Yes, yes. Lost an herbalist friend to an illness she tried to treat herself, and by the time she went to the hospital it was too late. Lost another one to undiagnosed leukemia. Getting labwork done regularly is critical, and once diagnoses are made, one can look at the options and make the choices that make the most sense when looking at a potential cost vs. potential benefit analysis.
You did lose me a bit on the seed oils. The way I look at it, we are only eating so many calories during the day, and I'd rather choose a food option that has clear benefits rather than one that maybe isn't as detrimental as once believed. I also think it is fair to say that opinions on things like carbs vs. fats change because the science evolves. Study on the microbiome is in its infancy, and we didn't know autophagy even existed until a few years ago.
I appreciate your article calling out the binary framework, and it is one that is much needed. I hope it is widely read, shared, thought about and discussed.
Thank you Thomas. This has touched my heart deeply. Your humble assessment and willingness to state how you have changed your mind on issues is very encouraging. I have often felt like I am always on the outside looking in on any group I try to learn from or be apart of and have a way of thinking that doesn't line up with any one group of folks. I too have changed my mind on a lot of things, some thanks to you, and am honored to read your musings. Again, thank you so much for writing this, I have printed it off for some Doctors and fellow N.P's I am with right now who try very hard to look at the whole person and see their point of view more than their own. Much respect!!!
This is such an excellent, compassionate description of a phenomenon that rarely is discussed with this much care.
I greatly sympathize with people like M or the guy who thought that taking insulin for Type 2 diabetes meant you'd "given up," and I think there's something else going on there that's related to binary purity dynamics but not identical to it. Because we learn, and we teach, and in many cases observe that conditions like depression or hypothyroidism or even insulin resistance can be remedied without pharmaceuticals, and there are more reasons than just purity-seeking to want to avoid drugs if possible (access issues, side effects, legitimate concern about masking an underlying disorder, etc.).
Also, it makes intuitive sense that if, say, gut inflammation, lack of exercise, emotional dysregulation, environmental influences, nutrient deficiencies or the like got you into a challenging place, then working on those same things will get you out of it.
It can be hard for people to know when that intuitive assumption is reaching its limits and needs revision, especially because in holistic care you can always find another angle to attempt to influence a complex system.
What you're articulating is so valuable because it helps show that a drug can be *a part* of a holistic approach, and not simply a replacement for the holistic approach. Because the false idea that you have to choose between biomedicine and holism, and that these are incompatible, is another (related) binary we need to question.
Dave, thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agree with all three of your main points, and the thing underneath your point about how hard it is to know when the intuitive approach is reaching its limits is exactly the piece I’ve been wanting to write. You’ve given me the opening for it — the strengths and limitations of self-assessment in holistic care. Many thanks!
Thank you for writing this thoughtful, balanced and insightful article. As a naturopath/herbalist you have articulated many of the conflicting thoughts I have been feeling about the wellness industry as well as given me some further food for deeper reflection. I regularly find myself having discussions with patients similar to the one with M around anti-depressants and blood pressure medications and how they can be very compatible with naturopathic medicine. The shame about exploring these medical treatments can run deep to the detriment of their health and quality of life.
Here is some valuable work from Thomas Easley towards finding a good, middle road in healthcare, well worth the read.
Most drugs that I would never dispense have utility somewhere. For example, the ambulatory environment is different than the hospital environment and the specialty environment, with respect to appropriateness of drugs and dose ranges. ( It has taken some brain bending, sometimes on the fly, to adapt to different practice circumstances in order to competently assist the patients.)
Things and substances are morally neutral. What really matters in the right and wrong of things is the intention to help vs. intention or tolerance of doing harm.
Group identity fulfills a human need, but it's a 2 edged sword. People will tolerate considerable risk and deprivation in order to be part of a group. Sometimes we have to accept this and modify practice or refer the patient to another practice in order to make way for the value that people obtain from their sense of belonging.
