By Dr Talia Steed, Holistic Author, Perth
Patient, problem, investigation, diagnosis, treat and repeat. Our conditioning to operate within the context of western medicine is a model operating from an outdated framework.
The pendulum shifted from the pre-enlightenment era from mysticism to rationalism – over-emphasising biology over our psyche and soul.
The human body, our biology, is not just influenced by the foods we eat, our genetics, DNA, or by whether we smoke or drink alcohol. While relevant, these are only part of the puzzle of symptoms and illnesses that affect us.
Perhaps it is time to reflect on the notion that if we are getting the same outcome, it is foolish to keep taking the same action.
When we take a glimpse into life around us, we see how much people are suffering, sick and facing health battles of the body and mind. From serious diagnoses like cancer and those deemed incurable, to chronic relentless symptoms like gut issues or non-specific lower back pain.
A healthcare revolution
People are crying out for something different, a revolution in healthcare. Surely with our preoccupation with evidence bases, to assess just how well our current model is serving us, the evidence is something we need to pay attention to.
It may be the deeper questions that we need to start asking patients, those without a quick fix solution. For instance:
- Do you feel connected and seen within your relationships?
- Do you feel valued for the contribution you are making, whether in your vocation or life situation as a parent, partner, child or friend?
- Do you feel chronically lonely, isolated or disconnected from yourself or those around you?
- How do you feel about yourself as a person?
- Are the people in your life aligned with you?
- Are you holding on to any hurts or regrets from the past or anger towards yourself or another?
- When was the last time you experienced pure joy?
For these are what truly impact our health and wellbeing. Would that gene turn on if we felt connected rather than isolated? Would the chronic symptoms continue, if we felt at peace rather than constantly on hyper-alert?
Would our system be able to settle, if we slowed down the pace of our lives, rather than living as if we were running an Olympic 100m sprint?
Beyond Western medicine
There is so much more to health and healing than what we have been conditioned to consider.
Many outside of Western medicine have been turning to other avenues like reiki, acupuncture, Chinese medicine and Indigenous wisdom.
RELATED: Patient is person
If you asked an Aboriginal elder what might be affecting our health and wellbeing, they may encourage you to consider the impact of spirit or unseen forces at play.
Wouldn’t it be far more helpful as doctors to educate and support patients to discover whatever tool or modality would be most helpful, with an attitude of open-minded discernment?
There are polarities within all professions, all modalities have the good and the bad. It is not someone’s professional standing that dictates the behaviour of a person, but rather the qualities of their character beyond status or role.
And so, it is time to open our eyes to this reality. To let go our collective ego attachment to being at the top of some illusory health and healing pyramid, and to find our humility to support society to find the middle ground.
Key messages
- When we can walk alongside our patients as equal human beings, we can awaken their ability to uncover the healer within
- It is the deeper questions related to our experience of life, that are far more connected to our state of health and wellbeing.
Author competing interests – nil
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