Health, Wellness, and the far depths of reality. Where do you land on this map?

Week 1 Prelude: Reality

Let's take a second and look at reality. Our sense of health and wellness is entirely based upon our reality. The question then becomes whose reality do you live in? Did you know that to be healthy is to be able to live realistically within the standards of reality? ( source) Now you could be thinking, what does all that extra shit mean? Well, that could mean that for the entirety of you. Not just your "self", but your ego. As well as everything that makes you who you are or what you value to be healthy should be considered healthy as well as what you consider you. Therefore, when you are in balance with your well-being and in a state of alignment with your biorhythm you are essentially healthy. ( drcris.com.au) At least that's what my research has led me to conclude. So what made me start questioning what being healthy was? Well. Let me tell you.

To begin, let's look at how health, wellness, and well-being are defined as well as how we the holistic experts define healthcare. As well as how my business can add clarity to the current misunderstanding. See, a lot of people refer to health as only a physical and emotional balance of well-being with the absence of disease. So a lot of wellness programs only contain a physical and mental element. This is limiting since health and wellness is two different concepts. Linked by well-being. Health is a conscious state of complete physical, emotional, intellectual, and social well-being. Not just the absence of disease or hospitalization. Like its similar comparison, wellness. Which means to have an active pursuit of, “activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic [well-being].” ( global wellness institute). And being healthy is to be in a state of well-being. So then what is well-being? Well-being is the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. Therefore asking the question of why is it normalized in society today to always be uncomfortable, to not be happy, and to be sick in some way.

This leads us to this breakdown of our reality to understand health and wellness through this article. The Objectives follow;

Objectives of this article:

• Defining health versus wellness

• Introduce a changed format for the blog

• Separating Illness, Disease, and disorder

• Holistic care, personalized medicine, and person-centered care differences in preventing chronic issues.

• What a healthy lifestyle looks like versus unhealthy and the in-between.

• Tells how the disease progression module works with intervention, prevention, and management.

• How chronic ailments have been running rampant, and what a solution of people becoming their own doctors looks like.

Reality to look forward to

To begin, we can discuss the solution that I have in mind for the problem of a lack of healthcare physicians while there is a rise in chronic illnesses and 18-35-year-old uninsured people cannot afford care. Well, at least that’s the idea for when all pieces of the puzzle are explained first. Which, we will dive into in further blog posts. For now, we look at the policies that have been passed globally that affect how health and wellness are defined by professionals who have authoritative power versus how the everyday person defines it. That way an expert can be the liaison between that bridge of misunderstanding. Even if a person decides not to work with professionals.

Across history, those in power are believed to be the orchestrators of the progression of the population. However, as we often see throughout time. Up to our modern-day society. Those in power often have a bias toward those that assist them in maintaining power. And as such, policies that are passed by policymakers often lead to biases that create various disparities within the population as well as the globe. Policies that include, ... .These lack of opportunities caused by racial or class or sexuality biases are what are considered disparities.

Disparities have caused a lack of opportunity amongst community groups within the American population that have led to preventable chronic challenges becoming life sentencing ailments. Through working with the University of New Mexico, King of Intensity LLC will be addressing these challenges within the chronic wellness of the 18-35-year-old population. And assisting other organizations to reduce the onset of chronic illnesses in the lives of 100 people. In order to establish a place within the 18-35-year-old uninsured community to further work towards healing this population. So that chronic wellness opportunities may exist to reduce the onset of behaviors that affect their health in a negative way.

Thus getting rid of the disparities naturally while allowing individuals to have an opportunity to represent themselves in their own healthcare process. Thus restoring power to themselves and creating a feeling of responsibility for being their own doctor. So how do we do this? We do this through community care to ensure people develop chronic wellness within all 8 dimensions of wellness through education, sharing of resources and creative expressions through an online school, and connection to healthcare providers such as experts and specialists through a monthly webinar or by request once subscribed. To provide either Telehealth or their services. That way, we collaborate with individuals and organizations to create an inclusive healing space that delivers community care. Not only to our community but globally as well.

