The Rise of Complex Conditions
Many are aware that chronic illness, autoimmune, and perhaps most noticeably, complex childhood conditions are on the rise. The rates at which these statistics grow are nearly unfathomable, and I have watched them increase drastically since becoming a mother. There are various questions related to this… Why (as a whole) are we so unwell? What is going on? What can be done to better my own wellbeing and that of my family?
Through stages of this complex parenting journey, I may have pointed at a few acknowledged “causal” factors, within alternative health perspectives; but my understanding has adapted through years of research, both learning and unlearning. This is where I now reside… Complex Childhood Conditions (including PANS/PANDAS, ASD, ADHD, etc.) are symptoms of the multitude of ways our modern life is out of alignment with nature. Disconnection from our true nature, in the form of: ever increasing technology, loss of tight knit community, modern food systems, various medical interventions, lack of purpose and self responsibility, overuse of medications, loss of faith and spirituality, trauma, the list certainly goes on. From a homeopathic perspective, there are varying factors (or susceptibilities) for every individual; what is a problem for me, may be more or less harmless to you. Is there any one definitive cause? No. Major contributing factors? Certainly.
When merely looking through the lens of cause and effect, we are seeking certainty, to gain control over an element we can pinpoint, in order to reverse a condition or circumstance. A prescription of… if you follow these steps perfectly and do everything just so, your problems will be solved. Assuming this will remedy our situation or suffering, only creates greater stress, hyper-vigilance and anxiety over factors often not within our control. Likewise, attempting to understand multifaceted problems with one dimensional thinking limits us from seeing a broader range of possibilities and solutions.
Rather than focusing on cause, the question should instead be, what are these complex conditions trying to show us?
The nature within is screaming for change, but on a grand scale we tend to suppress, ignore or misinterpret the messages, often until we have no choice but to listen. The good news is, there are a variety of solutions available, many of which are simple; we just need to be willing to step outside the box, be weird, go against the grain, and even be ridiculed for trying something others wouldn’t consider. Coming to a place of openness, curiosity and understanding that a nuanced and individual approach is our only way forward.
It is imperative to understand that we didn’t get to this place of widespread chronic conditions overnight; change takes time, there’s trial and error, ups and downs… it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Equally important to bring into awareness, is that wellbeing is not a destination, it’s a dynamic aspect of life; we don’t arrive at some projected endpoint of ultimate health, because life is ever changing and evolving.
