A Look Back
Before we can discuss the topic of stress effectively, we must take a brief look into our medical and scientific history. The concept of stress, and the majority of research done about the subject, has grown out of the modern Anglo-European medical tradition. To understand the concept, we must become acquainted with the framework from which it developed.

      People of ancient times viewed the world and their own bodies in a much different way than we do. In many cultures it was common to Traditional healers, which we  refer to as shamans, would incorporate ritual, imagery. music, and a variety of other techniques to assist the sick person toward spiritual development and healing. The mind and the body were one.

      A similar perspective was held in ancient Greece, where people visited temples of healing which incorporated a variety of approaches to restore people to spiritual  and physical wholeness and balance. 

      Eastern cultures also developed models of health and wellness. For example,  the Ayurvedic system of healing developed by the Hindus in India places emphasis on the role of spiritual awareness and growth in health. Eastern medicine also tends to focus on the flow of energy, or chi, throughout the body.

The Age of Reason: Mind/Body Separation
      The interconnection between mind and body was a common belief in Christian Europe as well until the scientific revolution of the 1600s. One of the most influential  thinkers was 17th century philosopher, Rene Descartes, who believed that mind and body were totally separate entities. It was from his writing that the concept of the mind\body distinction arose, leading to the scientific approach to healing which has been dominant in the West.

      This dualistic perception has had an immense impact on the development of modern medicine, and has played a major role in the development of the biomedical model.

      The course of Western medicine has been integrally linked with the evolution of the biological sciences. Driven by the dualistic Cartesian view of science and nature, the biomedical model has looked upon the human body as a machine-like entity that can be studied by reducing the focus to the study of its parts and their functions. The cause of disease is analogous to the malfunctioning of some part of the machine, and therefore potentially "fixable." Doctors intervene to correct the malfunction, or to remove and\or replace the development part.   

      This model has contributed to the development of modern medicine, including highly advanced surgical and pharmacological practices. It has also resulted in what some present-day consumers see as a depersonalization within the practice of medicine.       

      The dualistic perspective stands in contradiction to the health care beliefs of many cultures, and perspective stands in contradiction to our own history: the indigenous traditions of the Americas and Europe practiced holistic health care techniques to treat mind, body, and spirit. Although we may discount the role of "evil spirits" and "humors" in the causation of disease, such beliefs were and are real to people in many cultures. In fact, the majority of the world' spopulation continues to receive health care from such "lay" practitioners: the folk healers, the shamans, the "wise women" and other people who have developed expertise in the use of herbs, plants, and other techniques. While there were many illnesses beyond the scope of these practices, they did look at the patient as a unitary being of mind, body and spirit.

     It is important to note that while the non-Western systems of health care do not offer the advanced technologies that we enjoy in the United States and Western  Europe, they are established traditions that cannot be dismissed as totally invalid or ineffectual. In fact, non-Western and alternative healing practices are drawing  increasing interest from practitioners of modern medicine in this country.  

The Search for Wellness
      Our medical system has been remarkably successful with eradicating, correcting acute conditions, and saving lives. But it has not been successful in all areas for all people, particularly those suffering from chronic illnesses that cannot be "fixed" by surgery or medications. The focus on the curing of disease has often come at the expense of enhancing wellness. Wellness transcends the physical; it involves the mind and the spirit working together in balance.
 
      Consumers have become increasingly dissatisfied with the delivery of medical care in this country. We are all aware of the calls for health care reform in the 1990s. One of the demands has been for a heightened awareness of the whole person, not just the condition. A more holistic view of healing, which re-unifies the mind and body, is becoming more popular.   

      This approach is supported by an increasing number of health care professionals and other leaders. Statistics reveal that many Americans, dissatisfied with the results of biomedicine, turn to "alternative" treatment modalities ranging from acupuncture to herbal remedies. Holistic health practitioners often incorporate a variety of techniques to provide for the mind and spirit, along with the body.  

      Given the re-emergence of a more holistic concept of health and wellness, what can this teach us about stress management? It is important to remember that wellness, from a holistic standpoint, is more than just the absence of disease. Wellness is a process; it is the path that the individual walks to achieve the highest possible potential. 

      The goal of wellness is an integration of mind, body, and spirit-a sense of unity or holism. A person with a perfectly functioning body may not have achieved full wellness if he is feeling torn, or consistently disjointed in his life. A dying person can achieve wellness if he reaches a point of transcendence, a place of inner peace.  

      Stress can be an obstacle in the pursuit of wellness because excessive stress prevents a person from achieving his full potential. Excessive stress can have a  negative impact on health also, by contributing to the development of certain diseases or unpleasant symptoms.

      In the following chapters, we'll look at the concept of stress more fully, and examine  the effect it can have on our mind and body. We need to understand stress in order to manage it more effectively.