Holism is about the big picture; it relates to the theory that nothing happens in a vacuum. When seeking answers to an issue, 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, which is thus regarded as greater than the sum of the its parts.
And when holism is about health:
The treating of the whole person, considering mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.
Another way to consider holism is to apply the analogy of systems both natural and manmade (i.e. an ecosystem a health system, a family system, a solar system, etc.).
A system is a complex ‘whole’ with an obvious boundary; there is an outside and an inside. This content inside a system (for example: weather, animals, and plants) comprises of interrelated, interdependent parts that directly reflect the entire context, within that they exist, (for instance: an ecosystem).
Whenever the complete of anything produces an outcome higher than some 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 original approach of the medical system has taught us to identify health from the reductionist perspective. We visit the doctor to get some specific part of the body fixed because 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 fitness of the body. And when it involves mental health, the normal solution is to prescribe antidepressant medicine.
Why is this a problem? We humans are complex beings. We’ve minds, emotions and a soul, the non-public, intangible relationship to a macro reality beyond ourselves. Also, who cartridge dispensary deals are, is constantly influenced within the contexts of family, community, country and world.
A holistic approach to health and wellness addresses the reality of these multiple interrelated and interdependent parts which make us who we are. The malaise of anybody of them 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 individual and not the issue or disease. Stress, anxiety, and depression, for instance, often end up 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 back to at least one 1 of 9 between your years 2011 and 2014, and today in 2018.
This is clear proof the rise in mood disorders for Americans.
Why the increased use? As mentioned, nothing happens in vacuum pressure and so assessing one’s lifestyle regarding home, relationships, finances, work, etc. becomes a crucial task to find out their impact. The bottom-line is to find the root cause (s) and set up 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 amount of THC found in any medicinal formulation, the higher the desired effect. The word 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 makes it 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.
When the whole of the cannabis plant is used as medicine it includes 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 more and more people are discerning the difference between your medical and holistic types of health. Each has its time and place. When discovering the many benefits of medicinal cannabis, our your overal wellness, lifestyle and broader culture can transform for the higher.
Susan is really a 2018 graduate of the Holistic Cannabis Academy with over 45 years of personal involvement in the spectrum of wellness modalities. Her mission today would be 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 connection with inner calmness, contentment and inspiration.