The term wholeness (Greek: holos) describes a style of thinking that perceives and seeks to understand natural events in a mutually influencing context. This is opposed to the atomistic, particularistic view of the world, which attempts to derive understanding from the individual elements and their components independently of each other.
Put simply, holistic approaches search for patterns of complexity and formulate syntheses.
Holistic concepts in medicine are therefore opposed to the reductionist specialisation that has come to the fore in the Western hemisphere in the second half of the 20th century in particular in the wake of natural science-driven mechanisation and its achievements.
Two perspectives of holistic medicine can currently be described:
Holistic-systemic medicine theories that define the human being as a bio-psycho-social being with an individual reflective consciousness who should be understood, diagnosed and treated in health and illness in the context of his or her reference system and environment.
Pragmatic viewpoints that aim to counteract a one-sided emphasis on diagnosis and therapy in practice through interdisciplinary links by consciously focussing on overcoming the individual problem situation. The aim of diagnosis and treatment, especially in the care of the chronically ill, is "the comprehensive consideration of all aspects of illness, taking into account the patient's living conditions, his concept of illness and health and his wishes to participate in the treatment process or to remain passive in it" (Milz, 1987). In this sense, a holistic approach focusses on the patient and is oriented towards their needs to cope with their illness. (see also Concept of man in therapy)
Research into holistic approaches in particular provides important findings that are useful for holistic diagnostic and healing procedures. They will therefore be presented here in a separate section. In addition to a comprehensive discussion of the concept of health and disease on an epistemological basis, this includes significant contributions to psychosomatics, salutogenesis and the biopsychosocial model.
The vital force model is also discussed, as it was widely used in the medical world at the beginning of the 19th century when homeopathy was formulated and is still used today as a term to justify various forms of therapy.
Milz, H. (1986). Holistic medicine: New paths to health (2nd ed.). Athenaeum.