Concepts of health and illness, as well as the associated notions of appropriate treatment, are of cultural origin. Participants perceive them as real even when the causal assumptions involved may seem nonsensical from an external perspective. In light of this finding, the relationship between consciousness and body is first examined, for example, why health-damaging beliefs remain culturally widespread. Subsequently, issues of stigmatization are addressed, as well as the question of why illness means something different depending on the communicative context. Finally, it becomes clear that medical treatment is always also symbolic healing, meaning it is about recalibrating the relationship between psyche, body, and culturally plausible meaning. In the case of chronic illnesses, this means taking into account that people do not wish to be seen as disabled or ill in every situation.