Introduction
Traditionally, health professionals attempt to motivate people to
change
certain behaviors to prevent disease. Primary attention is given
to controlling risk factors and the motivation for change is fear of
premature
death. Unhealthy habits are identified and individuals are encouraged
to
engage in behavior change programs that reward them for substituting
healthier
behaviors.
This approach to health promotion is an extension of the
"biomedical
model" which has its roots in the Scientific Revolution of the 17th
century.
As with all traditional Western science, the biomedical model is based
on classical Newtonian physics and Cartesian reductionism which portray
the universe as a great machine whose inert components can be
understood
only by reducing them to smaller and smaller separate parts. According
to this “worldview” there is no purpose, life or spirituality in matter
and only phenomenon that are measurable and quantifiable are valid and
worthy of study. The human body is seen as a sophisticated
machine,
disease is a mechanical malfunction of the machine and the health
professional
is the “repair person” who is called upon to "fix" the machine.
Re-evaluating The Assumptions
Recent developments in the sciences are challenging virtually all of
the old assumptions of this 17th century worldview. From this
information
a new worldview is emerging and a new set of assumptions about why
people
get ill and how they heal is developing. These assumptions are
based
on findings from such widely divergent fields as quantum physics,
psychoneuroimmunology,
biology, anthropology and consciousness research that together point us
towards a more holistic, ecological view of the universe.
We have learned that matter is not composed of tiny separate
building
blocks, but is in reality a dynamic network of interconnected
“particle/waves”
that have no existence if isolated by themselves. In addition,
"psychoneuroimmunology"
has shown us that human beings are much more than just an assortment of
mechanical parts forming a sophisticated machine. In fact, a
growing
body of research supports that unlike machines humans have
personalities,
thoughts, feelings, and emotions all of which can powerfully impact our
immune system and affect our resistance to illness and our ability to
heal.
Implications For Programming
This research compels us to broaden our focus to consider a wide range
of psychological, social and spiritual factors that appear to have as
much
if not more influence on our health than the traditional biomedical
risk
factors for disease. Some of these "supportive factors for health" are
listed alongside the traditional biomedical risk factors for disease in
Table
1.
As we move from a biomedical "Newtonian" view of health to a
more holistic
"quantum" view, it is important for health professionals to rethink the
philosophy and design of traditional health promotion programs based
primarily
on risk-factor reduction. The major tenets of the traditional health
promotion
model are contrasted with those of a more holistic approach in Table
2.
Our challenge is to reinvent our programming to integrate
the new information
emerging from the field of holistic health. Some ideas for modifying
traditional
programming are presented in Table 3.
In addition, new programs that acknowledge the interconnectedness of
relationship,
work, community and health issues need to be developed.
Furthermore
the images, language and artwork used in marketing pieces and
educational
programs must also reflect the new holistic information and
themes.
Reinventing The Profession
We have the opportunity to support people's health and human needs
in a more compassionate and effective way. Instead of focusing on
controlling
isolated symptomatic illnesses or behaviors (hypertension, high
cholesterol,
smoking, overeating, under-exercising) we can help people explore the
interconnectedness
of these health issues within the larger context of their lives,
enabling
them to heal their "symptoms" while also developing a deeper
understanding
of the underlying life struggles that these symptoms represent.
As with any paradigm shift, moving towards a more “holistic”
health
promotion can cause anxiety for individuals who are comfortable with
the
status quo. The thought of talking to people about health problems in
relation
to social oppression, isolation, childhood trauma, job satisfaction and
purpose in life can create apprehension among those trained only in
biomedical
approaches. But perhaps the greatest challenge will be the way holistic
health promotion encourages us to make ourselves vulnerable, equal
allies
to our clients by exploring and healing our own lives at a level never
demanded in the traditional biomedical model. Finding ways to support
each
other professionally during this difficult transition will help make
this
a powerful and rewarding transformation for everyone involved.