We would like to introduce our holistic care model that employs social care as well as spiritual wellness. Our unique model also includes person-centered care. As, "you are who you are through others". As defined by the concept of Ubuntu. This connection to person-centered care is due to the fact that we are only here to assist you, you are in charge of your life. So for you to get the best treatment for your life as your body is a part of your life. You have to also be inclusive in the process. That’s the promise you have to make to yourself as well as us. When engaging in a journey like this. Of truly healing yourself and taking charge of your life to obtain living a life of your values.

Let’s be honest, it’s going to be painful. It’s going to be tough, it’s going to feel shitty at times. Especially in the beginning. But, it’s all going to be worth it in the end. In the end, you eventually stop feeling the pain and feel light and joy. Or feel less pain. And start feeling so light and free. As you can let go of what weighs you down. Let go of what constricts your rhythmic breathing, everyday movement, and clear intentions. If this sounds like something you are interested in, resonates with you, or simply sees it the same way then contact kingofintensity@gmail.com today to work together. What's stopping you from living consciously or helping others to live consciously at this moment?

How Much Do You Care?

Do you know what was stopping me from living consciously? I cared way too much. And then I just stopped caring and giving a fuck. Is this a familiar experience to you? Well, with the addition of person-centered care, we at King of Intensity LLC also look at your occupational as well as financial well-being within our unique model. As we aim to ensure that your key life blockages or challenges are made conscious to you so that you can face them within a certain amount of time. With clarity, you can turn them into goals that you can crush. And eventually, see yourself as who you are. Doing and Thinking at the same time when actively pursuing a goal. At least that’s what they say optimal performance is.

Measuring your performance based on your growth from goal setting helps to see if it is optimal or not. As Locke discovered, "In one study, Locke reviewed a decade's worth of laboratory and field studies on the effects of goal setting and performance. He found that, 90 percent of the time, specific and challenging (but not too challenging) goals led to higher performance than easy, or "do your best," goals." ( Mindtools.com ). Since it accounts for a lot of variables that you can control as you set the goal and can adjust it for the best fit to develop the necessary habits, skills, or talents that best support you as you grow to achieve a balanced rhythmic lifestyle. So essentially in 1 to 3 months' time, you work on understanding yourself so that you can learn how to take care of those goals yourself and live the life you desire. At least this is what is hopefully being shown through my martial arts lifestyle journey and discussions with individuals online. How my goal of; healing my mental " illness" was achieved so that I may become whole.

Before explaining my story and the goal-setting process that I went through to learn a simple goal-setting strategy that worked for me to reach a state of being healthy. Let me ask you this. What happens if we were never to become sick or ill and constantly stay in a state of optimal health? How does someone go from being healthy to being sick? Well, a disease progression is different than an illness progression.

As disease progression is the development of a disease or infection or bacteria or virus as it works its way through the body either eventually passing through or ending up killing us ( Microbiology Textbook 10.3). While Illness progression is the 5 stages at which we experience our ailment. As stated in another textbook, " Another sociologist, Edward A. Suchman, formulated illness behavior as consisting of five stages: symptom experience, assumption of the sick role, medical care contact, dependent patient, and recovery or rehabilitation" ( Jones and Bartlet Publications, Social and Behavioral Aspects of Pharmaceutical Care). Versus a disorder progression. Which seems to be when a person starts to deteriorate in their performance.

Or at least that's what society believes. When in reality, it is when a person's behavior starts to impede various aspects of their life. As far as the definition describes. Most times the words; illness, disease, and disorder are used interchangeably. Although they are all similar and used interchangeably. They mean different things for various states of ailment.

Oftentimes, this leads a lot of people to be confused with terminology and get caught up in diagnoses that make them feel like they have a death sentence once they are sick. Due to the fact that when people hear something with a negative connotation or perspective they have a lack of awareness about it. They start to assume the worst. As this is a natural occurrence for a mental state under duress and unawareness.

When really, a disease is " any harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism, generally associated with certain signs and symptoms and differing in nature from physical injury." ( Encyclopedia Britannica). So disease essentially requires there to be an interruption to your normal state of being. It is an onset caused by something else not commonly believed to be from trauma. So then how do your mental state and trauma play a role in you becoming sick? That is when we begin to look at illnesses.

