Psychoneuroimmunology reveals that the body's resistance to disease is primarily the result of the state of the immune system, which is affected by many factors, especially the stresses of conflicting beliefs (both conscious and unconscious), past conditioning, and habitual (and often irrational) behaviors. Concomitant with this premise is the awareness that the dis-ease itself is not the real problem, but an attempt on the part of the body to solve the problem. Dis-ease is the means by which our bodies give feedback to our minds that something about our lifestyle is not working and that new choices are called for.

Fully comprehending the Illness/Wellness Continuum requires a change in the commonly held perception of who is responsible for our wellness. It requires letting go of the belief that we are at the random effect of forces "out there," and that disease is something that simply "happens" to us. The Wellness Paradigm differs markedly from the Treatment Paradigm in that it encourages individuals to accept responsibility for their own wellbeing as shown by these Wellness Fliers:

Wellness Fliers

Disease-as-a-teacher is fundamental in the Wellness Paradigm, while the approach of the Treatment Paradigm is to attempt to make the symptoms go away without addressing the underlying issues. (continues)

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