Personal Narrative: What Health Means To Me
What Health Means to Me
Health as a concept has a variety of definitions dependent on the person’s views, norms and experiences. For me, it is an essential part of our functioning as human beings physically and psychosocially as well. Our view on health is dynamic because of different experiences and new pieces of information from sources such as social media and researches.
Years ago, my concept of health was different. Growing up in a developing country, physical health was poorly emphasized. Majority of the population were poverty-stricken and because of this problem, we chose to allot our expenses on our basic needs such as food, water and shelter. As a result, health was disregarded and often overlooked. When one becomes ill, we resort to traditional medicine. In fact, usage of herbs to cure illnesses was widely used, as it is inexpensive, and influenced by cultural beliefs and superstitions. In addition, access to health care services such as doctor consultations and clinic visits were not affordable and only for those who were financially capable. Generally, if one is free from any kinds of illnesses, we take it as “being healthy”.
Although, physical health …show more content…
Being exposed to different clients working as a support worker, health is not merely being free from illness. With the World Health Organization’s incorporation of both actualization and stability dimensions, it was said that in various situations, those who have physical disease or nearing death could be considered healthy (Potter et al., 2014, p. 2). I once worked with an 80-year old lady with chronic pain and sleep apnea and she manages to volunteer, drive and socialize. In Ottawa particularly, I observed that people with their wheelchairs and walkers carry on with their activities, overcoming their limitations. With this, I have realized that health is about maximizing one’s potential, physically or psychosocially to achieve a satisfying
Health as a concept has a variety of definitions dependent on the person’s views, norms and experiences. For me, it is an essential part of our functioning as human beings physically and psychosocially as well. Our view on health is dynamic because of different experiences and new pieces of information from sources such as social media and researches.
Years ago, my concept of health was different. Growing up in a developing country, physical health was poorly emphasized. Majority of the population were poverty-stricken and because of this problem, we chose to allot our expenses on our basic needs such as food, water and shelter. As a result, health was disregarded and often overlooked. When one becomes ill, we resort to traditional medicine. In fact, usage of herbs to cure illnesses was widely used, as it is inexpensive, and influenced by cultural beliefs and superstitions. In addition, access to health care services such as doctor consultations and clinic visits were not affordable and only for those who were financially capable. Generally, if one is free from any kinds of illnesses, we take it as “being healthy”.
Although, physical health …show more content…
Being exposed to different clients working as a support worker, health is not merely being free from illness. With the World Health Organization’s incorporation of both actualization and stability dimensions, it was said that in various situations, those who have physical disease or nearing death could be considered healthy (Potter et al., 2014, p. 2). I once worked with an 80-year old lady with chronic pain and sleep apnea and she manages to volunteer, drive and socialize. In Ottawa particularly, I observed that people with their wheelchairs and walkers carry on with their activities, overcoming their limitations. With this, I have realized that health is about maximizing one’s potential, physically or psychosocially to achieve a satisfying