Holism is about the big picture; it pertains to the idea that nothing happens in vacuum pressure. When seeking answers to a problem, holism puts the focus on the ‘whole’ as opposed to the parts.

The English Oxford Dictionaries define holism:

The theory that parts of a whole come in intimate interconnection, such that they cannot exist independently of the whole, or cannot be understood regardless of the whole, that is thus regarded as higher than the sum of its parts.

And when holism is about health:

The treating of the complete person, considering 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 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) comprises 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 greater than some of its parts could accomplish, individually, we call that synergy, (for instance: a thunderstorm, the music of an orchestra).

The opposite 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 recognize health from the reductionist perspective. We go to the doctor to get some specific part of the body fixed because it has stopped functioning well and could be causing us pain.

Millions of people get positive results using the medical-model. The only problem is that model considers, almost exclusively, just the health of the body. So 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 have 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 the multiple interrelated and interdependent parts which make us who we have been. The malaise of any one of them can directly (and negatively), affect the health of other areas of our life.

For this reason alone, the first focus of holistic care is on the individual and not the problem 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 at least one 1 of 9 between your years 2011 and 2014, and now in 2018.

This is clear evidence of 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. edibles -line would be to find the real cause (s) and establish 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 quantity of THC found in any medicinal formulation, the greater 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 whole of the ancient cannabis plant was used for a beneficial impact on someone’s overall, general condition, far beyond mere symptom control. This makes it an ideal 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 actual 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 makes up about why the therapeutic use 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 countless great things about medicinal cannabis, our overall 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 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.