What has become difficult in our protocol driven world is accepting the personal dignity and autonomy of the patients and of those who deliver health care. The herbalism practitioners often have been more inclined, or have taken more time to ponder these individual needs.
coming back to this with some thoughts. first off, I appreciate how compassionate and kind this article is. it is such a common thing to get caught up in the buzzwords, the good/bad binary, the misconceptions and general shorthand (everybody knows what detox means because it doesn't mean anything at all, just 'getting the bad stuff out'). I think it's wonderful that you use thoughtful questions with clients around language like this.
I'm someone living with complex chronic illness with a burgeoning interest in learning about herbal medicine and this divide between identity + vibes based approaches and looking at the science and research behind specific concerns is really evident to me. Because I am the kind of person who reads research for fun and also probably because medication has been truly lifechanging for me, it has been a little weird coming into the herbalism space. in conversation with other people, i never know when somebody's going to denounce medication but it's so common. I am so grateful for proper medication that makes my life better! the emphasis on moral purity causes unnecessary suffering, as you highlight well in this article. you articulated a lot of what i've been thinking and feeling here.
I think a lot of people are so tired and burned out and don't have medical backgrounds and it is quick and easy to refer to the good/bad binary instead of investigating specific claims about health and wellness. I don't know that people even know how to do that a lot of the time, like how to assess sources and find good information, etc.
I was blown away by the fact that you spent 10 years avoiding seed oils and then changed your mind, I wonder what it was that got you to that place after such great commitment. cause that's a question I have, how can we support people in moving away from the good/bad identity binary when it is causing them suffering?
Thank you for coming back with more thoughts! That is a great question! I think I'll write an article about it. I give a lot of the credit for being able to change my mind with ease now, to being very wrong about so many things in the past :)
Your thoughtful writing has allowed me to put many of my issues with food and medicine in a better place, a balanced place. I'll have to reread this a time or two to let things sink in; to get the full meaning and understand the effects of any changes I make going forward will impact me, my wife, and my grown kids. As you noted, there is a real cost.
Yes, yes. Lost an herbalist friend to an illness she tried to treat herself, and by the time she went to the hospital it was too late. Lost another one to undiagnosed leukemia. Getting labwork done regularly is critical, and once diagnoses are made, one can look at the options and make the choices that make the most sense when looking at a potential cost vs. potential benefit analysis.
You did lose me a bit on the seed oils. The way I look at it, we are only eating so many calories during the day, and I'd rather choose a food option that has clear benefits rather than one that maybe isn't as detrimental as once believed. I also think it is fair to say that opinions on things like carbs vs. fats change because the science evolves. Study on the microbiome is in its infancy, and we didn't know autophagy even existed until a few years ago.
I appreciate your article calling out the binary framework, and it is one that is much needed. I hope it is widely read, shared, thought about and discussed.
Thank you Thomas. This has touched my heart deeply. Your humble assessment and willingness to state how you have changed your mind on issues is very encouraging. I have often felt like I am always on the outside looking in on any group I try to learn from or be apart of and have a way of thinking that doesn't line up with any one group of folks. I too have changed my mind on a lot of things, some thanks to you, and am honored to read your musings. Again, thank you so much for writing this, I have printed it off for some Doctors and fellow N.P's I am with right now who try very hard to look at the whole person and see their point of view more than their own. Much respect!!!
This is such an excellent, compassionate description of a phenomenon that rarely is discussed with this much care.
I greatly sympathize with people like M or the guy who thought that taking insulin for Type 2 diabetes meant you'd "given up," and I think there's something else going on there that's related to binary purity dynamics but not identical to it. Because we learn, and we teach, and in many cases observe that conditions like depression or hypothyroidism or even insulin resistance can be remedied without pharmaceuticals, and there are more reasons than just purity-seeking to want to avoid drugs if possible (access issues, side effects, legitimate concern about masking an underlying disorder, etc.).
Also, it makes intuitive sense that if, say, gut inflammation, lack of exercise, emotional dysregulation, environmental influences, nutrient deficiencies or the like got you into a challenging place, then working on those same things will get you out of it.
