The Six Principles of Naturopathy Part 2 – Identify and Treat the Causes
Identify and Treat the Causes
Look beyond the symptoms to the underlying causes, rather than suppressing symptoms.
Everything is cause and effect. This is a law of medicine which is part of the laws of life―and that is where naturopathic medicine derives this philosophy.
That is where the word “nature” comes in, because the ancient observers of nature(the old-time physicians), observed the life processes at work and they understood these principles that were operative throughout the whole function of nature. So whatever they saw and observed they saw these general principles.
Cause and effect is one of the oldest principles. All philosophies look at cause and effect―and symptoms are always the effect.
This is what I always tell my patients. Symptoms are never the fundamental problem.
They certainly make us experience the worst problems, no doubt. You can’t say headaches aren’t a real problem―it is a real problem because we have pain there―but in terms of cause, it is never something that just pops out of nowhere.
Symptoms are always the effect. The old philosophers whom naturopathic medicine draws its principles from, always saw that the phenomenal world―the world of phenomena, of objects, of matter―is the world of effects, and we are part of that.
Symptoms are never the fundamental problem.
The causes are always submerged. They are always underneath.
Another analogy is like an iceberg, right?
If you are looking at the surface level of the water, you see just the tip of the iceberg, and if you look underneath the surface you will find the iceberg as a whole is much larger. The greatest mass of that structure is hidden from a surface level view.
Within naturopathic medicine you will hear the term “root causes”, just like the roots of a tree are underneath the earth and all you see are the visible stem, branches and leaves.
That is yet another analogy to look at the effects.
If we see fruit on a tree that is diseased, we don’t just think “oh, there is a problem right there, the fruit has some bugs on it, some mold, and we need to spray the fruit the protect it.”
We need to look at the root structure and the environment of the root―the soil conditions.
Thus, in naturopathy we are always looking at the problems which beset us as effects and framing those problem this way.
If there’s enough moisture in the earth and if the earth has the right balance of nutrients, the fruit will improve.
Thus, in naturopathy we are always looking at the problems which beset us as effects and framing those problem this way.
We then naturally investigate just what is driving those effects―hat are the inputs to the system?
Another analogy I use is the basic systems models of disease, or systems- model of biology.
This ‘systems concept’ is used in various applications of industry.
In dietetics for instance, we study this in foodservice. It’s just the systems model. So, there is systems biology and there are systems models for industry.
It’s basically inputs, then the transformation of these inputs to the final product or outcome―simple, right?
Then there is a whole element of feedback that goes from the outputs to inputs, and there is a whole element of the whole context of that system in its environment.
It’s called an “open system” because it is interacting with its environment―not separate from it.
Think about the utility companies providing power to your restaurant―the power is an input for all the electrical equipment, but there’s another company that’s providing it to you and you better pay the bills!
So again, with a whole feedback system in place there are inputs, there is a transformation, and there are outputs.
This is how your body works!
There are inputs coming in from food, from the thoughts you have, from the environment you live in, from all the stress, your relationships, your belief systems, whether you believe you can heal or not, etc.
A very important part of all of this, is the culture that we live in.
Culture often dictates our way of thinking, which supports a mechanistic reductionist type of belief in reality.
This then conditions the person to think their health problems are mostly genetic, which leads them to believe there is no active role they could possible play which would influence their health.
This is how culture very much determines the final result.
By contrast, many people do get well simply because they truly believe they can.
But the belief must be an honest belief, not just a superficial mantra or affirmation to atone for unhealthy behaviors.
I’ve met many people who think they can get away with eating unhealthy food as long as they make up for it on other ways, like exercising, etc.
Unfortunately, that is a dishonest belief.
And since we all live in a universe of organized principles that conform to certain laws beyond our own grasp to influence, we cannot bend reality to our will.
Culture often dictates our way of thinking, which supports a mechanistic reductionist type of belief in reality.
There is an honest application of belief in healing, but it must be matched with one’s best efforts.
Much research has been done in the psychological attitude of the ill patient, and this is where our fundamental orientation to life―in attitude and disposition―is of paramount importance.
