Why Symptoms aren’t the problem
Symptoms; they have been cast out as the bad guy for so many years. We have an endless amount of drugs to ‘overcome’ any symptoms that come our way. These practices never actually ‘overcome’ any symptom - they just suppress it to cause further distress.
A naturopath will view the symptoms as the functioning process of a disturbance to life, followed by recovery.
The human body is a complex and intelligent working entity. Smarter than we currently understand - we will probably never understand it completely. When the body is disrupted, there are processes in place to bring back homeostasis or the balance within.
The Process of Disease and Healing:
I learnt about this process back in my first year of university, it was pretty eye opening and enough for me to make uncomfortable changes to allow my body to heal.
The whole idea around this process is that healing can occur when you create conditions for health to exist, an example of the Naturopathic philosophy; Vis Medicatrix Naturae - the healing power of nature.
Looking at the flowchart we begin at normal health (Zeff mentions that optimal health sits above that though is rarely attained - everyone has a baseline normal health though).
Throughout life we are met with all kinds of stressors or disturbing factors and these disrupt our normal state. Disturbing factors can include: Stress, lack of sleep, dietary choices, trauma, exposure to toxins, emotions etc. If left unchecked, these can begin to affect tissues (irritation) which will trigger an inflammatory response. Inflammatory responses are the reaction of irritated tissues and can be seen as heat, redness, swelling and pain. I like to describe the inflammatory response as your body's call for help; a clear sign that something is causing a disturbance. These processes are increasing blood supply to the affected areas, providing oxygen, enhancing clearance of metabolic wastes and increasing the amount of white blood cells to the site. Fundamentally speaking this is showing the intelligence of the body, providing all the essential properties for healing to occur. However, from the outside, you may feel a headache, or you may have a fever so you take some pain relief, an antitussive and move on. Through suppressing the body's healing process, you are preventing healing from occurring. If you were to let the headache slow you down, allow your body to rest and heal, you could have progressed into the discharge process returning you to normal health.
The discharge process is also known as a ‘healing crisis’ this can range from mild to pretty hardcore and can knock you down for a long time, that is why it is a good idea to work with a Naturopath to support you in this time whilst not suppressing the healing.
The act of suppressing the restorative inflammatory symptoms, will further deepen the inflammation, metabolic wastes will increase, and chronic disease will transpire.
There are a variety of severities to this and there can be some instances where you feel as though you have no other option but for pain relief. In those instances you need to do what you need to do in order to have some level of function. The point of this post is to get you thinking differently about your symptoms and to begin to understand that your body wants to be well and is actively trying to get you there.
If you find yourself in a circumstance where you are reliant on suppressive drugs in order to function then I recommend booking an appointment with your Naturopath today to work through this process with you.
Some examples the healing process in action:
Teacher, stressed at work, it is now school holidays and they are on route to a relaxing holiday. The stress from work is now gone, they are willing and able to relax - the discharge process begins and they are suddenly struck down with what is called the common cold, phlegm, fever, etc. This is the body recovering from stress.
Child, eating a diet low in fats and develops what appears to be eczema. Eczema is treated with topical steroids which suppresses the inflammation and will go deeper into the body. Eczema is often suppressed into asthma.
*These are examples only; there are many reasons why a child gets eczema. I still suggest going to your Naturopath to get their advice.
How did the process of healing and disease impact me?
Many moons ago, I was eating a vegan diet.
My body was screaming at me and I was not listening at all; I had no energy, my menstrual cycle was 80+ days long and I had debilitating period cramps. Thank goodness I started studying Naturopathy and was taught to listen to my body because if that continued I know having a baby would have been unfortunately out of my reach. I started adding back animal products and within a few months I was back to 30 day cycles, still a bit of pain and still lacking a bit of energy. Flash forward to now, nourishing my body daily; I have my baby in my arms, flourishing energy, regular and completely pain free periods.
With the above in mind, the first task of the naturopath is to take a comprehensive case analysis and identify and remove the disturbing factor. Sometimes the disturbing factor/s are glaringly obvious; others can be more difficult to pinpoint. I will always recommend that you get a Naturopath's perspective as we have been trained to look for these and strategise the removal of these. However, one thing you can do today is:
Remove all distractions - put the phone down, turn the tv off.
Take some deep, slow breaths and slow down.
Ask yourself, What is my body trying to tell me? look into every function of every day life and try and find what doesn’t feel right.
If you have identified a cry for help, reflect on your life, your habits and see if you can identify what needs to change.
Take back your power; every single decision you make impacts your health - that statement is meant to empower you and not overwhelm you. Whether you feel overwhelmed or empowered, we are here to help you strategise and prioritise your health. Book an appointment with your Naturopath today.
Disclaimer:
This is not intended to be medical advice. This is for educational purposes only. Always consult your Naturopath or health care provider prior to making any changes.
References:
Zeff, Jared. (1997). The process of healing: a unifying theory of naturopathic medicine. J Naturopath Med. 7. 122-125.