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Medicine has many lives and iterations. In the modern incarnation of medicine, much of the therapies seem like magic to the uninitiated. A person who is experiencing a life altering illness suddenly begins to grab a hold of health and sanity in a matter of days as a result of ingesting one little pill.
Today medical practice is rooted in intense scientific methods, but this wasn't always the case. Medicine has accommodated many practices that can only be described as witchcraft.
Unfortunately, mental health issues became the poster child for such enigmatic practices such that for centuries, people who struggled with mental health issues were believed to be troubled by evil spirits, curses or witchcraft. The treatment protocols therefore, reflected the same thought.
The prevailing belief was that mental health conditions were problems of the whole person, which was partially true. Although mental health issues show a disturbance in the psyche of an individual as a person, they have their roots in disorders of the brain. This was not known at the time, hence the varied practices that were continual attempts to understand what was going on with the individual:
Patients had holes drilled into their skulls to rid them of evil spirits- an practice called trepanation. Others were burnt at the stake to prevent them from infecting others with their madness.
The ancient Greeks believed that madness was caused by an imbalance in the four humors- blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. This belief was the premise for therapeutic attempts like bloodletting- causing the patient to bleed in other to restore balance to the body's fluids.
Bedlam, the psychiatric hospital in London confined patients to chains and cages where they conducted water therapy on them-dousing patients with cold water in an attempt to shock the mind back to sanity.
By the standards of medicine today, these practices are not only evil but diabolical. One could even say this was Witchraft in itself. However, they reflect the ancient desire of men to understand the unseen.
From Witchcraft to Science.
Philippe Pinel, during the 19th century in France started the revolution towards a more humane treatment for the mentally ill. He proposed a radical *moral treatment *that suggested that mental illness should be treated with compassion, communication and respect. This is the basis for what we now know as psychotherapy.(engaging in a dialogue to uncover the root of the problem)
Sigmund Freud, however brought the revolution to a fever pitch when he introduced psychoanalysis, which brought the unconscious mind into view. He proposed that suppressed/repressed emotions as well as unresolved traumas were the foundation for many mental health disorders. This is how the therapeutic method known as talk therapy came to be.
Today, Advances in mental health have more or less eradicated the overt witchcraft activities that characterized previous therapeutic methods. Development of psychiatric medications, complex talk therapies have helped us realize that, instead of looking to spirits and apparitions as the cause of mental health issues, we are to look into the brain and understand what is happening in it.
One way modern medicine has been able to sustain continued effectiveness against mental health problems is through the fascinating discovery that the brain has the ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections or reshaping old connections. This is what is known as Neuroplasticity. It is the basis for therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT), which seek to change the way the brain functions literally by reinforcing healthy thought processes.
Mental Health: A Holistic Approach.
Mental health is now known to affect every part of our being. Practices like Yoga, meditation, nutritional psychiatry all acknowledge the deep impact of lifestyle on mental health. They show how physical activity can improve mood and resilience and how mood and mental health issues can wreck a person physically.
Today, there is a different form of witchraft in medicine-one that embraces the magic of respect, kindness and compassion in helping people with mental health issues. It operates on the magic of rigorous scientific methods and tried technological advances.
With emerging techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation and psychedelic therapies, we are introducing a new kind of Witchcraft that is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in mental health treatment. It is not about spells, and potions, but a constant evolution and unveiling of novel ways to heal people with mental health maladies.
Thanks for reading.
I am Covenant, a Medical Doctor with a passion for holistic medicine-( fancy word for treating a patient as an individual and not just addressing their symptoms). My focus lies in the deep connection between mental health and overall wellbeing, and I create content across various medical topics with an emphasis on mental health. Follow me for insights into holistic medicine and approaches to health and wellness.
Take a look at some of my work
The Dawn of the Age of Drugs Without Side-effects
It is a Lie: Life does not begin at 40
Holistic Health: Simplifying Medicine, One Post at a Time
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Time travel: A Medical "Doctor Who" Perspective
Breast Cancer and Depression: A historical and Modern Perspective.