Holism, Health and Cannabis

Holism is about the big picture; it relates to the theory that nothing happens in vacuum pressure. When seeking answers to a problem, holism puts the emphasis 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 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 approximately health:

The treating of the whole 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 system, a solar system, etc.).

A system is a complex ‘whole’ with a clear boundary; there is an outside and an inside. This content inside a system (for instance: weather, animals, and plants) is made up of interrelated, interdependent parts that directly reflect the overall context, within which they exist, (for example: an ecosystem).

Whenever the whole 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 opposite to holism, reductionism, instead analyzes something by its component parts.

Holistic Health: Treating the Whole Person

The traditional approach of the medical system has taught us to recognize health from the reductionist perspective. We go to the doctor to obtain some specific part of the body fixed since it has stopped functioning well and may be causing us pain.

Millions of people get positive results using the medical-model. The only real problem is that this model considers, almost exclusively, just the fitness of the body. And when it involves mental health, the typical solution would be to prescribe antidepressant medicine.

Why is this an issue? 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 we 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 that make us who we have been. The malaise of anybody of them can directly (and negatively), affect the fitness 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 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 back 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 and so assessing one’s lifestyle regarding home, relationships, finances, work, etc. becomes a crucial task to find out their impact. The bottom-line would be 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 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 as the current interplay of someone’s body, mind and soul are of primary consideration.

Historically, the entire ancient cannabis plant was used 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 approach to 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 fact of cannabis containing approximately 100 molecular compounds, with THC and CBD most researched and understood.

Once the whole of the cannabis plant is 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 target one symptom or bodily system.

dispensary near me believe that more and more people are discerning the difference between your 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 better.

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 full time income connection with inner calmness, contentment and inspiration.