35. What are Diseases?

As humans, we can fall ill for various reasons or causes (accidents, poisoning, radiation, infections, etc.). Physical abnormalities such as inflammation, pain, ulcers and so on can be superficially called ‘diseases’.

However, on closer examination, they have different causes and conditions of origin in each individual person.

THE ORTHODOX MEDICAL MODEL OF DISEASE

How we deal with health and illness in any specific case depends on how we define illness and health as individuals or in society. There are different views and theories on this. For example, there is a simple model, often called the ‘orthodox medicine’ model, which

▪ Works without reference to the subjectivity of the respective person, his psyche or the reality of his life circumstances.

▪ Defines diseases as an apparently objective fact on the basis of specific symptoms.

▪ Diagnoses a person with physical or mental abnormalities according to predefined manuals (e.g. ICD).33

▪ Attempts to heal disease by eliminating symptoms by means of medical experts (see Figure 5).

In the orthodox medical model, the attempt is made to eliminate disease symptoms by cutting, cauterising, irradiating, chemically suppressing and so on. Health is not defined independently, but is essentially equated with the elimination of disease symptoms.

The relationship with a sick person, the personal contact and any communication as equals only takes place to a very modest extent in the orthodox medical system. There is an enormous difference in status and power between those who are often highly paid specialists and those who are simply called ‘patients’ or sufferers.

Figure 5: The Orthodox Medical Model of Illness

THE HOLISTIC MODEL OF HEALTH AND DISEASE

More holistic models of health and disease

▪ Consider symptoms of disease as the subjective expression of the living organism of a particular person in response to external influences and threats,

▪ They attempt to explain the information that these symptoms contain in relation to the life history and circumstances of this particular person,

▪ They largely refrain from diagnostic attributions, and

▪ They support the self-healing powers of this person through appropriate measures and services (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: The holistic model of health and illness

In this model, people who suffer from physical or psychological disorders and those who offer them health services can meet on an equal footing and enter into an in-depth dialogue. The people who are suffering ultimately remain the experts when it comes to their own health and therefore also bear the responsibility to remain in good health by leading their lives and shaping their living conditions accordingly.

OUR BODY SPEAKS TO US

My therapeutic work shows me that our body speaks to us through its symptoms. It sends us messages when something is wrong with our relationship to ourselves and our