Holism is approximately the big picture; it relates to the idea that nothing happens in vacuum pressure. When seeking answers to a problem, holism puts the focus on the ‘whole’ rather than the parts.
The English Oxford Dictionaries define holism:
The theory that elements of a whole come in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole, or cannot be understood regardless of the whole, that is thus regarded as greater than the sum of its parts.
And when holism is about health:
The treating of the complete person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.
Another way to think about holism is by using the analogy of systems both natural and manmade (i.e. an ecosystem a health system, a family group system, a solar system, etc.).
A system is really a complex ‘whole’ with a clear boundary; there is another and an inside. The content inside a system (for example: weather, animals, and plants) comprises of interrelated, interdependent parts that directly reflect the entire context, within which they exist, (for example: an ecosystem).
Whenever the complete of anything produces an outcome higher than any of its parts could accomplish, individually, we call that synergy, (for instance: a thunderstorm, the music of an orchestra).
The contrary to holism, reductionism, instead analyzes something by its component parts.
Holistic Health: Treating the Whole Person
The original approach of the medical system has taught us to recognize health from a reductionist perspective. We go to the doctor to get some specific part of the body fixed since it has stopped functioning well and may be causing us pain.
Millions of people get excellent results using the medical-model. The only problem is that model considers, almost exclusively, just the health of the body. And when it involves mental health, the typical solution is to prescribe antidepressant medicine.
Why is this an issue? We humans are complex beings. We have minds, emotions and a soul, the personal, intangible relationship to a macro reality beyond ourselves. Also, who we are, is constantly influenced within the contexts of family, community, country and world.
A holistic approach to health and fitness addresses the reality of the multiple interrelated and interdependent parts which make us who we have been. The malaise of anybody of them can directly (and negatively), affect the health of other parts of our life.
For this reason alone, the first focus of holistic care is on the individual and not the problem or disease. Stress, anxiety, and depression, for instance, often end up translating to a physical symptom. It’s all connected.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national survey, in September, 2017, The American Psychiatric Association reported that antidepressant use had gone from 1 in 50 people 30 years ago to 1 1 of 9 between the years 2011 and 2014, and now in 2018.
This is clear proof the rise in mood disorders for Americans.
Why the increased use? As stated, nothing happens in vacuum pressure therefore assessing one’s lifestyle regarding home, relationships, finances, work, etc. becomes a critical task to find out their impact. The bottom-line is to find the real cause (s) and establish a restorative plan.
Cannabis and Holistic Health
The medicinal use of cannabis is a world aside from its recreational use. In many cases, the lower the volume of THC used in any medicinal formulation, the higher the desired effect. The saying is: Start low; go slow. Treatment is never one-size-fits-all because the current interplay of someone’s body, mind and soul are of primary consideration.
Historically, the entire ancient cannabis plant was useful for a beneficial impact on a person’s overall, general condition, far beyond mere symptom control. This helps it be a perfect match to the holistic method of health.
Not unlike the complexity of the individual in context of our various lifestyles, cannabis a complex plant of the plant kingdom. It’s effectiveness as an overall tonic has to do with the fact of cannabis containing approximately 100 molecular compounds, with THC and CBD most researched and understood.
Once the whole of the cannabis plant can be used as medicine it offers a synergistic or ‘entourage’ effect which makes up about why the therapeutic use of cannabis brings relief to a wide selection of conditions.
In this manner therapeutic cannabis use stands in stark contrast to traditional medicine that typically isolates plant compounds and manufactures them in pharmaceuticals to target one symptom or bodily system.
I believe that increasing numbers of people are discerning the difference between your medical and holistic models of health. perris cannabis dispensary Each has its time and place. When discovering the countless benefits of medicinal cannabis, our your overal wellness, lifestyle and broader culture can transform for the higher.
Susan is a 2018 graduate of the Holistic Cannabis Academy with over 45 years of personal involvement in the spectral range of wellness modalities. Her mission today is to intervene in the noise of modern life and help people identify and remove stressors that trigger their dis-ease while providing strategies towards a full time income experience of inner calmness, contentment and inspiration.