In health and healing circles, there are different belief systems regarding the cause of disease. Two of the opposites are: "pathogens (bacteria, viruses, molds, yeasts, parasites) attack the body and cause disease, therefore we have to kill them." We use harsh drugs to poison these "bad invaders," at the risk of killing the "good guys," and in the hopes that the human host can withstand the treatment.

The opposite belief is that "disease" is not because of an outsider attack, but actually as a response to an unhealthy, unbalanced, undernourished body, that the cells themselves produce certain pathogens as they become sicker and sicker. For instance, you don't "catch" a cold - a cold is the body's response to a toxic, malnourished, imbalanced lifestyle or environment. The environment in the body is the host for the infection to occur. In a healthy body, it can't exist.

Because auto-immune diseases are soaring in numbers and intensity, we are forced to deepen our understanding of the body's immune and healing mechanisms. When the body is reacting to its own tissues as if those tissues don't belong ("non-self"), and starts working to destroy it, we have to do some serious thinking about this mechanism. It really doesn't make sense that someone can be "perfectly healthy" and "suddenly" they have this devastating auto-immune disease. Why would the body "suddenly" turn on itself? To me, that's an oxymoron!

So, if there is more to the story than simply some unseen pathogen that "jumped on" the person and stimulated the body to start attacking itself and creating this advanced disease process, what does underlie it?

As we grow to understand the incredible workings of the body, so much of which is still a complete mystery, the one thing we can't deny is that the body is a pretty intelligent mass of macro and microscopic intricacies that will probably take another 1000 years to understand! We also marvel at the body's attempts at handling some pretty toxic substances and other insults that we continue to bombard it with day in and day out. Unfortunately, some of the body's attempts to protect itself, to restore balance, to slough off or dump the garbage, results in symptoms that are not a lot of fun to endure.

For cells to be healthy - for the immune system to be healthy - we have to correct the internal dysfunction that is acting as a template for disease to occur. What is contributing to the unhealthy environment that the cell or the entity must react to needs to be the basis for treatment aimed at restoring health. Considering internal terrain as well as external terrain is both critical for reestablishing health, yet both are rarely examined. We do have more control over auto-immune responses than may appear at the surface - that's the good news. To be continued...

Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with more than 36 years of experience. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d'Alene clinic. Visit Carling's website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about her, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Holly Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.