The concept of "mental health" has become increasingly corrupted by industrial and ideological influences, leading to a concerning narrative that portrays individuals as fragile, broken, sick, and disordered.
Absolutely brilliant piece. I really enjoyed it. I have had a lot of trauma and have done my best to hold space for it and allow it to be a part of me in a positive way by giving me purpose and tenacity. I am a follower of Stoicism and find it very helpful in reminding me of that on tough days where there are unforeseen triggers. I have found that this trend to pathologize normal reactions is a disservice because it creates a victimhood mindset which leads to learned helplessness and people really believe they've been 'traumatized' when in reality, they're holding themselves prisoner in their own prison of stunted emotional growth. I write about high functioning adults on the autism spectrum and this is a huge issue within the community and one I have taken on by working as a coach to help them understand this and more importantly, how to free themselves of it so they can thrive.
Great post. Thank you. As I read this, I thought of the ways today's trauma victims, self-medicate without a prescription. I notice people becoming obsessed with a hobby to the point it takes precedence over relationships. I've heard these called "soft addiction", but are they really if they're loved ones become secondary? How about the preoccupation with the smartphone and the dilemma of FOMO and attention seeking through social media? Then of course, there's the more familiar ones: alcohol, food, and legal recreation drugs. Lastly, there's achievement striving in careers at the cost of relationships. All these seem to be ways of pushing feelings aside, socially acceptable ways of numbing.
I think I’m gonna have to become a paid subscriber. I want/need to keep hearing more of this!
It’s what I know inside to be true and have experienced myself but is currently being forgotten and overridden in the world.
As I face a deeper healing of older trauma at this later stage of my life, it’s like everything I used to know and understand from past trauma healing in the 90’s is no longer recognized or validated in the mind of the world.
As a professional in human services, I think this was beautifully written and could not have said it better myself. If we could shift to this mindset in how we view trauma, and ultimately all current “mental illnesses” I think there would be a major societal change for the better
Mmm, yes, I agree. This lacking of insight is ultimately due to the disconnect between God and man, and our spirituality….and thus our spiritual creator. The only way to actually walk in this insight is to be connected to God. As professionals, we need to support our clients by pointing them back to Christ as opposed to self (Christ-centered vs Self-centered).
Thank you, Doctor. I saw this article at exactly the correct moment in my life. I’ve felt so heartbroken and hopeless about humanity for the last two years. Thank you for sharing these insights and especially thank you for acknowledging that you learned them from your clients & speaking about them as if they are your fellow human travelers, not your broken, fragile, defective, incompetent, disordered mental patients. It’s very refreshing and almost shocking to hear a mental health professional speak in this respectful way about the people he has helped heal. I spent every day for 40 years entrapped in a mental prison of psychiatric assaults, psychiatric insults psychiatric myths and psychiatric pharmaceuticals by those people you speak of “who would have us believe we are…less than capable, resilient, and inherently [not] whole”. I say that this article is what I needed to read now because it solidifies something I’ve been processing for two years now, since I discovered what the mental health system really is, what it’s really for, and what it really does. I had an oppressive abusive childhood (I received love & nurturing too thank goodness). I later survived partner domestic abuse too. But mental health providers, MDs & PhDs on down, were the worst predators I ever endured, in my life. Even the well meaning ones were harmful to me, because it the very system they ascribed to that did damage to my very essence and spirt. The other people hurt my flesh but I could have overcome that long ago, if I hadn’t been drugged out of my mind and then blamed and shamed for it—for DECADES! Destroying not only my my physical health but almost destroying my very heart & soul! ALMOST. I’ve won in the end though and my prize Is “me”, the real me! I know I am going to die from one of my iatrogenic diseases,
several years before I probably would have, but I’m resigned to that. I’m going to be ok now. I will triumph. I wil achieve my goals. I already have. I’ve no regrets now. Firstly, I have now withdrawn from their poisons and I have re-taught myself who I really am. I’m my confident now that I am not broken, fragile, defective, incompetent, or disordered. I’m definitely not mentally ill. I guess in a a way I was for a while, but only AFTER they chemically imbalanced me (& the multiple electrical traumatic brain injuries didn’t help)
But alas, I know who I am now—Dr Awesome, expert in ME, no better but certainly no worse than anyone else!
My plan, for all time I have left, is to use my inherent strength; my sound, capable, hard earned wisdom; to help, not only my fellow harmed patients, but all my fellow human beings, to unite, rise up and resist those of us who have forgotten who WE all are, and are trying to numb us, devalue us and debilitate us! I want to do this by teaching everyone that we are all just different parts of the same. Different aspects of the universe. I know now that we’re all equal, all connected. If we can all just remember who we sre, thst we will always need each other, that we ARE each other, every single one of us, together we can learn and grow towards eternal peace, joy and happiness!
Thank you for giving me hope that we can not only recover and remember our humanity but also our inherent divinity.
