Culture : Health and Illness

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04afd5a3.jpg"> <bR> <div> <B>The Botanical Source</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="04bd2063.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B><IMG SRC="107b8d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop"><U><IMG SRC="11958d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seed Catalogue :"><U><IMG SRC="11948d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=5d55fa2bee3df7b388a151625a1e9916" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><IMG SRC="11938d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><IMG SRC="10828d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><IMG SRC="11928d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U><IMG SRC="11918d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://edge.quantserve.com/quant.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">_qacct="p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ";quantserve();</script> <noscript> <a href="http://www.quantcast.com/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ" target="_blank"><img src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ.gif" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt="Quantcast"/></a> </noscript>   </div> <div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3741917-2"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04c03043.jpg"> <div> <B>Culture : Health and Illness</B></div> <div> By J. Sobiecki</div> <div>  <script language=JavaScript>  </script>  </div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> Religion has a close association with healing because the unknown causes of illness are often ascribed to the will of the gods or spirits.</div> <bR> <div> Of late I have been reflecting on the factors that influence peopleï¿½s health-seeking behaviours. For example, why do some people choose herbal remedies and not pharmaceuticals, and why do some prefer to self-medicate while others prefer to visit a GP. This article hopes to provide possible answers to these questions.</div> <bR> <div> All the aforementioned treatment choices are a function of the culture one lives in. Yes, todayï¿½s modern society is highly syncretic, there being lots of mixing of belief systems and picking and choosing between cultures. However, beneath these surface behaviours lies an overriding philosophy that shapes much of societyï¿½s perception of healing and lifestyle in general. In any society healing practices form part of a wider system of concepts that constitute the cultureï¿½s worldview. For the purposes of this article, worldview, or what I call core culture, can be defined as the predominant philosophy driving the political, religious and economic system upon which a society is based.</div> <bR> <div> Two very powerful avenues for the expression of a societyï¿½s worldview are the religious and economic systems operating in that society.</div> <bR> <div> In traditional societies many elements in nature are believed to be sentient and to contain a spirit. Phenomena such as the sun, rivers or particular psychoactive plants are even considered gods or deities. Sometimes, though, these natural phenomena are responsible for the loss of life or injury, as happens with flooding for instance. Therefore, the gods or spirits were seen to be responsible for illness and calamity, and were therefore appealed to for protection from sickness and death. The strong influence of religious belief on healing can be seen in almost every society. In indigenous southern African healing traditions the ancestral spirits (Amadlozi: Zulu) are believed to be able to send misfortune and sickness to those who break certain taboos. The Christian tradition believes in a monotheistic God who can heal the faithful if appealed to in certain ways, such as by means of anointing with holy oil, prayer and the laying on of hands.</div> <bR> <div> The economic system and accompanying social structure of a society are crucially important factors influencing healing. In profit-oriented systems such as the capitalistic state system, sickness and healing are often treated as commodities. The danger here is that normal conditions that humans experience are reinterpreted and reconstructed as abnormality/disease by the beauty/drug industry in the name of money. Examples include depression, small breasts, extra weight and over-excitedness. In such a social system the health profession is in danger of becoming a health industry where being a consumer takes precedence over being a sick individual in need of care and attention. This construction of sickness and focus on medication by the health authorities encourages notions of sickness among societyï¿½s members. This is done so as to finance the profitable pharmaceutical machine. This is in contrast with healing in traditional non-Western societies. In these societies, because of the highly valued interdependence of the community, illness is unwanted and needs to be addressed promptly so that functions important for survival of the tribe, e.g. hunting, are not threatened through loss of individual input.</div> <bR> <div> Not only do elements of a culture influence healing in general, but the particular culture defines what is or is not considered to be illness. While disease is universal, illness is culturally constructed. This is because illness is culturally interpreted. In many instances where the pathogenic factor such as a virus is known to be the causative agent of a disease, different interpretations, explanations and treatment options will be made depending on the culture one is in. Often these interpretations serve to explain why a person fell ill in the first place, regardless of the caus-ative agent. Every culture ultimately guesses in res-ponse to the ï¿½whyï¿½ questions of life. Thus, a belief in witchcraft is as valid as a belief in bad karma when explaining why one person and not another falls ill. For example, stomach pains may be interpreted in African culture as a poison introduced into oneï¿½s food by a witch