Health Definition
Health Definition
Understanding Anxiety/Stress in Systems, and Relationship to System Health
by John P. Reisman © 1989, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2003
Why we need a new perspective on health.
Advancements in understanding and the lag time between new understanding and dissemination of knowledge is speeding up. Health has always been a relative term to a degree and measurable to a degree. We know when someone is sick because normal function begins to break down. We know when a system is unhealthy because it begins to breakdown. What we need to know is how to prevent breakdown.
This is not to say that unhealthy systems should not break down as that is a natural progression of evolving systems in order to maintain health of larger systems, collateral systems or subsystems.
This means greater pre-science in understanding in order to reduce the ultimate breakdown of health. This translates to greater efficiency i.e reduced costs and a more healthy outcome.
Defining Health
For the purpose of the anxiety model: the following definitions regarding health are utilized as a foundation for understanding and gauging anxiety.
Healthy
: anything that reduces anxiety and/or stress, simultaneously and/or consequentially, on an individual and/or group basis, with consideration of short, medium and long-term consequences.
Unhealthy
: anything that increases anxiety and/or stress, simultaneously and/or consequentially, on an individual and/or group basis, with consideration of short, medium and long-term consequences.
Short, Medium and Long Term Considerations
It should be understood within the model that sometimes short, or medium, term anxiety must be increased in order to achieve long term health in a system, on an individual and/or group basis. By considering short, medium and long-term health/unhealth, one can more easily find a basis for increasing anxiety at a certain stage enabling the system, individual, and/or group to achieve higher degrees of health.
The Concept Model
The Health Definition Model is based on recognition of anxiety and stress in a system or, an individual and/or group environment, in order to prevent the more severe consequences of manifest behavior and societal neurosis that stems from ignoring the anxiety. Since the majority of modern psychology is still based on fixing things after they are broken, this model enables cognition allowing the modification prior to consequences of behavior or, before manifest behavior grows to a proportion that is less easily manageable in societal and economic terms.
Application of Model
Application of the model reaches beyond belief system boundaries where borders of geopolitical and belief systems are relatively close, or crossing each other through inter-dynamic relationships.
Scope of Definition
This model may be applied to individual and group psychologies, molecular, cellular, organ (neuro-physical/chemical), medical, as well as regional, national and geo-political, individual and group social systems, economic systems, biological, geophysical, planetary, and universal systems.
When both rules of the definition are applied, recognition of the relative health or lack of health of a given system is determinable to a degree.
Understanding “Health”
By examining anxiety and stress in this way allows the viability of new types of understanding regarding the relative health of a given system in relation to its surrounding systems.
The actual measurement of qualitative/quantitative values regarding anxiety and stress are subject to methods of understanding and thereby human perception. However, in society and in individuals, stress and anxiety is beginning to be better understood. In society it is measured in blue and white collar crime as well as economy and societal/government function and efficiency. For individuals it is through blood chemistry, brain and body function.
Anxiety as a Qualitative/Quantitative Measurement
In accord with the Webster’s definition, anxiety is prescient or anticipatory. The reason anxiety may exist is the anticipation, or the natural systems prescience resulting from behaviors that are, or may soon occur. Therefore, anxiety seen as a predecessor to what may occur. Understanding “Health” in this way allows the viability of new types of societal forethought.
Stress as a Qualitative/Quantitative Measurement
In accord with the Webster’s definition, stress is tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium. The reason stress may exist is the dynamic pressures between systems, or the natural systems dynamic result from behaviors that have occurred. Therefore, stress between systems is an indicator of the degree of health of the system.
