The Real Root Cause of Disease
Integrative medicine has lost the plot
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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.
How I determine the root cause of dis-ease
In my private practice I spend a lot of time listening and asking questions that elicit information about my client’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experiences. In my initial intake with a client there is no such thing as TMI because I’m looking for something that the client isn’t even aware of. Sometimes I spend hours listening to them- not just because I’m interested in what they are telling me, but because I’m just as interested in what they aren’t saying. I need them to cover a wide range of topics because I’m looking for an underlying theme that presents in the client’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experiences. I determine the root cause by identifying a single theme that shows up consistently in all four quadrants.
For example, if a client struggles with autoimmune issues, allergies or dermatitis, their body is expressing confusion about what is safe and what is not. If their language suggests self-doubt, and they complain of anxiety, this theme of insecurity is also present in the mental and emotional quadrants of their health. Perhaps they also share that their fear of abandonment is a recurring obstacle in relationships or they settled for a partner that their parents wanted them to marry but it doesn’t feel like the right match. The more they share about their life, the clearer it becomes that they’ve spent so long being the person they think others want them to be that they’ve forgotten who they are and they don’t even know what they want. These are all branches extending from the same roots- where they don’t feel safe being authentic. Once we know identify this underlying theme, rather than rotating allergy medications, eliminating gluten, and spending the next decade in therapy, we can start the work of restoring their sense of safety. This is the real healing, and it’s not easy, because to restore safety, we must confront the origins of the insecurity.
How to identify the root cause that’s affecting you
Identifying central themes of dysfunction is not always easy. Sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error, trying on different language and looking at struggles in different areas of your life over time. It’s a deep self exploration. Over the last decade I’ve identified a handful of core themes that consistently show up in my practice. I consider these themes to be root causes of a wide range of dis-ease states. If you want more of this, let me know in the comments. For now, I’m going to share the 4 most common root causes I see.
I encourage you to read through these themes and ask yourself if one or more of them fit. You may find that all of them resonate, but I invite you to consider each one in the context of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experience.
Ask yourself the following questions with regard to each theme:
Could the things you’re experiencing in your body be an expression of this theme?
Could this theme be shaping your thoughts and beliefs about yourself, your health and the world?
Could your emotional patterns be an expression of this theme?
Is it possible that this theme has impacted the life you’ve created for yourself?
If the theme does not resonate in all 4 quadrants it may not be the root cause. My descriptions below are brief, so for each theme, I’m sharing two links to articles I wrote about the corresponding chakra for each theme. The first link will provide more depth on the theme and information about how the associated wound pattern expresses physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The second article linked contains practical tips to support your healing process.
Insecure attachment. This is the example I gave above. It’s a deep confusion about what is safe and what is not. If we didn’t securely attach early on, we move through life unable to trust that we will be safe and loved simply for being who we authentically are. We end up repressing parts of ourselves to preserve love and attachment, but in doing so we forget who we are. If you identify with the example above, I encourage you to explore this theme further. You can read more about what this looks like here and here.
Denial. This is what the buddhists call the craving and aversion cycle, and they say it’s the root of all suffering. When we are unable to sit with discomfort, we react to things before they have the opportunity to show us what they really are. This is the wound pattern of the people pleaser and the dopamine chaser. If you have little tolerance for discomfort and a tendency to react the moment you feel something uncomfortable, this is worth exploring more deeply. You can do that here and here.
Shame, unworthiness, and the belief that you will never be enough. This is very common with perfectionists and overachievers. No matter how committed you are to your healing, it’s never enough. Self criticism and lack of belief in yourself make your dreams impossible. If you have a tendency to care more about what things look like on the outside then how you feel on the inside, I recommend exploring this one further here and here.
Rejection and self sacrifice. When you feel rejected there is a tendency to retreat into yourself but also to give to the point of exhaustion. At the core of this pattern is an imbalance of energetic exchange. It’s a circulatory issue- but not just physically- it’s about the circulation of love and compassion, but rarely is giving the problem. If you take care of everyone except yourself or you can’t receive a compliment, explore this pattern more here and here.
There’s so much more I want to tell you about the root cause of dis-ease. If you want to go deeper, I have a few spots remaining in my winter intensive that starts next week! You can apply here (the deadline to enroll is Feb 5th). I welcome any questions in the comments section.
Thank you so much for reading. Your attention is the most valuable resource on the planet and I am grateful and humbled that you’ve chosen to share it with me.
In health and devotion,
Erica
The work you do is beyond amazing. You are a true genius in the arena of healing. Every single article you have written resonates as truth.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into your articles. I look forward to reading them each time they come out.
I would love to hear more of your thoughts on core themes/patterns.
Your work is simply amazing. Every piece you write has such depth and wisdom and a truth that deeply resonates. Thank you so much for what you offer (while supporting a sick household and a private practice!). Please speak more about root causes, it feels essential.