Field Experience Critique

This trip was filled with many opportunities to explore the different facets of public health that India has to offer. With a variety of tours through different hospitals that approach medicine in a unique way, offering assistance in cervical cancer screening, and the very research institute we were partnered with, there were many field experiences to learn from. Because India is characterized by having a wide variety of approaches, there was an interesting spectrum of ways that health is regarded. Visiting the naturopathic and Ayurvedic hospitals highlighted many differences between the Western medical system and Eastern medicine in how they use a variety of techniques beyond medicine and prescriptions. It was interesting to see the contrast in how preventative medicine is emphasized rather than treating symptoms. Many of the treatments include relaxation techniques, preventative diets, herbal remedies, physical practices, among other modalities that can be helpful when dealing with non-life-threatening ailments. However, there was an admittance that the West tends to overpower the East in acute injuries such as a broken arm or intensive surgery. This can be attributed to the technological advancements of industrialized societies, mostly. In the field that I'm concerned in, psychology specifically speaking, there are many problems to be addressed that each system has a unique approach to and it roots in the philosophy regarding psychopathology and where issues stem from. In the West, mental health is typically diagnosed and symptomized through a set survey and ways of interpreting ailments that are seen through the cultural lens of society's norms and its expectations. These diagnosis are addressed, then, through a variety of modalities that aim to restore a person's capability of producing and participating in society the way it is normally prescribed. This can be through a mix of talk therapy paired with medication in order to restore one's ability to continue contributing as a member of society. While this technique may have its merits, the East approaches mental health in a completely different perspective by taking into account various other environmental factors that may be contributing to a declining mental health. For example, there is an emphasis on stress reduction, community integration, mind-body connection through intuitive movement such as yoga or chi gong, and a preventative diet. Speaking about the food consumption, there is also a large emphasis on clean eating that the West is not very fond of. Ayurvedic consults almost always begin their treatment with addressing how one eats since they take into account the large influence that what we eat eventually becomes us. Because the medical industry and the food industry are tied in the upper rings, there isn't much emphasis put on eliminating highly-processed foods because they both fuel each other and obscure the true nature of what a human should be consuming for optimal health. This also extends further from the West because even here in the East there is the convenient accessibility to high-sugar, highly-processed, preservative-filled foods that are detrimental to mental and physical health which can from the industrial companies that aim to further their influence far beyond the physical confines of the West. To address this issue, there must be a large reframe on how we approach these problems and take into account the various factors that contribute to a deteriorating mental health. To begin, the individual must accept the reality of the situation and understand that knowledge is power and can embark on a journey of learning more about the countless influences that affect the mind and body.