Mind, Body and Soul
Throughout generations, different cultures have acquired an array of explanations,
theories and philosophies in their continuous quest for good health. The early men
attributed illnesses to divine retribution, while some say that it is brought forth
by evil spirits, and the others place the blame on bugs. Allopathy or the contemporary
approach to medicine is built entirely on the theory that diseases are contagious
and so the focus is to suppress its symptoms and promote medications and counter
measures that fight the diseases and ward off their effects. On the other hand, the
holistic approach takes on the widest view of illnesses and diseases, determining a
number of causes, including external and internal causes and then offers a set of
healing courses versus a specific cure. Holistic health then is a wellness approach
that covers an individual’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. It
extends to an individual’s relationships, resources and environment.
While traditional doctors can treat the body, and mental health doctors take care
of a patient’s mind, none of them can treat the patient’s spiritual side.
And by spiritual, it does not refer to any religion in particular but rather pertains
to an individual’s core self—the very essence of existence. And although each
of us had been accustomed to treating our physical, mental and spiritual aspects
separately, holistic health refers to the health of whole.
The holistic approach treats all aspects of the body as a whole and not as separate
entities. It uses drugs and medicines only when all other alternative solutions have
been exhausted. It seeks the underlying causes of a certain condition and not just
mask the symptoms with medications. The body, mind and spirit are intertwined portions
of our being; they can affect one another. A treatment or philosophy that focuses
only on one aspect of a person is an incomplete approach.
Holistic health combines the modern approach of diagnosing illnesses or symptoms with
other innovative health concepts and methods. Holistic health encompasses a variety
of approaches in terms of treatment. Avenues that can be explored or focused on may
include the likes of environmental health, massage, nutritional counseling, homeopathy,
dietary changes, exercise, organic living, acupuncture, and meditation to name a few.
And with the growing popularity of the holistic health approach, more and more medical
and allied health professionals such as doctors, mental health counselors, chiropractors,
dentists and naturopaths are embracing the concept and incorporates it to the practice
of their professions.