Why Health is a Personal Responsibility
As 2021 is coming to a close with policy makers worldwide urging for the individual to take responsibility for the health of others as a sign of solidarity, the question that echoes is: Is health a personal responsibility or can we expect others to endeavor healing for us and make us healthy?
Let me be so bold: The healing journey is a personal endeavor. Health is a personal responsibility. Here’s why:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) chronic diseases (also known as noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)) account for 71% of all deaths globally. These diseases include diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases[i]. (As it so happens, these diseases are also the biggest risk factors for Covid-19[ii].) And while the medical system is offering symptom management with medications for all of these conditions, rarely does that equal a “cure”.
Changing perspective, holistic health care approaches ask “why”. Why are you sick?
Asking “why” is a game-changer, because it leads to the factors that are directly linked to the development of any chronic disease:
unhealthy diets
a lack of movement
high levels of toxicity due to pollution in urban environments, smoking, and drinking alcohol[iii]
a lack of good sleep
a lack of loving, nurturing relationships
Moreover stress, especially chronic stress contributes to the development of chronic diseases.
An article by Agnese Mariotti from 2015 bridges the gap between chronic stress chronic diseases. She says “In situations in which the stressor is overwhelming and cannot be resolved, stress becomes chronic.” - This is where trauma comes into play.
When you are overwhelmed by an event that happens to you, you might be unable to cope with it, leaving your nervous system unable to return to balance in an unresolved state. The unresolved state of the nervous system can keep you stuck in your stress (trauma) response, which is very real: neuroendocrine parameters stay altered after what happened to you, meaning your hormones and your neurotransmitters and nerves stay in a loop of the stress response. Over time, this can make you sick[iv].
Comparing rates of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity in women with and without Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a 2015 study found that the women with PTSD were twice as likely to suffer diabetes as the general population. Women suffering from PTSD also had a 50 percent higher chance of stroke or heart attack and a 36 percent greater likelihood of obesity and overweight than those without PTSD[v].
This might sound depressing and it certainly is a heavy load of information to carry when you first realize how much your personal experience and your daily choices express themselves in your health.
No one can eat for you, sleep for you, exercise for you, detox for you, regulate your emotions, heal your past trauma and manage your stress for you. You are the one that holds the key to this healing. So, health is a personal responsibility. Healing is a personal endeavor.
Instead of shaming or blaming anyone – or yourself - for their choices, you can actually reframe this truth into an empowering statement that encourages change and growth and healing: knowing that your health is your responsibility is liberating you from victimhood and enables you to take control of your own healing. You can get better and you can heal when you start taking care of yourself.
The practice of healing is actually a bit like tending to your garden. You make sure you’ve got a healthy terrain. That way, no bug will threaten your eco system. Balanced eco systems are resilient enough to withstand any of these threats. Start with one small change today. Nurture yourself with whole foods, prepare for good sleep, avoid toxins, support your body’s detox pathways, move regularly at your own pace, learn how to regulate your emotions. Release tension from past trauma from your body, connect with a loving community and become who you truly are; healthy and happy, living a life in balance. You deserve it.
With the right tools, everyone becomes their own healer.
Are you looking for more empowering knowledge and practical tips and tools that help you heal?
Resources
[i] World Health organization. Noncommunicable diseases. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases accessed Dec. 5th 2021
[ii] World Health Organization. COVID-19 and NCD risk factors. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/ncds/un-interagency-task-force-on-ncds/uniatf-policy-brief-ncds-and-covid-030920-poster.pdf?ua=1 accessed Dec. 5th 2021
[iii] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
[iv] Mariotti A. The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain-body communication. Future Sci OA. 2015;1(3):FSO23. Published 2015 Nov 1. doi:10.4155/fso.15.21 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5137920/ accessed Dec. 5th 2021
[v] Roberts AL, Agnew-Blais JC, Spiegelman D, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a sample of women: a 22-year longitudinal study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72(3):203-210. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.2632 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4522929/ accessed Dec 5th 2021