5 Misconceptions That Contribute to Men's Disease and Dysfunction

A traditional Western conception of medicine focuses on the physical and biochemical aspects. However, these two aspects of wellness don't go quite far enough to account for much of the way a person feels and the quality of their health overall. Human wellness is viewed by traditional Western medicine in fragmented ways.

As a result, there are a large number of physical conditions that are difficult to diagnose in the United States and Western Europe.

Despite all the medications doctors prescribe, these conditions do not disappear. This is largely because people cling to five common myths.

There is no danger in believing these myths, but they position you to be vulnerable to a wide range of diseases and dysfunctions. Your health may not be at risk, but you are significantly less healthy than you could be.

Myth #1: All your aspects are distinct

There still needs to be more research on the intersection between mood, psychiatric states, and physical states. This common myth assumes that your mind and your body are completely independent of one another.

The Western medical community is now paying more attention to mental health as part of overall wellness, but they still find a considerable distinction within these areas.

The interconnection between these aspects is becoming increasingly apparent, which is good news. However, by and large, these and other aspects, such as financial stress, spiritual states, and others, continue to be viewed as completely and totally separate. This still needs to be addressed.

People are more likely to struggle to find wholeness if they hold onto this idea too long.

Myth #2 that most effective solutions can only be found outside of yourself

Almost all of Western medicine is built on this assumption. It holds that if the disease or the dysfunction is within, then the solution must come from outside.

In other words, whatever ails you can only be healed when an external solution is imposed upon you. It's all about intervention.

A lot of internal processes must be initiated properly for external agents, chemicals, or triggers to produce the desired effect. The effectiveness of placebos is a good example of how this works.

A person's belief in the effectiveness of medication affects whether external biochemical compounds have the desired effect, whether they believe that they will work or not. There is a component that has to be in place within the body. If things were just as simple as ingesting the right stuff from the outside, then that would work.

This myth makes it challenging for people to open themselves completely up to therapeutic inputs, whether they come from the inside or the outside.

Myth #3: Other people and external circumstances define you

Postmodern philosophy, which is often reflected in public policy and academia, holds that human beings are basically composites of external factors and inputs. To put it another way, people would have better lives if we changed the external environment.

Every human being can be viewed as a compilation of external inputs, which can be controlled. This thinking completely disregards the impact of internal choices and internal truths.

To put it another way, the solution to whatever frustration you may be experiencing involves both external circumstances and people. You will improve by changing those circumstances and people.

I think you can see why this thinking is flawed. It's hard enough to change yourself, can you imagine trying to change other people? There are circumstances and people that are beyond your control.

Even though you may have some influence over these individuals, ultimately, their decision stands. It's their choice whether they are going to help you or not, as long as that help involves them changing. Can you see how problematic this is? It's practically impossible.

Unfortunately, people often believe that they are simply products of their external environment, and that is why too many people are sick or failing to live their lives to their fullest potential. How can they do that? They are dependent on external inputs and external changes that will never happen.

Myth #4: Spirituality is only a placebo or psychosomatic phenomenon

In this view, spirituality is very much a head-based phenomenon. It has only a psychosomatic or placebo effect on people.

In reality, this does a terrible disservice to the human condition because a sense of purpose and transcendence is essential for the human condition. Sadly, too many doctors, wellness experts, and lifestyle counselors are dismissing spirituality without much thought. They tend to treat it in a very shallow manner. If they were to incorporate it at all, they would do so in passing.

They don't realize that people are looking for meaning. They can have all the fortune in the world, other people may respect them, but if you have nothing to live for, what's the point?

There is no core spiritual reality that ties everything together, gives it meaning, and transcends all of it.

For this to make sense, you do not have to be religious in the classical sense. Everyone has this need to answer the question "Why?" Unfortunately, holding on to this myth completely ignores that.

Unless this issue is addressed, you will not be whole. You will be missing something vital. And the longer you leave it open, the larger it will become.

In the long run, it eats away at other aspects of your life. You might think you have it all together, but don't be surprised if, for some reason or another, something seems missing.

Myth #5: Diseases can only result from physical or biochemical factors

It is based on the first and second myths. It makes sense that diseases, dysfunctions, and anything else that negatively affects wellness must be caused by biochemical or physical factors, if our aspects are distinct from each other and solutions must be imposed from outside.

There are significant numbers of people who get tested exhaustively and pass with flying colors yet still experience symptoms. They still feel sick. There is still something missing.

There's a lot missing from the equation because their care provider doesn't see them as a whole person. Their health is sliced and diced to focus on the physical, the external, the readily visible.

It follows, of course, from the belief that diseases can only originate from physical or biochemical causes. This mindset ignores lifestyle, non-physical environments, and states of mind not related to biology.

When you hold onto any of these myths, you will not be able to benefit fully from the teaching about wellness and wholeness. pause and ask yourself if you believe in any of these myths.

It is unlikely that the information I'm going to share will have a significant impact if you have not clearly examined yourself to determine if you believe any of these myths. If you're able to benefit from this information at all, it is going to take a lot longer.

It is important that you start with a clean slate. Get rid of these myths before you proceed. The minimum you can do is to approach the following information on holistic wellness with an open mind.

Do yourself a favor and let yourself be a blank slate.