Chronicle I : Seven Dimension Of Health And Holism

Naidoo and Wills(2001, p.47) “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ - WHO (1946).” This definition falls into a holistic way of defining health, which believes that there are more areas to look at when thinking of health than just simply the absence of a disease. It considers the cause of why someone is ill and not just simply about ’fixing it’.

Wellness is the health of a person as a whole. It encompasses the person’s physical, as well as mental and emotional health. Over time, therapist came to the realization that clients needed to be well in every aspect of their lives in order to be healthy ("Wellness in Mental

But over the past few decades, the definititon and concept of health has evolved to encompass more elements than just the physical well-being of a person. This is partly attributed to various researches and studies that have taken place around the world in the last 60 years. Already in 1948, the World Health Organization declared that health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organisation, 2011)

The definition of health is fluid, ever changing and carries different meanings across individuals, societies and cultures. Although it is difficult

By looking at what different people say about health, it is clear that each one look at it differently. Therefore, there are many ways to define health. When we look at health, all physical, intellectual, emotional and social aspects should be considered because they all affect our health equally. Health can be defined in many ways, positively, negatively and holistically. It depends on how the individuals look at their health and how concerned they are about it. Our state of healthiness will depend on many things such as where do we live, what job do we do, what do we eat, who are our friends and everything else related to our lifestyle. Our choice about our lifestyle can make a difference to our health. If we are interested enough in ourselves, we can improve our own health. Some people think, that it depends only on the health care we obtain; however, it doesn't only depend on this. It is connected to our lifestyle as well.

A physician must be well rounded in a variety of fields to provide effective care. First, an interest in learning scientific knowledge must be accompanied by the ability to translate that knowledge into methods of treatment. Because science is constantly changing and improving, a physician should be continuously expanding their scientific learning within and outside of their respective fields. Most of the coursework that I have taken reflects my interest in the intersection between biomedical science and its applications through an anthropological lens. For example, I have performed public

The World Health Organisation defined health: “State of complete physical and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity” (WHO, 1946 p.100). Many factors influence health such as family traits, behaviours, access to quality healthcare and environment (quality of air, bad/good water and housing conditions) (WHO, 1946). The holistic view of health combines the mind (mental), body (physical), emotional and spiritual elements to a person (Ewes & Simnett, 2003).

I consider health as a state of wellness. With this, I bear in mind that each person’s idea of wellness may differ from the next. For example, a diabetic may consider his diabetes being under control and healthy when his

According to Floyd, Mimms and Yelding (2008) Webster’s Dictionary defines health as “the condition of being sound in body, mind and spirit… freedom from physical disease or pain.” This definition has very much taken the holistic view. Wellbeing is a term in which reflects on the positive emphasis on health and can be broken down into six aspects know as environmental, physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual. To achieve a high balance of wellbeing it is vital that a person is able to balance and take care of each aspect effectively. Underdown (2007) implies that in 1948 the World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity.’ This definition took a holistic view as it mentions mental and social wellbeing and it was supported as it focused on a person being healthy rather than not being ill. However, this definition has been widely criticized. Seedhouse (1986) believed that for someone to be in perfect state of health is unachievable and unrealistic.

     There are six separate and distinct categories when defining one’s wellness. Those stages are physical, social, vocational, environmental, psychological, and spiritual. Without one the other could not exist. Physical wellness includes being physically fit, eating nutritiously, and getting adequate sleep. I consider myself to be doing well in this category. I always am in bed before midnight, and exercise at least four to five times in a week. I consider my diet to be the one thing lacking when looking deeper into my physical well-being. Social wellness means having satisfying, trusting relationships and interacting well with others. I feel that this is also a strong part of my total wellness. I feel confident as well as excited to meet new people here at Cornerstone everyday. Vocational wellness is finding meaning in and satisfaction with your school, job, and leisure pursuits. Looking at the vocational

(WHO, 1948) describes health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity’? There are other dimensions of health such as physical health, mental health and emotional health which can be broken down and looked at individually.

Tibetan medicine practices the belief that methods must be practiced as equally as they are learned academically. Misinterpretations of certain Buddhist aspects of Eastern medicine create difficulties in relating Eastern and Western principles. Some Westerners feel that all you need to practice medicine in the East is a strong sense of compassion to help people, without having any real knowledge of the medical practices: “A few weekend courses and all the good intentions in the world it would seem is all that is thought to be necessary.” (Dummer p. 11). This, however, is not the case at all. Eastern practitioners spend years learning medical procedures and techniques before going into practice. They are also fully educated in the spiritual aspects of medicine as well, as for religion plays a significant role in Eastern practices. Inadequate training may result in improper care and detrimental diagnosis to those who may be seriously ill or suffering from undiagnosed diseases.7

What is wellness? “Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy life. Wellness is also a process for change and growth” (Health Topic – What is wellness?). To have acceptable wellness you should have an equal amount of social, emotional/mental, and physical health. I, myself, believe that I have an okay wellness, I mean not like full wellness but just enough to pass I'll say. But how am I living in wellness?

”Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." (WHO, 1948) Wellness