Embracing Your Unique Health Journey: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Life is full of surprises. Sometimes things go exactly as planned, but other times, we’re thrown off course. Have you ever wondered why one approach works for some people but not for others? The answer lies in how different systems—like our bodies—behave over time.

The Problem with Medical Labels

In healthcare, doctors often use labels and codes to describe health problems. These labels are like boxes where we try to fit different health conditions. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are big lists of these labels, with thousands of codes for every possible health issue.

But here’s the problem: human health is complicated, and not everyone fits neatly into these boxes. For example, the latest version of the ICD has more than 17,000 codes and over 120,000 terms in total! Some of them are super specific and even a bit silly—like one code for being struck by a duck, and another for being sucked into a jet engine… twice! This shows how trying to label everything can get pretty confusing.

The truth is, health isn’t always simple or easy to define with a single label. People often have more than one health issue at a time, and these issues can overlap in complex ways. This makes it hard to find a label that truly captures someone’s experience. That’s why at IOCH, we believe in a more personalized approach to healthcare—one that looks beyond labels and focuses on what’s unique about each person.

The Problem with One-Size-Fits-All 

In many areas of life, people expect things to follow a predictable pattern. In science, this idea is called ergodicity. It’s a fancy word, but it’s pretty simple: ergodic systems behave in a way that’s easy to predict. They form what’s known as a bell-shaped curve—where most things fall around an average, and only a few are extreme.

For example, if you measured the height of everyone in your school, you’d find that most students are around the same height, with only a few being much taller or shorter. This predictability makes ergodic systems feel safe and reliable. But here’s the catch: human health isn’t like that. 

Why Your Health is Unique 

Your body doesn’t follow these neat, predictable patterns. Instead, because of its complexity, it behaves in a way that’s non-ergodic. This means that what works for one person might not work for another. In a non-ergodic system, small differences can lead to very different outcomes. Your health is personal—it doesn’t fit into a bell curve. 

Think about it: Have you ever tried a particular stretch or exercise that your friend swears by, only to find that it doesn’t have the same effect on you? Maybe it even made your pain worse. This is because your body, your history, your habits, your environment, and your situation all play a huge role in how you respond to physical activities. And just like how no two people are exactly alike, no two health journeys are the same. 

Non-Ergodicity: The Truth About Health 

Non-ergodicity is a hallmark of biological systems—like our bodies. It means there is no “normal” when it comes to health. We all start from different places, and our health changes in ways that are unique to us. This makes it impossible to say that one treatment will work for everyone. 

Imagine a group of people taking the same medicine. Some might get better quickly, others might not notice any change, and a few might even feel worse. This diversity is what makes human biology so complex and why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. 

How We Embrace Your Unique Needs at IOCH 

At the Institute of Contextual Health (IOCH), we understand that your health journey is unique. That’s why we focus on non-ergodicity—recognizing that personalized care requires a flexible, adaptive approach. Traditional healthcare methods often assume that everyone will respond the same way to treatment, but that’s just not true. We know that real, effective care has to change with you. 

We’re leading the way in healthcare by developing tools and methods that adjust to your specific needs. One exciting area we’re exploring, along with other researchers studying personalized psychology and well-being, is called Idionomics. This new approach to statistics embraces the uniqueness of each person and their journey, recognizing that health is not a linear path but a dynamic, evolving process. Traditional models often reduce individuals to a set of static data points—where you start and where you finish. But this approach misses the complexity and variability of human experiences, especially for those dealing with chronic pain. That’s why we’re adopting a statistical approach that reflects this reality, focusing on the patterns and changes that occur over time rather than just fixed points. By doing so, we ensure that your treatment plan is as adaptive and responsive as you are, evolving in real-time to meet your needs. This shift in how we use statistics isn’t just about numbers—it’s about honoring the full spectrum of your experience and providing care that genuinely supports your ongoing journey towards better health.

The Power of Personalization 

Understanding that your health is unique and doesn’t fit into a one-size-fits-all approach is just the beginning. At IOCH, we embrace the idea of non-ergodicity by focusing on a personalized approach to healthcare. This means we don’t just treat you like another number on a bell curve—we tailor our care to fit your specific needs.

To do this, we rely on three key principles rooted in the science of change, or evolution:

• Variation: We explore different approaches to find what works best for you, recognizing that your journey is unique.
  
  
• Selection: Based on what you’ve learned from your experiences, we help you choose strategies that fit your needs.
  
  
• Retention: We support you in sticking with what works while making adjustments as you grow and evolve.
  
  

By guiding you in applying these principles, we ensure that your care is personalized and adaptable, reflecting the ever-changing nature of life. Our commitment is to help you navigate the unpredictability of your health journey by focusing on what truly works for you—not just what might work for the majority.

Join Us in Celebrating Uniqueness 

At IOCH, we’re committed to helping you embrace your unique health journey. Stay with us as we continue to explore these ideas in our Science of Change blog series, where we share insights and tips to help you make the most of your journey. And if you’re interested, check out our specially designed t-shirts—they help support our research and celebrate the uniqueness of every individual.

By embracing the idea that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution in health, we’re moving toward a future where healthcare is as dynamic and individual as you are.

To quote pioneering idionomic’s research Joseph Ciarrochi: 

“What would it mean to leave the idea of normalcy behind?

Could letting go of the concept of ‘normal’ enable us to live more authentically?”