Holism is about the big picture; it pertains to the theory that nothing happens in a vacuum. 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 are in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the complete, or cannot be understood without reference to the whole, that is thus regarded as greater than the sum of the its parts.

And when holism is approximately health:

The treating of the complete person, taking into account mental and social factors, instead of 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 an obvious boundary; there is an outside and an inside. This content inside a system (for instance: weather, animals, and plants) comprises of interrelated, interdependent parts that directly reflect the overall context, within that they exist, (for instance: an ecosystem).

Whenever the whole of anything produces an outcome greater than any of its parts could accomplish, individually, we call that synergy, (for example: a thunderstorm, the music of an orchestra).

The opposite 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 identify health from the reductionist perspective. We visit the doctor to get some specific part of our 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 real problem is that model considers, almost exclusively, just the health of the body. So when it comes to mental health, the typical solution would be to prescribe antidepressant medicine.

Why is this a problem? We humans are complex beings. We have minds, emotions and a soul, the non-public, intangible relationship to a macro reality beyond ourselves. Also, who we are, is continually influenced within the contexts of family, community, country and world.

A holistic approach to health and fitness addresses the reality of these multiple interrelated and interdependent parts which make us who we have been. The malaise of anybody 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.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national survey, in September, 2017, The American Psychiatric Association reported that antidepressant use had opted from 1 in 50 people 30 years ago to 1 1 of 9 between your 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 root cause (s) and set up a restorative plan.

Cannabis and Holistic Health

The medicinal usage of cannabis is a world aside from its recreational use. In many cases, the lower the number 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 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 someone’s overall, general condition, far beyond mere symptom control. perris cannabis dispensary 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 is due to the actual fact of cannabis containing approximately 100 molecular compounds, with THC and CBD most researched and understood.

When the whole of the cannabis plant can be used as medicine it provides a synergistic or ‘entourage’ effect which makes up about why the therapeutic usage of cannabis brings 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 target one symptom or bodily system.

I believe that increasing numbers of people are discerning the difference between the medical and holistic models of health. Each has its time and place. When discovering the many great things about medicinal cannabis, our overall 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 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 living connection with inner calmness, contentment and inspiration.