The Real Root Cause of Chronic Illness: Why Symptoms Aren’t the Problem
- Jared C. Pistoia, ND
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Most people are chasing symptoms—looking for drugs or natural remedies to silence them. The question often asked is:
“What can I take to feel better?”
Doctors typically prescribe something that helps temporarily . . . until the symptoms return.
But true healing doesn’t begin with what you take. It begins with what you ask.
When you shift the question to:
“Why are these symptoms happening?”
“What can I do to keep this from recurring?”
—you step onto a path that leads to empowerment, deeper self-awareness, and a better quality of life.
What If You Asked a Better Question?
What if your fatigue isn’t really about your thyroid?
What if your digestive problems aren’t just about what you ate?
What if your anxiety isn’t simply a chemical imbalance?
After over 15 years in health and wellness—and years treating patients with complex, chronic issues—one thing has become clear:
The true cause of illness often lies far beneath the surface.
Your symptoms have something to teach you—about who you are, what you value, and what’s no longer working. And when you learn to listen? That’s when real healing begins.
When you begin exploring the root causes of your chronic symptoms, you don’t just get answers. You begin to reclaim parts of yourself that were lost, ignored, or suppressed.
The Mind-Body Disconnect Is an Illusion
Modern medicine tends to separate the mind and body. Why? Because compartmentalization makes research cleaner and clinical interventions simpler.
But in real life? There’s no separation.
You are one integrated whole.
I’ve seen it in my own practice:
A woman developed shingles after a painful breakup
A man struggled with IBS after years of suppressing anxiety
Migraines that flared after unexpressed grief
Cancer that appeared shortly after the death of a loved one
Urinary urgency tied to decades of suppressed anger—literally being “pissed off”
We’re often told these symptoms are “just physical” or “just emotional.”
But the truth is: they’re both. And the root causes of chronic illness are tied in with both.
Your body often expresses what your mind hasn’t yet fully processed. It’s a mirror, a messenger, and a teacher.
Even your dreams function this way—helping your subconscious process fears, beliefs, and unintegrated emotions while you sleep.
Healing means becoming whole. And that begins by seeing yourself as whole. That's the main premise of holistic medicine.
For the Root Cause of Chronic Illness: Ask “Why?”
Healing the root causes of chronic illness begins with inquiry:
“Why is my body doing this?”
“What is it trying to tell me?”
And then—you listen.
Sometimes the answer is obvious: You know you’re burnt out from your job, stuck in a toxic relationship, or numbing with food or alcohol.
Sometimes the signal is subtle—a whisper, not a scream. That’s when having a guide, a practitioner, or even a supportive friend can help amplify that inner voice.
Getting to to the root-cause of your chronic illness is about developing that relationship—with yourself and with the wisdom of your body.
It’s not just:
Taking supplements instead of pharmaceuticals
Eating clean or detoxing harder
Managing symptoms “more naturally”
It’s about understanding the story behind the symptom, and resolving the hidden drivers underneath:
Subconscious beliefs
Emotional trauma
Chronic stress or identity confusion
Lifestyle misalignment
Energetic patterns that keep looping
Your Symptom Is a Signal, Not a Problem
Think of your symptoms as a compass. They’re pointing you back to alignment.
That fatigue, that pain, that anxiety—it might be:
A call to slow down
A warning that you’ve abandoned your values
A defense mechanism from unprocessed emotional pain
So what happens when you suppress the symptom? You silence the message. You lose the opportunity to course-correct.
🚨Of course, some symptoms require urgent medical care.
But for those of you who have seen multiple doctors, tried all the treatments, and still feel lost—maybe it’s time to stop silencing and start listening. Maybe it's time for a holistic approach to chronic disease.
Ready to Go Deeper?
If this resonates with you, then you already sense that your illness is pointing to something deeper. There are pieces of you—emotional, spiritual, energetic—that may have been lost along the way.
It’s time to reclaim those parts.
To help you begin, I created a free guide:
This simple, powerful guide walks you through the 5 core pillars I use with my patients to help them shift from surviving to thriving:
Emotional healing
Spiritual reconnection
Lifestyle reset
Energetic medicine
Self-authority in health
Final Thoughts
True healing isn’t a protocol. It’s not a supplement stack. And it’s certainly not a drug.
It’s a process of integration—with your body, your story, and your power.
It starts the moment you stop fighting your symptoms and start listening to them.
If you’re ready to explore this journey, you’re in the right place. Stick around—there’s so much more I want to show you.
Want More Natural Health Insights?
As a naturopathic physician, I believe that every person is unique—and so is their healing path. I take time to understand each patient’s story, physiology, emotional health, and lifestyle before making recommendations. Whether I’m using nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, or lifestyle counseling, my goal is always the same: to identify and treat the true cause of illness so your body can restore balance on its own.
If you’re interested in a personalized, natural approach to health, I invite you to join my newsletter for more insights—or reach out to see if we’re a good fit to work together.
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