While an illness is " the comfortable, familiar and meaningful word used to denote unwellness in general"( Flegel Journal of the Canadian Medical). Laymen people are more able to define it better than health professionals as there is no clear definition in medical schools. One way it is seen as an illness is the experienced state of the disease form that they believe it to be. ( Flegel Journal of the Canadian Medical). Yet common people see it as just the opposite of being well. So this makes you think. What if you might not have diseases while being unwell? You may simply have an issue you have to deal with. A social issue. Or a disorder.

We find a disorder to be " a disturbance of normal functioning of the mind or body." ( NationalCancerInstitute.org). So a lot of times, what we may consider an illness. According to what we believe. Or are told by professionals using the diagnosis process for mental illnesses from the DSMIV. May not be an illness. but rather just a disorder. This can be seen by simply looking at our everyday life. Our normal everyday functioning within our environment as well as within our lives is one that is always moving between the mind and the body through our consciousness and our unconsciousness.

What's cool is when looking further. There is a gap in-between which we call dreaming. This is what Carl Jung talked about in "Approaching the Unconscious", one of his research books. A lot of times, disorders occur when we have something affecting this natural flow of energy or being. So we may not be able to be present at the moment. This disconnected state between our body and/or mind is what starts to create problems in our life. As inflammation starts to pile on and a disorder becomes a disease after this disturbance now fully has manifested into the form of an alteration of the body.

So your body then goes into a state of sickness and you are ill. So you are not ill until you are in a state of sickness or unwellness. Thus, if all a person has is a disorder. They may be able to recognize that something is wrong with how their consciousness or body, or spirit is functioning. And thus they themselves can look to fix it. All at the same time being aware that they are going through a process that takes time. Rather than seeing themselves as ill and that they must get help in order to cure or heal the issue that is wrong within them. Either in their mind or body.

So what happens if your diagnosis, which is partly based on your behavior. Looks at not just your symptoms to determine what to label you with. But also what a person is experiencing in their dream state? That way we aim to grasp their sensations as well as how they are communicating to get a clearer grasp of what is happening to their health and wellness. Maybe this will be able to resolve a lot of misdiagnoses, and unnecessary forms of care. Or even stop people from dying. But this won't happen until we stop looking at what is considered acceptable behavior in society.

Rather we should look at people being able to have boundaries for themselves as well as others. Since really you can't control anyone for long realistically as well as historically speaking. As we are ever-changing and the policies you pass have to either change with the people. As the people determine the times. Or become obsolete and your system will crash as it no longer applies. However, some American Psychologists as well as scientists and policymakers for public health seem to know what acceptable behavior within society is. More so than what reality tends to entail to us.

So we must ask ourselves, what is acceptable behavior versus behavior that we consider problematic? What actually affects our mind, body, and spirit? These are questions to ponder for discussion either in public, in online spaces, or in the discussion hub.

Your Life and My Life, what's different?

Now we know what being healthy is and what being sick is, we can begin to look at lifestyles and how people usually transgress towards sickness from lifestyle conditions and develop chronic ailments that either end up killing them, disabling them, or regressing them to a point less than where they were. At least mentally. Since this was my experience dealing with my chronic illness. You can read more about those past experiences in other blog posts as well as in my case studies section next week to find out more.

So, what is a lifestyle, and what separates a healthy one from an unhealthy one? As an unhealthy lifestyle is what brings us towards sickness. Or at least that's what we're meant to believe. A lifestyle is " the way in which a person or group lives." (oxford languages). So your way is your lifestyle. The Chinese call this way, the tao. This is why I practice Taoism because I wanted to learn about my life or my way and see how to best make it healthy as it was causing me to be sick and not enjoy life. Which made me realize. You can be healthy and still become sick because you are not in balance. Or you can have a moment of relapse within your mind or body that triggers an ailment. This is usually what occurs when things are going well because we let our guard down.

Well then, what doesn't bring you to sickness if you want to be healthy forever? Can we never become sick is what we start to then look at. Can we essentially become what we believe immortal to be? Sorry to burst your bubble, but no. We can never be at a point of never moving toward sickness. But we can be at a point where we can retain health for as long as possible. Then make space to recover when we start to experience moments of regression. And finally, be able to go through moments of sickness progressing. So that we may be able to thrive and so we may develop resilience to deal with the varying circumstances that life may throw our way. Thus turning the experiences that we go through into valuable opportunities for growth.

