| | Holism is approximately the big picture; it pertains to the theory that nothing happens in a vacuum. When seeking answers to an issue, holism puts the focus on the 'whole' as opposed to the parts.
The English Oxford Dictionaries define holism:
The theory that elements of a whole come in intimate interconnection, such that they can not exist independently of the complete, or cannot be understood without reference to the whole, which is thus regarded as higher than the sum of its parts.
And when holism is about health:
The treating of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of an illness.
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) is made up of interrelated, interdependent parts that directly reflect the overall context, within that they exist, (for example: an ecosystem).
Whenever the whole of anything produces an outcome higher than any of its parts could accomplish, individually, we call that synergy, (for example: a thunderstorm, the music of an orchestra).
The contrary to holism, reductionism, instead analyzes something by its component parts.
Holistic Health: Treating the complete Person
The traditional approach of the medical system has taught us to recognize health from the reductionist perspective. We go to the doctor to get some specific part of our body fixed since it has stopped functioning well and could be causing us pain.
Millions of people get excellent results using the medical-model. The only real problem is that model considers, almost exclusively, just the health of the body. And when it involves mental health, the normal solution would be to prescribe antidepressant medicine.
Why is this an issue? We humans are complex beings. We have minds, emotions and a soul, the non-public, intangible relationship to a macro reality beyond ourselves. What's more, 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. Marijuana Sativa Strains of any one of these can directly (and negatively), affect the health of other parts of our life.
For this reason alone, the initial focus of holistic care is on the person and not the issue or disease. Stress, anxiety, and depression, for example, often find yourself translating to a physical symptom. It's all connected.
In accordance with 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 today 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 crucial task to determine their impact. The bottom-line would be to find the real cause (s) and establish a restorative plan.
Cannabis and Holistic Health
The medicinal use of cannabis is a world apart from its recreational use. In many cases, the lower the number of THC used in any medicinal formulation, the greater the desired effect. The word is: Start low; go slow. Treatment is never one-size-fits-all as the current interplay of someone's body, mind and soul are of primary consideration.
Historically, the whole of the ancient cannabis plant was useful for a beneficial impact on a person's overall, general condition, far beyond mere symptom control. This makes it an ideal match to the holistic approach to health.
Not unlike the complexity of the human being 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 provides a synergistic or 'entourage' effect which accounts for why the therapeutic usage of cannabis provides relief to a wide variety 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 focus on one symptom or bodily system.
I believe that increasing numbers of people are discerning the difference between the medical and holistic types of health. Each has its time and place. When discovering the many great things about medicinal cannabis, our your overal wellness, lifestyle and broader culture can transform for the better.
Susan is really 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 living experience of inner calmness, contentment and inspiration. | | | |
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