The Missing Piece in Medicine
As doctors, we’ve all been trained to treat the physical body, to diagnose diseases, prescribe medications, and move on to the next patient. But the more I’ve worked in critical care, the more I’ve come to realize that what we’re treating is often just the surface of a much deeper problem.
Every medical textbook defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, but how often do we focus on anything beyond the physical? Sure, the drugs work, and in many cases, they are life-saving, but are we missing out on something crucial by not looking deeper?
Today, I want to explore this gap, using a powerful tool known as the **5 Whys** to dig into the root causes of disease—both in our patients and ourselves. And more importantly, how addressing all aspects of health can lead to true healing.
Revisiting Holistic Health: More Than Just Physical Fitness
Let’s start with the basics. What is holistic health, and why is it important?
Holistic health is about achieving balance across four key areas of life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. These components are all interconnected, and an imbalance in any one area can disrupt our overall well-being. Here’s a closer look:
- Physical Health: This is what we’re most familiar with as doctors—disease, diet, exercise, and fitness. It’s the foundation, but it’s not the whole story.
- Mental Health: This includes stress, cognitive function, mental clarity, and how we process information. Mental blocks can cloud our judgment and affect decision-making.
- Emotional Health: Unprocessed feelings, trauma, and emotional blocks can manifest physically if left unaddressed.
- Spiritual Health: A sense of purpose, alignment, and inner peace. Spiritual health isn’t about religion—it’s about feeling grounded and connected to something greater than yourself.
So why is this important?
Because when we only treat the physical body, we miss the opportunity to address the underlying emotional, mental, or spiritual imbalances that might be contributing to the disease.
The 5 Whys: A Deeper Approach to Diagnosis
Now, let’s take this deeper using the 5 Why’s technique. This tool helps us dig into the root causes of a problem by asking “Why?” five times, each time going a level deeper.
Take Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) as an example:
1. Why does the patient have CAD?
- Because of high cholesterol and uncontrolled blood sugars.
2. Why do they have high cholesterol and uncontrolled sugars?
- Because of poor dietary habits and lack of exercise.
3. Why do they have poor dietary habits and don’t exercise?
- Because they are stressed, busy, or don’t prioritize their health.
4. Why are they too stressed or busy to prioritize their health?
- Because they have unresolved emotional blocks or mental stress that they haven’t addressed.
5. Why do they have unresolved emotional blocks?
- Perhaps they’ve experienced trauma, limiting beliefs, or they lack a sense of purpose, causing them to spiral into unhealthy habits.
By the time we get to the fifth "why," we’ve uncovered a much deeper issue than just high cholesterol or blood sugar levels. And while medication can manage the physical symptoms, if we don’t address the deeper root causes, are we truly healing the patient? Its not that the patient doesn’t need immediate management for the physical symptom its just that we need to address the other why’s too?
My Personal Journey: Losing and Finding Balance
This realization didn’t come easy to me. During my early years in medicine, I was so focused on the physical aspect of health that I began losing touch with the other three. I stopped going to temples, stopped engaging in spiritual practices, and became fully immersed in scientific facts and protocols. I thought I was doing well because I was physically fit and mentally sharp. But I began to notice that something was missing.
As I moved further into critical care, I started witnessing the emotional toll diseases take on not just the patient, but their families as well. I saw how stress, trauma, and unresolved emotions were linked to worsening health conditions. I saw the disconnect.
Slowly, I began to realize that in order to truly help my patients, I had to be aligned myself. I needed to take care of my own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It wasn’t just about being a doctor—it was about being the best version of myself to serve others. I needed to balance all four aspects of my health.
Physical Health: The Foundation, But Not the Whole Picture
As doctors, we’re naturally focused on physical health. The importance of diet, exercise, and managing disease cannot be overstated. But when I looked at my own life, I realized I was missing something critical.
Yes, I was physically fit, but was I mentally and emotionally fit?
Working in critical care requires immense mental clarity. But when I was out of alignment—whether from stress or emotional blocks—I wasn’t able to give my best to my patients. I realized that physical health was just one piece of the puzzle.
Mental and Emotional Health: Unseen Barriers to Progress
Let’s talk about mental and emotional health—two areas that are often neglected, especially in our fast-paced world.
How often do we stop to ask ourselves if we’re mentally clear or emotionally balanced? As doctors, we’re taught to be strong, to keep going, and to handle everything that comes our way. But that strength can sometimes act as a mask, covering up emotional blocks and mental stress that weigh us down.
For me, these blocks often showed up as procrastination or avoidance. I wasn’t addressing the root cause of my stress—I was just pushing through. It wasn’t until I started asking myself my own 5 Whys that I began to uncover the emotional baggage I was carrying.
Emotional health is about processing those feelings, addressing trauma, and letting go of the weight we carry around with us. And just like physical weight, emotional weight slows us down, clouds our judgment, and prevents us from moving forward.
Spiritual Health: Alignment and Purpose
Finally, let’s talk about spiritual health. This isn’t about religion—it’s about feeling grounded, aligned, and connected to a higher purpose.
As I delved deeper into my own spiritual health, I realized that it wasn’t enough to be physically or mentally strong. I needed to align my actions with a higher purpose.
This is when I started to see real growth, both personally and professionally. By aligning my goals with my purpose as a doctor, a teacher, and someone who wants to make a difference in the lives of others, I found that my mental, emotional, and physical health began to fall into place.
For some people, going to a temple or engaging in a spiritual practice gives them that sense of alignment. For others, it’s through meditation, creative work, or physical exercise. Whatever it is, it’s important to find that anchor—the thing that keeps you grounded and gives your life meaning.
The 5 Whys for Yourself: A Personal Introspection
Before I close, I want to leave you with this thought: just like we ask the 5 Whys for our patients, we should also ask them for ourselves.
- Why do I feel fatigued or overwhelmed?
- Why am I not addressing my own health?
- Why am I procrastinating or avoiding certain tasks?
- Why am I carrying emotional baggage that I haven’t processed?
- Why am I not aligned with my true purpose?
These are not easy questions to answer, and it’s not something that happens overnight. But by slowly peeling back the layers, we can begin to address the root causes of our own blocks and limitations.
The Path Forward: Taking Charge of Your Health
At the end of the day, as doctors, we have a responsibility to not only care for our patients but to take care of ourselves. We can’t pour from an empty cup, and we can’t give our best to our patients if we’re not aligned ourselves.
So, I urge you to take charge of your own health. Start with one aspect—whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual—and work on aligning that area. The rest will follow.
Because at the end of the day, treating the physical symptoms is just one part of the equation. If we want to truly heal ourselves and our patients, we need to dive deeper, ask the tough questions, and align ourselves with our higher purpose.
“Medicine is an ocean, of which what we know is just a drop.”— Dr. Sujit Raina
Let’s not stop at that drop. Let’s keep diving deeper into the ocean of health, asking the 5 Whys, and aligning ourselves with a higher purpose—both for ourselves and our patients.
Take a moment today to reflect on your own health. What’s weighing you down? What’s the root cause? And how can you take the first step toward alignment and healing?
Stay balanced, stay healthy and Align yourself,
Dr.Krishna Bharath MD.
The 5 Whys of Disease: Uncovering the Deeper Layers of Health