What Is the Meaning of Healthy?

By

Sober Recovery Expert Author

Nowadays health is a major topic of interest in our society. It seems that most people either wish to maintain their health as it is or restore their health. The many sub-categories under the "health" umbrella are also of popular interest, including physical health, mental health, spiritual health, emotional health and even financial health. So what does it mean to "be healthy," and what does an exploration of overall health have to do with sober recovery? Here we will explore how our definition and pursuit of "health" may be flawed or skewed, leading to problems with addiction and other conditions.

The Meaning of 'Health'

'Health' is simply a word to define the natural uninfluenced state of something, where all the processes or elements are working in their proper fashion. So, for example, physical health is really the body's condition where all the organs are working at their optimum efficiency and in coordination. Financial health is where all aspects of your finances are running smoothly as intended.

Nowadays being healthy is a major topic of interest in our society. Whether you wish to maintain your health as it is, or you want to restore it, you will find suggestions from the perspective of Eastern philosophy included here.

When Health Breaks Down

When systems or processes break down, they become out of balance or "unhealthy," and to get our health back we generally adopt a method or treatment that is intended to restore the body functions (or finances), to where they should be. Often the method we use is not as effective as we might wish and the usual reason is because we are treating the symptoms and not the cause.

If you feel that your approach to health may need an overhaul, see if any of the following apply to you:

  • To treat physical ill health we dump loads of drugs into the body--drugs that are individually aimed at addressing a particular symptom. The result is that these drugs will often interfere with one another in negative ways, as well as having their own side effects. And, the underlying cause of our symptoms may not be addressed--a point that will need to be discussed with your doctor.
  • To treat financial ill health we take out loans to cover our debts. I'm already in debt but to "help" I get another credit card, a bridging loan, a cash advance loan, a second mortgage, and so on. The cause of financial problems is not being addressed.
  • To treat mental health we may go on a "retreat," a holiday, an outing, join a group, read a self-help book on positive thinking book, etc. It is good to do these things, but at the same time, you must ask yourself if you are getting to the root of your depression or other mental health issues and treating the cause, or if you are just getting some momentary relief. This approach to mental health issues is not addressing the cause.

What is the Cause of Ill Health?

According to Eastern philosophy, the cause of virtually all aspects of poor health are caused by your mental makeup or perspective. Or, you could say, your beliefs. In Eastern philosophy the word 'sanskar' refers to manifesting things in your life as good or bad physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, financial, or social health. If you can address your sanskar--that is, your outlook or perspective—and get those in order, everything else in your life will start to come right.

Although it is excellent to start discovering and adjusting our limiting and even damaging beliefs, we must also deal with the current symptoms that are affecting our health—these cannot be ignored.

In regards to our physical health, I strongly believe that natural remedies are the best way to start the healing process. The reason is that, irrespective of your condition, natural remedies work with the body rather than just addressing the symptoms. In that way natural treatment solutions will help in treating the deep seated physical cause of illness or disorder. Also they often work in a holistic fashion so there are very less side effects if any. So, rather than filling your body with prescription medications that may diminish your symptoms, work with your doctor to focus on treating the underlying cause of your symptoms, and start working also on adjusting your perspective and approach to your health.

If you or someone you know is seeking to improve their life by addressing their mental health, please visit our directory of counseling and therapy centers or call 800-772-8219 to start the path today.

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