Getting Whole, Getting Well: Healing Holistically from Chronic Illness

Iris R. Bell, MD, PhD
Morgan James Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781600373879
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (8/08)


When switching from conventional medicine to CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) there could be a lot of confusion or questioning what modality would work best, or what each one does.  Dr. Iris Bell, a CAM practitioner and one who is healed using CAM, is an expert in the field. She is giving us a concise, but very effective explanation of what CAM is and how to proceed with one’s own healing processes. 

All through the book “Getting Whole, Getting Well” Bell puts the suggestion of Assess, Balance, and Coordinate into our healing processes.  She also advocates seeing the big picture – body, mind, spirit, not just focusing on the specific illness. She says “Chronic disease is a manifestation of being stuck in a pattern of being that is bad for you, i.e., a dynamic rut…. Symptoms are a sign of a larger problem.”  Conventional medicine focuses on symptoms; CAM focuses on the “larger problem.”

Furthermore, Bell insists we take responsibility for our own healing; we must take charge of organizing and coordinating our own treatments.  She explains the various tiers of intervention, however, she also tells us using a combination of treatments that fall into the same level will not give optimal results. Bell suggests using a variety of treatment from different levels, for example, Chinese medicine (systemic,) journaling (mind-body,) Chiropractic (structural,) and exercise (preventative/biochemical.)  It’s important to affect all levels for optimum healing.

“Getting Whole, Getting Well” is your basic 101 to getting well – there is nothing complicated. Not only does Bell give a concise plan, she gives charts, resources, research readings, and sources. As a proponent of CAM myself, I’m gratefully encouraged by the fact more conventionally trained medical doctors are choosing to add alternative methods and seeing “curing” the patient on all levels, not only putting a band aide on the symptoms. I don’t think there is another book on the market that holds as much information about CAM as this book does, specifically in such a concise manner.  It’s a book every CAM practitioner should have available for their patients. Dr. Bell takes the guessing out every reader’s mind of how to proceed with healing, as well as choose modalities to heal their chronic disease/s.

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