or simply food that is off, whereas in European culture this may be interpreted as a sign of nerves. In this case the actual causative agent is often a bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori that has been strongly linked with the development of ulceration in humans.1</div> <bR> <div> These culturally interpreted illnesses have been termed culture-bound syndromes. An interesting example of a culture bound-syndrome is the somatisation or bodily expression of dysphoric (unable to feel pleasure) emotions in Chinese culture. In this culture mental problems are placed under the mantle of physical disorders. This is because in Chinese culture negative emotions are shunned and discouraged from being aired out of fear of endangering inter-personal relationships, especially in the family. Therefore, Chinese patients rarely complain of depression in mental terms but mostly in terms of physical concomitants. This is in stark contrast to how American society perceives depression and its treatment with antidepressants.</div> <bR> <div> Worldviews can be broadly divided into two major divergent philosophies, Western and non-Western. These core-cultural models have a great impact on all aspects of lifestyle, from the type of dwellings we live in to how humans make a living, not to mention how we heal.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Western approach</B></div> <div> Despite the incredible ï¿½magicï¿½ of Western technology and Western medicineï¿½s ability to save lives, there is a fundamental error in its philosophy that is counter-healing. This is its origin in the Cartesian model of dualism that separates mind/body, spirit/matter and real/unreal. Furthermore, the Western biomedical approach is highly analytical and scientific, which means that its conclusions rest entirely on empirical data. These factors have discouraged holistic and integrated approaches to healing in the Western therapeutic setting. This is because biomedical diagnosis excludes emotional/psychological and religious aspects, all of which are fundamental to healing. Biomedicineï¿½s strength is in emergency intervention, sophisticated operative techniques and potent-acting drugs that save lives. Such measures are indispensable when dealing with potentially lethal pathologies and traumas.</div> <bR> <div> The problem exists when the power of the pill is abused, as occurs in the treatment of all manners of infections, e.g. sore throats. This leads to imbalances in the personï¿½s system and subsequent illness. Negligent use of antibiotics can lead to destruction of the bodyï¿½s own beneficial bacterial flora in the stomach. This can result in the overgrowth of other harmful organisms such as Candida albicans. It appears that the idea of attacking and subjugating organisms is inherent in the biomedical paradigm, often causing compromised health. Another disadvantage of the biomedical model is the poor ability to diagnose conditions, resulting from rigid and too-generalised diagnostic techniques. This has often led to misdiagnosis, with resulting harm. In fact roughly 20% of hospitalisations are a result of drug side-effects and misdiagnoses.</div> <bR> <div> I have experienced firsthand the incongruity between Western and non-Western healing paradigms. After suffering from recalcitrant acne for years, and having consulted expert dermatologists without improvement, I approached a Chinese doctor. The former practitioners prescribed antibiotics and Roaccutane, both of which were ineffective and harmful to me. After only one consultation with the traditional Chinese doctor and after following the prescribed herbal and diet regimen my face cleared in three months. Traditional Chinese Medicine is well known for being a holistic and integrative healing system, which bases its diagnosis on individual patterns of disorder.</div> <bR> <div> What are the tenets upon which Western society has been built and that have shaped the Western medical system? At the heart of the Western philosophy is the scientific method and the capitalistic dream of profit and progress. Despite all its innovations this dream has turned into a nightmare because of its cost and exclusivity and its focus on money. In his book, The Constant Gardener, John le Carre exposes the greed and corruption behind the pharmaceutical industry, which is guilty of dumping out-of-date medicines on people in Third World countries and over-pricing their products in the First World. The list of atrocities is endless. This all filters down to your visit to the GP who pushes certain brands for the drug companies. How can healing be accomplished in this setting and with these motives? From these examples it can be seen how healing can be jeopardised by the overriding philosophy of a politico-economic system.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Non-Western healing</B></div> <div> Looking at the numerous problems in the Western healing system it is not surprising that alternative healing methods are reviving. Traditional healing systems frequently have their roots in spiritual or religious belief systems, often following principles of animism or shamanism. Traditionally, tribal societies included small numbers of people living off the land without owning the land. These tribal societies were characterised by their relatively egalitarian and harmonious ways of living. People in such societies had respect for the earth and for each other, and despite occasional inter-tribal conflict, were less competitive and destructive than todayï¿½s modern society. Healing in these societies was established on the basis of using the elements to affect cure. Misfortune, including illness, was believed to have spiritual origins regardless of biological causative agents being recognised. It was commonplace to use plants not only to treat, but also as prophylaxis. Healing was usually the domain of the shaman, who was familiar with community affairs and served not only as a healer but also as a psychologist and community leader. In his book Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy, Mircea