Understanding Holistic Healing
Is modern medicine the best way to heal?
Since the introduction of modern medicine, there has been a significant push to adopt Western medicine as the golden standard for healing. Although this has helped many individuals in their healing journey, is it always the answer?
Many modern health practitioners say no.
Although modern-day medicine has come leaps and bounds and is responsible for the survival of many illnesses and diseases, there are a few loopholes it doesn't seem to fill quite nicely. It leaves many individuals without the full scope of care they are searching for.
So, how do we fill in these gaps? That's where a holistic health approach comes in handy. What is holistic health exactly? According to an article by Dr. James S. Gordon, holistic medicine is an attitudinal approach to health care rather than a particular set of techniques.
It addresses all the following dimensions of health and illness:
Psychological
Familial
Societal
Ethical
Spiritual
Biological
Holistic healing provides an approach that includes the full scope of health and not just the biological factors. It also takes a community rather than an individualistic approach to healing as it addresses societal, cultural, and environmental factors that can impact individual and collective health. Sounds practical, right? Maybe even underrated?
Why hasn't this approach been widely accepted yet? And how can we adopt this mentality to our current healing journeys?
Here are three ways you can heal holistically:
01. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Take the time to seek out medical practitioners and professionals who adopt this practice. One of the best ways to excel in something is to surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Do this before your next doctor visit and see if this opens up your healing options.
02. SUPPORT HOLISTIC BUSINESSES
Ever heard the phrase, "Put your money where your mouth is?" It has some validity. As a capitalist society, we place a lot of value on money. What you spend your money on has a rippling effect on your community.
Try swapping out some of your name-brand products for smaller companies that take a holistic approach and give back to the community.
03. TAKE STOCK OF SPIRITUAL & CULTURAL HEALING PRACTICES
Don't be afraid to lean into your culture or religious healing practices in addition to modern medicine. According to the Mayo Clinic, 18 studies in the last three decades have shown that religiously involved people live longer lives.
Don't worry; you've got this.
So, if you've hit a speed bump in your healing process, you may consider incorporating a more Holistic Health approach to your journey. After all, you are a little more complicated than a few tests, a diagnosis, and a bottle of pills.