Welcome back to This Holistic Life, the podcast where faith, science, and holistic wisdom come together to help you thrive in every season. I’m Tracie Braylock, your host and holistic nurse, and in today’s episode, we’re talking about something that lies at the heart of true, lasting wellness: getting to the root cause.
Whether you’re dealing with stress, chronic illness, pain, or recurring health issues, one of the most important steps you can take is to look beyond surface-level symptoms and ask – what’s really going on here?
Today we’ll explore why finding the root cause matters, what it looks like in practice, and how partnering with your care provider and trusting your own awareness can lead to deeper, more sustainable healing.
Beyond the Surface – Why Root Cause Matters
In conventional care, we often treat symptoms. Headache? Take a pain reliever. Heartburn? Take an antacid. Anxiety? Take something to calm the nerves. But while symptom management has its place, symptoms are messengers – they’re signals that something deeper is going on.
If we only treat the symptom without asking why it’s happening, we risk allowing the root issue to grow, worsen, and even create new problems in other areas of the body.
When we take a holistic approach, we pause to ask:
What’s underneath this?
What patterns are contributing?
What needs to be healed – not just soothed?
Getting to the root helps prevent recurrence, reduces your long-term stress load, and opens the door to true healing – not just temporary relief.
The Root Causes of Stress, Disease & Dysfunction
So what can cause stress, disease, or dysfunction in the first place? It’s rarely just one thing. Most conditions have multiple contributing factors, including:
External factors – Pathogens, toxins, poor diet, trauma, lack of rest, environmental stressors
Internal dysfunctions – Hormonal imbalances, inflammation, gut issues, autoimmune responses, nervous system dysregulation
Mental-emotional stress – Chronic anxiety, grief, unprocessed trauma, unforgiveness, self-neglect
Spiritual disconnection – Feeling disconnected from God, your purpose, or your peace
These factors often build up over time, interacting and compounding. By identifying and addressing them – one layer at a time – you begin to heal from the inside out.
Treating Symptoms vs. Addressing the Cause
Imagine trying to fix a leak in your ceiling by just painting over the stain. The spot might disappear – for a while – but the leak is still active. And eventually, the damage will spread.
That’s how it works with our health. If you only treat what’s visible or painful in the moment, but never get to the why, the problem will keep coming back – sometimes louder, deeper, and more damaging.
True healing takes time. It requires investigation, self-awareness, and the willingness to look inward and backward. But it’s worth it – because when you treat the root, the symptoms begin to fade. You build resilience. You restore balance. You reclaim peace.
Working with Care Providers as a Healing Partner
You were never meant to figure all of this out alone. A care provider – whether a doctor, nurse, naturopath, therapist, or coach – should partner with you to look for root causes, not just hand you a quick fix.
A good provider will:
Ask questions about your full health history
Look at physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being
Explore possible environmental and lifestyle factors
Collaborate with you—not dictate to you
Empower you to be an active participant in your healing
This is what whole-person healing looks like. You are more than a symptom. You are a whole being – mind, body, and spirit – and your care should reflect that.
An Invitation to Look Deeper
So if you’ve been dealing with recurring symptoms, persistent stress, or unresolved illness, I want to encourage you today to slow down and look deeper.
Ask:
What is my body trying to tell me?
What patterns keep repeating?
What might be at the root of this?
What support do I need to uncover it?
This isn’t about blame – it’s about clarity. Healing begins when we stop patching and start listening.
Closing Thoughts
You deserve more than symptom relief – you deserve wholeness. And that starts by getting to the root.
If you’re ready to explore what’s beneath the surface, I invite you to begin this process with curiosity, patience, and the support you need. And if you’re looking for tools, strategies, and faith-filled encouragement to help you on that journey, check out my book Radical Relaxation: Releasing the Stress You Were Never Meant to Carry.
You’ll find practical guidance and healing insights to help you not only manage stress but understand its deeper impact – so you can begin to restore your health and peace from the inside out.
Visit traciebraylock.com to get your copy and discover more holistic support and resources.
Until next time, listen to your body, look a little deeper, and remember to relax often and enjoy the journey.
Thank You to Our This Holistic Life Sponsors
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