Eliade defines the shaman as a magico-religious specialist who uses techniques of ecstasy, e.g. trance induction, which enable the shaman to make soul journeys to spiritual realms so as to effect healing. Shamanic healing is often an intense and dramatised process in these societies, with song, dance and ritual featuring prominently. This ceremonial healing served to keep interpersonal conflict and stress in check, with psychosocial problems often being at the core of illness complaints. Traditional non-Western healing recognised the importance of the emotional and inter-personal aspect of healing and frequently drew upon it. Strong psychoactive plants that produce visions were often used as a means of psycho-spiritual cure as well as being a cultural-belief reinforcer used to keep the traditions of the tribe alive and well in memory. Healing was not a function of the monetary system; this was intentially avoided so that life remained in balance.</div> <bR> <div> Traditional healers are fully aware of the importance of the mind-body connection and often utilise the power of suggestion (placebo effect) in their ritualised healing. This aspect has only been realised relatively recently in Western healing systems.</div> <bR> <div> Steve Banhegyi, a Johannesburg-based psychologist, uses shamanic healing methods with great success in his practice. He explains how traditional healing techniques suspend rational belief and logical analysis and place the patient in a realm of emotion and experience that impacts directly on healing. It seems that the stimuli and energy of song, dance and ritual employed in traditional healing are in themselves powerful catalysts of change and transformative healing.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The healer-patient interaction</B></div> <div> What should be realised is that the doctor-patient interaction is a Western medical idiom. Healing in many non-Western societies involves oneï¿½s immediate family or community. This is one of the problems encountered with healing in the West; there is no platform or place where true healing can be effected. GPs do not serve this purpose, and shrinks are also usually individual-orientated. This is why friends or family members, due to their intimacy with all involved parties, have in Western society filled the role that the classical community healer or shaman would perform in non-Western society. Often in the West there is a separation between the doctor and patient. It is difficult to establish a trusting relationship in which healing can be effected. This is especially true when the doctor or therapist is portrayed as the expert and the individual as only an impersonal patient. One of the greatest interrupters of the healing process in Western ï¿½healingï¿½ is the time constraint imposed on the healer for economic reasons. Healing is rarely successful when the patient feels that he/she is just a statistic with five minutes allotted for a visit and a script. Once again money is implicated in thwarting true healing.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The future</B></div> <div> In biomedicine GPs have an incredibly powerful knowledge base, founded on physiology and medicine, from which to heal. For Western doctors to be more efficient healers they need to embrace other healing modalities. True healing sees the health of the human being as greater than the sum of its parts. However, if any healing is to be accomplished, it requires the patientï¿½s belief in the healing process.</div> <bR> <div> There are all too many examples where the Western biomedical approach has shirked responsibility for individual healing, often in favour of profit. Therefore, it is important for the individual to recognise the cultural construction of illness and healing so that the individual can take control of the healing process and choose the most appropriate treatment options available, while not being dictated to by any one system. Yes, biomedicine has its time and place, but often other healing systems (e.g. Chinese medicine) may be better suited to dealing with the stresses of todayï¿½s urban lifestyle.</div> <bR> <div> Despite the powerful influence of culture and our respective life histories on our personal beliefs, it is possible to use the choices available to us in this information age to take charge of our own healing process. One can override oneï¿½s culture, and empowered with information, willpower and courage the individual can heal himself/herself of any illness.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Reference</B>:</div> <div> 1. Hamilton G. Dead man walking. New Scientist 2001; 171: 31-33.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <B>  Subscribe to The Botanical Source free newsletter:<br><br> <form action="http://freeautobot.com/cgi-bin/autores/autores.cgi" target="_blank"> <input type=hidden name="do" value="add_lead_external"> <input type=hidden name="Username" value="botanical"> <input type=hidden name="Stop_Status" value="Active"> <input type=hidden name="Cycle_Number" value="0"> <input type=hidden name="Success_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id310.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Failure_URL" value="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id309.htm"> <input type=hidden name="Notes" value="Added from opt-in form"> Email : <input type=text name="Email" value=""><br> <input type=submit value="Submit"> </form>   </B></div> <div> <B>[ Opens a new window. ]</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Privacy Policy</U></B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> :</B></FONT></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700a000000000.png" HEIGHT="11" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">We do not publish or share your email address with anyone.</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B>Return to Herbal Products.</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><B>Return to Articles.</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>