The Real Root Cause of Disease

Integrative medicine has lost the plot

This piece has two parts to it. The first part is about the root cause of dis-ease and the second part is my weekly how to piece for paying subscribers, where I’ll offer some guidance to identify the root causes that impact you.

Back in the olden days, when infections were life-threatening and life expectancy was much shorter, quick fixes and pharmaceuticals made a lot of sense. Healing was less about excavating our histories, environmental exposures, lifestyles and genetics to reveal root causes, and more about survival and recovery.

But nowadays, we have an epidemic of chronic dis-ease. These dis-ease states are way more complex than a simple strep infection and healing requires more than a diagnosis and a prescription.

Chronic dis-ease has a way of shape-shifting as it accompanies us through various life changes and stages over time. When something is chronic it has a lot of time to adapt and settle in, as we become unconsciously comfortable being unwell and completely forget what vitality feels like. Over time we chase the symptoms of these states of dis-ease as they make their way through the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual quadrants of our health. Some of us spend our whole lives healing what feels like disconnected symptoms, but it’s actually one dis-ease that looks and feels differently in each of the four quadrants of self. I went into more depth on this in “How to Decompartmentalize your Health”.

This is why it’s so important to identify the root cause of dis-ease- because if we don’t, we spend our lives unwell, bouncing from one specialist to the next, under the illusion that we have a long list of things to heal, when in fact it’s the same dis-ease expressing itself differently through the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual quadrants of our health.

What is the root cause of disease?

A lot of integrative medicine providers out there will tell you that diet is the root cause of dis-ease. I was one of those providers once and I still believe that diet can cause a wide range of symptoms and is a fundamental contributor to illness and health. Food can harm and food can heal, so what we eat matters! Dietary interventions are one of the most effective medicines I work with, and I wrote about it this piece. But even though I have seen dietary changes change more lives than any other tool in my medicine bag, I do not believe it is the root cause of dis-ease. I think the roots run deeper, and to get to the roots we have to explore the unresolved wounding, unconscious patterns and systemic influences that lead us to make dietary choices that don’t support our wellbeing.

In my opinion, the root cause of dis-ease is usually something that we aren’t conscious of, and root cause healing is about becoming conscious of the unconscious. Few healthcare providers take the time to do this kind of work with their patients and hence, there is a lot of misunderstanding about what the root cause of dis-ease is.

Even though I believe most of my colleagues practicing integrative and functional medicine are doing great work, I think they’ve lost the plot.

Often I hear people say that stress is the root cause of dis-ease. And I agree that stress plays a big role in illness and health. But to get into the roots of one’s relationship with stress, we have to confront the unresolved wounding, unconscious patterns and systemic influences that reinforce a dysregulated nervous system.

I see functional medicine practitioners doing extensive nutrient testing, and in some cases suggesting that nutrient deficiencies are the root cause of dis-ease. But I don’t think the nutrient levels themselves are not the root cause. This is still a branch on the tree. To get to the roots, we need to ask why these deficiencies exist. And ultimately this line of inquiry will lead to the unconscious wound patterns and systemic influences that contribute to so many of us being overfed, undernourished and nutrient depleted.

Scroll the internet for long enough and someone will tell you that environmental toxicity is the root cause of dis-ease. I agree that environmental toxicity contributes to illness and makes us sick. But again, I believe the root cause of dis-ease lies deeper than this- in the collective unresolved wounding, unconscious patterns and systemic influences that have lead to environmental pollution and natural resource depletion.

As mental and emotional health have become less taboo in public discussion, I hear more and more practitioners suggesting that our thoughts and emotions are the root cause of dis-ease. If you’ve been reading my work you know that I feel very strongly about the critical role mental and emotional health play in wellbeing, and I go to great lengths to explain how our thoughts and emotions impact our physical health. But the roots run deeper. To understand the root cause of dis-ease we need to explore the unresolved wounding, unconscious patterns and the systemic influences that shape our thought patters and prevent us from feeling our feelings. We have to contemplate why the collective prefers a numb, medicated world to one with emotional range.

Just to be clear, I am not saying that these things aren’t critical contributors to health. I spent over a decade of my career focusing on diet, lifestyle, stress management, detoxification & nutrient repletion to treat dis-ease. These are profound tools. They can mitigate symptoms and immeasurably improve our quality of life.

But I’ve come to believe that these are not root causes. They are results of a much deeper and insidious dysfunction. Furthermore, I’m becoming increasingly concerned that when diet, sedentary lifestyle, stress, toxicity, anxiety/depression & nutrient deficiency are mistaken for root causes we become distracted & led astray from the real work. Because when we believe that these are the root causes of dis-ease, the way we tend to ourselves is incomplete, and it continues to benefit the power structures that got us into our current healthcare crisis. It’s so much easier to take a long list of supplements then to confront the unconscious patterns that drive us- but that’s exactly what keeps us unconscious and limits our healing. 

As a collective we’re unwell. I don’t say this because I feel pessimistic about it. I actually feel more inspired & energized to heal together than ever- but not just with a long list of supplements and a gluten free diet. I’m not discouraging these things- as I do think they can support our wellbeing and I recommend them often- but this is not where the real healing happens. The real healing is holistic. It demands attentive and consistent self-awareness. It’s inclusive of what’s in the shadow and it’s systemic. It requires excavation and confrontation of the darkest wounds, behaviors, memories, histories and structures that we’re a part of. It’s personal and it’s collective.