The naturalistic theory is another variation of traditional Asian medicine in which physical and social factors are integrated to diagnose illnesses. Many Vietnamese, Laotians, Hmong, Cambodians, and Filipinos believe that diseases are caused by shifts in environmental forces. For instance, high winds and rainy weather are believed to result in rheumatism or respiratory diseases (Kaiser Permanente 1999). Dampness, arising from getting caught in the rain, having wet hair, keeping on wet clothes, or drinking too many cold liquids is associated with symptoms of lethargy, indigestion, nausea and vomiting, and arthritis (Chin and Bigby 2003). Wind is traditionally thought to attack the upper part of the body (respiratory system); consequently, some Asians will avoid sitting near an air conditioner (Chin and Bigby 2003).
Animism is the belief that human beings, animals, and inanimate objects all possess souls and spirits. Although spirit worship is one of the oldest religious traditions, the only AAPI subgroups that still widely adhere to animism are Laotians, Hmong, Mien, and Cambodians from rural areas. In animism, illnesses are normally viewed either as punishment from gods, demons, and spirits or as curses from evil spirits. To alleviate sickness, appeals are often made to gods, and shamans are called on to chase away evil spirits (Kaiser Permanente 1999).
Some Chinese may believe that illness is a result of moral retribution by ancestors or deities as punishment for a person's misdeeds or negligence. Rituals are performed to appease this anger. Other health beliefs that may be held by patients from this group include cosmic disharmony due to a poor combination of year of birth, month of birth, day of birth, and time of birth, and poor feng shui—improper placement of objects inside a room or orientation of the room or house itself (north, south, east, or west). Some Chinese and Cambodians believe in interference from malevolent spirits. Spiritual healers are sought for illnesses thought to be caused by spirits.
True or False?
When an Asian patient understands that an illness has a biological cause, the patient will usually abandon the idea that the illness is related to personal carelessness, weakness, or punishment?
False:
Many people simply will not believe you if you tell them a life-long belief is not true. If you try to convince someone that their illness was not caused by an evil spirit, or a draft from an open door, or eating "hot' rather than "cold" food, you may simply lose that person's confidence. It is often best is to talk about differences in belief systems. ("In our culture we believe that illness is caused by tiny organisms that we see under the microscope or an error in the cells in your body... What do you believe in your culture? In our culture, we treat your illness by... How do you treat this illness in your culture? How can we make sure that the treatment we use will not interact badly with the treatment you use?") This type of dialogue is more effective than explaining to the patient that his health beliefs are wrong, even if you say it nicely. |
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