity of being human.

The patients in my office are looking to have root-cause conversations. They want thoughtful explanations. They want someone who can collaborate with the rest of their healthcare team and help connect the dots between different pieces of their health story.

Many patients are looking for doctors who are willing to listen, explain, collaborate, and think critically alongside them. They want to ask questions. They want to understand tradeoffs. They want to feel seen as individuals rather than diagnoses.

This reflects a growing desire for true partnership in healthcare.

Fatigue is everywhere

If I had to pick one symptom I hear about most often right now, it would probably be fatigue.

Not the kind of fatigue that goes away after a good night’s sleep — the kind where people tell me they feel tired even when their labs look relatively normal. The kind where motivation, energy, recovery, focus, and resilience all seem harder to access than they used to. The kind that lingers and starts to feel like part of your personality after a while.

“Not the kind of fatigue that goes away after a good night’s sleep — the kind where people tell me they feel tired even when their labs look relatively normal.”

Of course, there can be many reasons for fatigue. Sleep issues. Hormones. Thyroid dysfunction. Nutrient deficiencies. Chronic illness. Metabolic health. I wrote an article diving into this topic because I hear about it so often. But I also think we’re living through a moment in history where many people are carrying enormous physical, emotional, mental, and logistical loads. Careers. Caregiving. Financial pressure. Information overload. Constant connectivity to devices.

Sometimes the body is simply trying to communicate that it’s carrying more than it was designed to carry indefinitely.

“Fatigue isn’t always a sign that something is deeply wrong, but it is often a signal that something deserves attention.”

One thing I often encourage people to do is stop asking, “How do I push through this?” and start asking, “What is this fatigue trying to tell me?” Fatigue isn’t always a sign that something is deeply wrong, but it is often a signal that something deserves attention.

It’s always worth discussing persistent fatigue with your healthcare team, especially if it’s new, worsening, or interfering with daily life.

Beyond that, I encourage people to get curious. Where might your body be asking for more support? What about your mind? Your relationships? Your sense of purpose? Sometimes fatigue is physiological. Sometimes it’s emotional. Often it’s a combination of both.

The symptom isn’t always the whole story

I hear about a lot of symptoms over the course of my day. And one thing I find myself saying more and more in practice is that the symptom bringing someone through my door is rarely the entire story.

“The symptom bringing someone through my door is rarely the entire story.”

Someone comes in because they’re exhausted. Or bloated. Or struggling with weight changes, low libido, brain fog, anxiety, poor sleep, or hormone concerns. Sometimes the answer is relatively straightforward. But often, what looks like a single symptom is actually the result of multiple systems interacting at once.

Hormone levels affect sleep. Sleep affects blood sugar. Blood sugar affects energy. Chronic stress affects hormone rhythms. Gut health can influence inflammation and immune resilience. Relationships, work environments, and life circumstances can impact all of the above.

“Hormone levels affect sleep. Sleep affects blood sugar. Blood sugar affects energy.”

This is one reason so many patients feel frustrated. They’re often looking for one answer to explain everything they’re experiencing, while the reality is that the body is much more interconnected and complex than that.

As a functional medicine physician, I’ve become less interested in chasing just isolated symptoms and more interested in understanding the full story. In my own practice I’ve seen that the most effective conversations and care plans are rarely built around a diagnosis alone. They’re built around understanding the person behind the diagnosis.

Sometimes the details that seem unrelated — changes in sleep, stress, digestion, menstrual cycles, energy, mood, travel or even a major life event—are exactly what helps us connect the dots between systems and identify where the body may need support.

The thing I see many patients missing

One thing I’ve been seeing more lately is that many patients have become incredibly skilled at optimizing their health, but can be less intentional about building a life that actually feels good to live.

“Many patients have become incredibly skilled at optimizing their health, but can be less intentional about building a life that actually feels good to live.”

I’m increasingly convinced that many people are overlooking things that matter just as much as all the health metrics we’re taught to track.

Few people are also tracking: Meaningful relationships. Community. Time in nature. Faith. Purpose. Creativity. Hobbies. Laughter. Rest. Grounding. Time away from screens. Moments where we’re fully present instead of constantly consuming information. Love.

Some of the healthiest patients I know aren’t necessarily the ones taking the most supplements or tracking the most metrics. They’re the ones who have built lives that feel supportive, connected, and sustainable.

My own experience with breast cancer changed the way I think about this. It certainly deepened my appreciation for health, but it also reminded me that the goal isn’t simply to live longer. It’s to have a life that feels meaningful while you’re living it.

“The goal isn’t simply to live longer. It’s to have a life that feels meaningful while you’re living it.”

Since then, I’ve become just as interested in helping people build lives and wellness practices that support their wellbeing as I am in helping them improve their lab work. I hear a lot of conversations in the health space around what people should be taking, measuring, optimizing, and improving. But humans need more than good biomarkers.

They need belonging. They need joy. They need purpose.

And increasingly, those things absolutely deserve a seat at the health table.

What gives me hope

For all the challenges I see in healthcare right now, I’m also incredibly hopeful. Because beneath the fatigue, confusion, symptoms, and frustration, what I see most often is people who genuinely want to feel better.

“Beneath the fatigue, confusion, symptoms, and frustration, what I see most often is people who genuinely want to feel better.”

People who are asking thoughtful questions. People who are becoming more engaged in their health. People who are looking for care that feels personal, collaborative, and human. And perhaps that’s the biggest thing I’m noticing right now.

They’re looking for physicians who will take the time to understand their story, connect the dots, and recognize that health is rarely as simple as a single symptom, lab value, or diagnosis.

They’re looking for a more thoughtful way to approach healthcare. One that recognizes that health is complex, individualized, and deeply human.

And honestly, I think that’s exactly where healthcare needs to go next.

Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino is a Board-Certified Family Physician and the Lead Functional Medicine Physician at Love.Life. Specializing in women’s health and hormone optimization, she has been featured in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and Women’s Health. As a functional practitioner and a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Tolentino is dedicated to uncovering the root causes of health challenges, employing a holistic, whole-person approach to empower lasting wellbeing. Follow her on Instagram here for more insights.