Differences Between Illness And Disease In Native American Culture

I decided that I would explore the Native American way of healing and their relations with the indigenous beliefs (religion). We first need to discuss about the difference between the terms illness and disease. According to Arthur Kleinman, the term disease is defined as the specific diagnose ailment while the term illness is the side effects of the disease treatment and impact on one’s sense of being.15 This is specifically important in Native American culture since they treat illness and disease differently. Their practices are based on the concept of “the man is part of the nature” and health is a matter of oneself balance regardless of their tribe. We will explore the Native American ways of healing using Peyote cactus by discussing their …show more content…
According to study of Fred Beauvais in his work “American Indians and Alcohol,” the cause of alcohol abuse can be trace back in history. According to him, Native tribes have been known to produce weak beers and other fermented beverages, which were only for ceremonial purposes.20 However, European colonists have brought more abusive forms of alcohol in large amount, which were introduced to Native Indians.21 Because there was no regulation, heavy alcohol production and demand were encouraged. While the separation between Indian tribes and the rest of America was growing, the connection between was growing as well. While alcohol was regulated and controlled by the government, the Indian tribes were excluded from this and alcoholism has been passed down from generation to generation. Considering alcohol problems, mental health such as depression is connected. Because of prevalence of alcoholism in Native American communities, many individuals are experiencing personal problem such as family problems. As noted, suicide rates are higher in indigenous communities. While adults are experiencing alcohol addiction, chances of neglecting family member is high. With that, youths in these communities experience higher rate of depression, which often leads to …show more content…
In the process, believers consumed sacred Native American medicine, which is the psychoactive Peyote cactus. Why is this sacred? What does it do and what is it for? It’s been known that the use of Peyote cactus can be traced back several millennia according to Calabrese.22 Many are using Peyote cactus for healing addiction and depression because of its psychoactive effects, which corresponds to alteration of one’s consciousness or augmenting the mind. Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenethylamine) is an indole hallucinogen resembling the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine which remarkably effective in resolving alcohol and other drug abuse according to Dr. Paul M. Gahlinger.23 According to Addiction Hope website, psychological effects of peyote include vivid hallucinations which experience could vary per individual.24 Peyote hallucination effect will last 7 to 12 hours.25 Mescaline in Peyote can altered states of thinking, which helps people withdraw from alcohol and other drug abuse. However, as mentioned, Peyote is sometimes abused which places user in greater tolerance. With that, these users seek for higher dosage to achieve same results as they had in lower dosage, which leads to addiction. According to this website, does not include chemical properties that makes it consider as addictive drug. It was also mentioned that it has a