Reductionistic Mentality vs. Holism
The reductionistic view of the body being like a machine, broken down into separate segments is detrimental to understanding total human health.
We must understand everything in the body is connected to start truly pinpointing the root cause of many modern day health concerns.
The health of one part of your body affects the health of the remaining areas of your body. Just like your emotional health effects your physical health, your physical health can effect your emotional health.
Without a holistic view of the body we will fail to see the connection between, and catch the progression of many symptoms, which often leads to disappointment and deterioration.
Everything is connected and affects everything
The ancient/traditional medicines of the world such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda speak of how everything in life is connected.
Not only within the body, but with the world outside and the universe above.
Sadly, in the reductionistic approach to health, the external influence of our environment on our health is often overlooked - though we have seen some major progress and shifts being made within the bio-psycho-social studies.
This connection between internal and external requires that we be extremely cautious about what we allow into our bodies, minds and environments.
If we start to poison one area of our lives, the poison will slowly overgrow and begin permeating into other areas of your life.
THIS also means that your healing journey starts at home, with you.
Higher success rate with Lifestyle change than medication
Medication is not always a life sentence.
However, if you want to feel good, have energy and thrive instead of just get by then being aware and making healthy choices are a life sentence.
You need to take care of your body if it is to take care of you.
The everyday choices you make effect everything from the energy you have, to your digestion, your sleep, your immunity, your future. The choices you make everyday effect ALL of your future days, months and years.
It's a lot more complicated than this, but put into general terms. You are what you eat, think and surround yourself with.
It is important that you take responsibility for the decisions that will effect your health.
Not everybody is born with the same bucket.
Unfortunately we live in a world where some people are blessed with amazing health that they take for grated with lazy lifestyles and McDonald diets.
While others are born into bodies that fight them from day one, leading them to larger health challenges but often a greater appreciation for life and desire to play a part in their own health.
When we speak about the human body from the reductionistic view we tend to create boxes with very specific labels and place people into one or many of these boxes.
Everybody is different
If they do not fit in the boxes, then condition is unknown, or becomes a confusing mix of boxes complicating the care plan and beginning the trial and error of playing with the body's chemistry/hormones.
This trial and error period of different drugs, and continuous disturbance of the body’s chemistry leaves many people in worse shape than before the protocol began.
Accurate Diagnosis is Most Important
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks at each persons physical and emotional constitution, complete health history, and uses tools such as their own tongue and pulses to conclude each unique diagnosis.
For instance in the circumstances of mental health it is not just "stress", "anxiety" or "depression" - What do you feel? Is it fear? Anger? Grief? Can you not let go? Is it a long standing trauma or just recent? Where do you feel it chest or gut? Is it sudden or triggered?
These are all guiding principles for an Acupuncture diagnosis.
These specifics tell us what points will be most effective and also what life changes they can make such as dietary additions and routine shifts that will hasten the recovery process.
These specific facts tell us in a non-invasive approach how the imbalance is presenting itself in this particular patient, where it is presenting and the approach we need to take.
Once the unique constitution is determined, collection and observation of symptoms - how they present, where they are located, how they feel, etc. - determine the most effective treatment approach.
It Is Not Your Doctors Responsibility To Keep You Healthy
It IS their JOB to provide you with information, resources and measures that help put you back in control of your own world.
It is also important to remember medications are not always successful and they often come with a long list of side effects and complications.
NOTE -> I am NOT saying medications are not necessary, or are not miraculous at saving lives. I AM saying there is a time, place and proper approach to prescribing them after other less invasive approaches have been tried (of course, outside of life over death circumstances.)
I AM also saying that you cannot just expect your healthcare provider and the medication to do all the work.
You need to be part of the progress, work together and create a healthcare plan.
You Are Responsible To Take Healthcare Home With You
We need to learn to work together in a preventative model and learn the importance of practicing making healthy choices.
Inter-disciplinary practices are becoming more and more popular for important reason.
We are now recognizing the power of having an entire medical team, physical, energetic and mental collaboratively under one roof.
This not only helps to create a cohesive, comfortable atmosphere for your patients, but…
also benefits the practitioners by having access to the patients history notes immediately, and allows them to lean into and learn the strengths of the other healing professions around them.
It is one step closer to a return to a new holistic model of medicine.