What is your health philosphy ? What is health ? What is unhealthy ? Does it even matter ?
While there may not be a clear cut answer, we all recognize the our mental/emotional health is deeply intertwined with our physical self. The way we think about health can dictate the way we approach and seek out our health related goals. It is hard to pin down a true definition of what exactly is health because part of what is viewed as optimal health can be somewhat subjective.
Below we will explore two ways of thinking about health:
Pathogenesis improves health by decreasing disease and infirmity and salutogenesis enhances health by improving physical, mental, and social well-being. Together, these strategies will work to create an environment that nurtures, supports, and facilitates optimal well-being.
- Salutogenesis 30 Years Later, Becker. et. al.
The current view of pathogenesis in healthcare has lead to great advances against treating diseases and sickness but has fallen short in promoting the idea of enhancing health. The current system is dominated with a reactive thought that the time to treat disease and sickness is after it has already happened. The salutogenic approach acknowledges that, while the patheogenic model is necessary and effective, in order to promote overall health we need to foster and encourage it when we are healthy.
Wait, what does that mean ? It means that we need equal promotion for the treatment/erdaication of disease AND promotion of strategies/treatments that help up stay healthy and encourage us to become healthier. The balance currently seems tipped in former.
So, where do we begin ? It begins with developing healthy habits and taking responsibility to learn about what types of practices encourage health. It begins with demanding that not only should hospital stays be accessible but access to preventive health care as well. It begins with realizing that health is concerned with the person as whole and not just what is deemed as dysfunction.