How are symptoms viewed by holistic practitioners?
Conventional medicine views symptoms as being caused by a disease that must be diagnosed and removed through the application of pharmaceutical agents that alter the biochemistry of the person being treated. Symptoms according to this philosophy are considered negative, body-system specific, and unrelated to the whole person. Individuals being treated by conventional medicine are led to believe that symptoms result from underlying physical problems. Consequently, symptoms in conventional medicine are most often suppressed. This suppression promotes a dangerous separateness among mind, body and spirit. Holistic practitioners view symptoms much differently. Under the care of a holistic practitioner, symptoms are viewed in a positive perspective as the communication tool of an individual’s vital force. Symptoms in this model are considered the outward representation of the inner energetic imbalance. According to this view, symptoms are the body’s best attempt to regain balance. Respecting
