[BIOLOGY-PHYSICS-CHEMISTRY | Week #1] Introduction + Class Discussion Reflection
Introduction
Greeting ACCHS Western Sciences Community,
My name is Verma Zapanta and I am a first year student at ACCHS. Although I've been attending the course since the beginning of the trimester, I just enrolled in the class and am slowly catching up with the workload in all the Western Science courses that Larry is teaching. =)
I worked in education for ten years prior to attending ACCHS as a history teacher, college professor and in youth leadership development. I transitioned out of teaching because the work became unsustainable and had a significant impact on my wellbeing. I found myself drawn to mental health work and holistic medicine because it supported my own healing. Acupuncture was the introduction to other modalities of healing and re-connected me to the medicines that exist in my ancestral land of the Philippines. My goal as a practitioner is to not only practice Chinese medicine, but to continue conversations on wellness within spaces of education and community organizing, particularly for communities of color and other marginalized communities.
Other random things about me: I do mental health advocacy work in San Francisco, bring a film camera with me everywhere and have a sassy 6 year old chug (chihuahua pug) named, Maia.
As a teenager, I struggled with my science classes, especially biology and chemistry. I appreciate the alternative approach Larry has taken with this class and have been enjoying our class discussions these past few weeks. I look forward to learning more about all of you as the trimester unfolds.
Biology: Placebo Effect
Our discussion on the placebo effect had me reflecting on my introduction to holistic medicine and the relationship between hope and healing. I remember being terrified during my first acupuncture treatment because I knew nothing about the medicine, except needles would penetrate my body. Although I noticed a significant shift to my physical and emotional health, it was hard to shake the idea that I was simply convincing myself that the medicine worked, which Kaptchuck described to be the impact of "non-conscious mechanisms" in the placebo effect. Despite my fear and initial skepticism, I continued with acupuncture treatment and pursued other modalities of healing, such as reiki (a form of energy healing) and various forms of folk medicine. Presently, I practice an indigenous form of body work from the Philippines called, "Hilot" which integrates energy healing, massage, herbal medicine, and prayer. Several teachers have told me that the medicine will not work as efficiently, unless the patient believes and many of our teachers at ACCHS have expressed similar thoughts. As a future practitioner in the field of acupuncture, I do have some wonderings as to how to approach a situation where a patient seems to be skeptical about the medicine or struggles to see their own capability to heal themselves. Knowing that non-conscious processes have a significance influence on our health, is it fair for practitioners to also be responsible for convincing patients that our medicine works?
Greeting ACCHS Western Sciences Community,
My name is Verma Zapanta and I am a first year student at ACCHS. Although I've been attending the course since the beginning of the trimester, I just enrolled in the class and am slowly catching up with the workload in all the Western Science courses that Larry is teaching. =)
I worked in education for ten years prior to attending ACCHS as a history teacher, college professor and in youth leadership development. I transitioned out of teaching because the work became unsustainable and had a significant impact on my wellbeing. I found myself drawn to mental health work and holistic medicine because it supported my own healing. Acupuncture was the introduction to other modalities of healing and re-connected me to the medicines that exist in my ancestral land of the Philippines. My goal as a practitioner is to not only practice Chinese medicine, but to continue conversations on wellness within spaces of education and community organizing, particularly for communities of color and other marginalized communities.
Other random things about me: I do mental health advocacy work in San Francisco, bring a film camera with me everywhere and have a sassy 6 year old chug (chihuahua pug) named, Maia.
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| Maia contemplating life. (Crissy Field, 2018) |
As a teenager, I struggled with my science classes, especially biology and chemistry. I appreciate the alternative approach Larry has taken with this class and have been enjoying our class discussions these past few weeks. I look forward to learning more about all of you as the trimester unfolds.
Biology: Placebo Effect
Our discussion on the placebo effect had me reflecting on my introduction to holistic medicine and the relationship between hope and healing. I remember being terrified during my first acupuncture treatment because I knew nothing about the medicine, except needles would penetrate my body. Although I noticed a significant shift to my physical and emotional health, it was hard to shake the idea that I was simply convincing myself that the medicine worked, which Kaptchuck described to be the impact of "non-conscious mechanisms" in the placebo effect. Despite my fear and initial skepticism, I continued with acupuncture treatment and pursued other modalities of healing, such as reiki (a form of energy healing) and various forms of folk medicine. Presently, I practice an indigenous form of body work from the Philippines called, "Hilot" which integrates energy healing, massage, herbal medicine, and prayer. Several teachers have told me that the medicine will not work as efficiently, unless the patient believes and many of our teachers at ACCHS have expressed similar thoughts. As a future practitioner in the field of acupuncture, I do have some wonderings as to how to approach a situation where a patient seems to be skeptical about the medicine or struggles to see their own capability to heal themselves. Knowing that non-conscious processes have a significance influence on our health, is it fair for practitioners to also be responsible for convincing patients that our medicine works?
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