It can be hard for people to know when that intuitive assumption is reaching its limits and needs revision, especially because in holistic care you can always find another angle to attempt to influence a complex system.
What you're articulating is so valuable because it helps show that a drug can be *a part* of a holistic approach, and not simply a replacement for the holistic approach. Because the false idea that you have to choose between biomedicine and holism, and that these are incompatible, is another (related) binary we need to question.
Dave, thank you for your thoughtful comment. I agree with all three of your main points, and the thing underneath your point about how hard it is to know when the intuitive approach is reaching its limits is exactly the piece I’ve been wanting to write. You’ve given me the opening for it — the strengths and limitations of self-assessment in holistic care. Many thanks!
Thank you for writing this thoughtful, balanced and insightful article. As a naturopath/herbalist you have articulated many of the conflicting thoughts I have been feeling about the wellness industry as well as given me some further food for deeper reflection. I regularly find myself having discussions with patients similar to the one with M around anti-depressants and blood pressure medications and how they can be very compatible with naturopathic medicine. The shame about exploring these medical treatments can run deep to the detriment of their health and quality of life.
This is excellent. Thoughtful and compassionate. Thank you Thomas.
Here is some valuable work from Thomas Easley towards finding a good, middle road in healthcare, well worth the read.
Most drugs that I would never dispense have utility somewhere. For example, the ambulatory environment is different than the hospital environment and the specialty environment, with respect to appropriateness of drugs and dose ranges. ( It has taken some brain bending, sometimes on the fly, to adapt to different practice circumstances in order to competently assist the patients.)
Things and substances are morally neutral. What really matters in the right and wrong of things is the intention to help vs. intention or tolerance of doing harm.
Group identity fulfills a human need, but it's a 2 edged sword. People will tolerate considerable risk and deprivation in order to be part of a group. Sometimes we have to accept this and modify practice or refer the patient to another practice in order to make way for the value that people obtain from their sense of belonging.
What has become difficult in our protocol driven world is accepting the personal dignity and autonomy of the patients and of those who deliver health care. The herbalism practitioners often have been more inclined, or have taken more time to ponder these individual needs.
coming back to this with some thoughts. first off, I appreciate how compassionate and kind this article is. it is such a common thing to get caught up in the buzzwords, the good/bad binary, the misconceptions and general shorthand (everybody knows what detox means because it doesn't mean anything at all, just 'getting the bad stuff out'). I think it's wonderful that you use thoughtful questions with clients around language like this.
I'm someone living with complex chronic illness with a burgeoning interest in learning about herbal medicine and this divide between identity + vibes based approaches and looking at the science and research behind specific concerns is really evident to me. Because I am the kind of person who reads research for fun and also probably because medication has been truly lifechanging for me, it has been a little weird coming into the herbalism space. in conversation with other people, i never know when somebody's going to denounce medication but it's so common. I am so grateful for proper medication that makes my life better! the emphasis on moral purity causes unnecessary suffering, as you highlight well in this article. you articulated a lot of what i've been thinking and feeling here.
I think a lot of people are so tired and burned out and don't have medical backgrounds and it is quick and easy to refer to the good/bad binary instead of investigating specific claims about health and wellness. I don't know that people even know how to do that a lot of the time, like how to assess sources and find good information, etc.
I was blown away by the fact that you spent 10 years avoiding seed oils and then changed your mind, I wonder what it was that got you to that place after such great commitment. cause that's a question I have, how can we support people in moving away from the good/bad identity binary when it is causing them suffering?
Thank you for coming back with more thoughts! That is a great question! I think I'll write an article about it. I give a lot of the credit for being able to change my mind with ease now, to being very wrong about so many things in the past :)
This message is so needed. Thank you for writing this.
Your thoughtful writing has allowed me to put many of my issues with food and medicine in a better place, a balanced place. I'll have to reread this a time or two to let things sink in; to get the full meaning and understand the effects of any changes I make going forward will impact me, my wife, and my grown kids. As you noted, there is a real cost.