Posted By:
Ryan Phillips
Category:
Naturopathic Medicine
The Division of Health Care Between Mind and Body In modern or conventional medicine, ‘Western’ scientific thinking has led to a deep division between the mind and the body. That is why America and many other countries have distinct mental health and physical health professions. This division of care often leads to incomplete or poorly integrated treatment that neglects either the mind or the body. Counselors and therapists are highly skilled at addressing the mental aspects of many conditions but have few tools to address the physical conditions that affect the mind. On the contrary, syndromes and disorders which cannot be seen on an X-ray, scan, or lab result, are often taken less seriously by Medical Doctors. Individuals with these conditions may feel stigmatized by the health care system. As a result, serious conditions are often underdiagnosed and undertreated, such as: Fibromyalgia Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome Endometriosis Chronic Epstein-Barr Lyme Disease IBS Migraines Chronic pain syndromes Dysmenorrhea (painful or difficult periods) Some of patients with these conditions may be dismissed as being psychosomatic or even face hostility when pursuing treatment. This has become so common that the term psychosomatic has come to erroneously mean fake, made...