Regarding the Editorial in the Winter 2004 Issue of Holistic Primary Care

Dear Erik,

I just wanted to convey how much I enjoyed your editorial in the last issue of Holistic Primary Care (Winter 2004). The enlightened comments on nature’s intent regarding the healing process were refreshing, indeed, but even more so was your insight in the comparison between prolonged use of pharmaceuticals and their natural counterparts. Such objectivity is very commendable, especially since the viability of the newspaper is dependent upon the advertising revenue, the majority of which comes from nutritional/supplement companies, I surmise.

Holistic Primary Care is a quality publication, one that I can honestly say that I look forward to receiving and reading cover-to-cover. Count me in as a paid subscriber if you ever switch to that model. Not only are the articles quite informative, it is nice to read an editor’s offering that is courageous enough to put nutraceuticals in perspective.

Keep up the good work!

Namaste,
Willard H. Dean, MD, ABHM
Glorieta, NM

Editor’s Reply

Thanks for your kind comments, Dr. Dean. It is gratifying to know that you value our publication. It can sometimes be a challenge to keep an appropriate separation of “Church & State” between our advertising and our editorial content. Yes, we must take care of our commercial needs, but it is essential that we maintain good critical thinking. Part of our goal is to expose the medical community to reputable, science-minded, quality-conscious supplement manufacturers and the products they make. But I am also aware that supplements are not magic bullets to solve all health problems. And just like pharmaceuticals, supplements can be misused, or taken as “quick fixes.” Once again, the core principles of holistic medicine can help: it is not the specific treatment, per se, that makes something holistic; it is the vision guiding that treatment. “Natural” modalities can be used in a small-minded, reductionistic way, and allopathic therapies can be used with an eye to the greater whole of a patient’s life. Our goal is to provide information from diverse healing disciplines to help you and your colleagues help your patients find their ways to greater health and well-being. The tools used along the way, be they drugs, herbs, nutrients, homeopathics, physical modalities or psychospiritual practices, are just that: tools. It is the shared consciousness between patient and healer that ultimately engages innate healing forces. That is what we must keep in mind, as we strive to understand ever more about the various tools of healing.

Erik Goldman, Editor

As always, I welcome your comments. Reach me at: Erik@holisticprimarycare.net