But for us to achieve this magical happy ending. We must first understand what a healthy lifestyle versus an unhealthy lifestyle is. We know a lifestyle is your way. Plus health is a state of being well. So then when you combine that together, we can see that a healthy lifestyle is simply a way of living that makes you well. Probably why the heart association defines it as " Along with eating right and being active, real health includes getting enough sleep, practicing mindfulness, managing stress, keeping mind and body fit, connecting socially, and more.". So basically, when you can balance out your wellness within your life or your reality you essentially are living healthy. When you are working towards your sickness, you are living an unhealthy lifestyle. So know what makes you sick and what makes you feel well.

Hopefully, you've learned that these experiences that you go through eventually end up teaching you something. Your sensations that you feel communicate more than you know. Henceforth why a disease or illness progression can be intervened if you become aware enough of the problem. At the same time deciding to commit to taking action to see it healed. This lets us know that we have more power than we are aware of. When you are aware of this, the goal is accomplished. That is what one of the goals of the conscious movement is. To be able to be aware of a blockage or challenge to our health. Then acquire information to develop an understanding so we can learn smoother. Finally, we learn habits and skills to deal with these problems. So how do you feel? What sensations within your body or your mind do you feel? Set your 30-minute interview with me if you want to take a look at your life or your style today. If not, then comment and start a discussion in the forum or online on our social media sites.

Statistics of the Facts

Chronic Ailments have been on the rise for some time since they became the leading cause of death. However, they became even more rampant during the time of Covid-19. So a bunch of healthcare professionals, experts, providers, and specialists believe that change is required within our society. We need to Modernize our society. As well as the current system in place for Public Health if we are to ever resolve this issue. Especially, the modernization of our healthcare system when it comes to education, opportunities, as well as the type of care that is provided within our capitalistic system.

This modernization starts with the CDC as they are the ones in charge of disease management in terms of a public health crisis. The CDC defines chronic diseases as, "[broad] conditions that last 1 year or more and requires ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.". These are the main ones affecting the population the most. I believe that the Covi-19 outbreak had something to do with triggering chronic ailments. At least that was what may have been the difference between the ones that lived and died. Whether or not they were able to manage chronic inflammation from their conditions.

So when you combine holistic care, personalized medicine, and person-centered care. You essentially can develop a model or process where people can essentially be their own healer that takes care of their own health. By becoming more aware of your well-being from a holistic point of view a person would then be able to understand what they are experiencing. This will be the goal of the provider or coach. From there, using the person-centered model allows a person to be able to express themselves and make informed decisions about their treatment or their well-being as a member of their health and wellness team within their life as they undergo treatment for conditions that may affect the natural flow of their life.

While incorporating this perspective within the holistic model as well as the person-centered care model. we look at personalized medicine to be the final piece rather than precision medicine. so that way, the type of medication that is used is more specified to the individual and more effective rather than just taking anything that can make things worse. Thus reducing medical errors. These next images better explain.

"The American Holistic Nurses Association describes the holistic care model as a "practice that has healing the whole person as its goal." This model treats each patient as an individual participating in their own care and takes their preferences and beliefs into account instead of simply focusing on their physical" ( volusoclub.net)

"In 2019, 53.8% of adults aged 18─34 years had at least one chronic condition, and 22.3% had more than one condition. Prevalence of any as well as specific chronic conditions varied by population subgroup." ( CDC.gov )

" Personalized medicine has a fairly broad definition, but, essentially, we're talking about using genetic or other biomarker information to make treatment decisions about patients. These could include decisions about who should get certain kinds of therapies or specific doses of a given therapy, or who should be monitored more carefully because they're predisposed to a particular safety issue. The terms genetics, pharmacogenetics, personalized medicine, and pharmacogenomics have been used interchangeably to mean the study of genetic variations and their influence on the way people respond to medications."( fda.org)

" person-centered care allows patients to make informed decisions about their treatment and well-being. They have a team of primary care providers, specialists, and other health care providers who know them, listen to them, and are accountable for their care. " ( innovation.cms.org)

Join me on Twitter @lazilyactive to join in on the fun as I coach people on resilience.

In Conclusion...

Thank you for reading my thoughts. May you learn something and have questions of your own. Maybe questions such as, since the terminology of health and wellness has led to health literacy being low in various communities, how can healthcare be equal?