Pathologizing defense mechanisms and vulnerability in the face of trauma isn't constructive. Even strong people can break, it doesn't mean they remain broken, but we need to allow space for the breakdown. Some people really are being victimized and are unable to function and for those who have not experienced extreme trauma, it is easy to express contempt for what can look like 'weakness' when in fact it is a natural reaction to overwhelming circumstances. Not everyone shares the same level of nervous system resilience, because we are individuals.
Absolutely brilliant piece. I really enjoyed it. I have had a lot of trauma and have done my best to hold space for it and allow it to be a part of me in a positive way by giving me purpose and tenacity. I am a follower of Stoicism and find it very helpful in reminding me of that on tough days where there are unforeseen triggers. I have found that this trend to pathologize normal reactions is a disservice because it creates a victimhood mindset which leads to learned helplessness and people really believe they've been 'traumatized' when in reality, they're holding themselves prisoner in their own prison of stunted emotional growth. I write about high functioning adults on the autism spectrum and this is a huge issue within the community and one I have taken on by working as a coach to help them understand this and more importantly, how to free themselves of it so they can thrive.
Great post. Thank you. As I read this, I thought of the ways today's trauma victims, self-medicate without a prescription. I notice people becoming obsessed with a hobby to the point it takes precedence over relationships. I've heard these called "soft addiction", but are they really if they're loved ones become secondary? How about the preoccupation with the smartphone and the dilemma of FOMO and attention seeking through social media? Then of course, there's the more familiar ones: alcohol, food, and legal recreation drugs. Lastly, there's achievement striving in careers at the cost of relationships. All these seem to be ways of pushing feelings aside, socially acceptable ways of numbing.
This is brilliant!
I think I’m gonna have to become a paid subscriber. I want/need to keep hearing more of this!
It’s what I know inside to be true and have experienced myself but is currently being forgotten and overridden in the world.
As I face a deeper healing of older trauma at this later stage of my life, it’s like everything I used to know and understand from past trauma healing in the 90’s is no longer recognized or validated in the mind of the world.
This is critical stuff!
As a professional in human services, I think this was beautifully written and could not have said it better myself. If we could shift to this mindset in how we view trauma, and ultimately all current “mental illnesses” I think there would be a major societal change for the better
The system’s
(the Psychiatric Profession) biomedical model, even as phrased
“biopsychosocial model”, is a danger to itself and others! It lacks insight and needs to be controlled, contained and healed!
Mmm, yes, I agree. This lacking of insight is ultimately due to the disconnect between God and man, and our spirituality….and thus our spiritual creator. The only way to actually walk in this insight is to be connected to God. As professionals, we need to support our clients by pointing them back to Christ as opposed to self (Christ-centered vs Self-centered).
Thank you, Doctor. I saw this article at exactly the correct moment in my life. I’ve felt so heartbroken and hopeless about humanity for the last two years. Thank you for sharing these insights and especially thank you for acknowledging that you learned them from your clients & speaking about them as if they are your fellow human travelers, not your broken, fragile, defective, incompetent, disordered mental patients. It’s very refreshing and almost shocking to hear a mental health professional speak in this respectful way about the people he has helped heal. I spent every day for 40 years entrapped in a mental prison of psychiatric assaults, psychiatric insults psychiatric myths and psychiatric pharmaceuticals by those people you speak of “who would have us believe we are…less than capable, resilient, and inherently [not] whole”. I say that this article is what I needed to read now because it solidifies something I’ve been processing for two years now, since I discovered what the mental health system really is, what it’s really for, and what it really does. I had an oppressive abusive childhood (I received love & nurturing too thank goodness). I later survived partner domestic abuse too. But mental health providers, MDs & PhDs on down, were the worst predators I ever endured, in my life. Even the well meaning ones were harmful to me, because it the very system they ascribed to that did damage to my very essence and spirt. The other people hurt my flesh but I could have overcome that long ago, if I hadn’t been drugged out of my mind and then blamed and shamed for it—for DECADES! Destroying not only my my physical health but almost destroying my very heart & soul! ALMOST. I’ve won in the end though and my prize Is “me”, the real me! I know I am going to die from one of my iatrogenic diseases,
several years before I probably would have, but I’m resigned to that. I’m going to be ok now. I will triumph. I wil achieve my goals. I already have. I’ve no regrets now. Firstly, I have now withdrawn from their poisons and I have re-taught myself who I really am. I’m my confident now that I am not broken, fragile, defective, incompetent, or disordered. I’m definitely not mentally ill. I guess in a a way I was for a while, but only AFTER they chemically imbalanced me (& the multiple electrical traumatic brain injuries didn’t help)
But alas, I know who I am now—Dr Awesome, expert in ME, no better but certainly no worse than anyone else!
My plan, for all time I have left, is to use my inherent strength; my sound, capable, hard earned wisdom; to help, not only my fellow harmed patients, but all my fellow human beings, to unite, rise up and resist those of us who have forgotten who WE all are, and are trying to numb us, devalue us and debilitate us! I want to do this by teaching everyone that we are all just different parts of the same. Different aspects of the universe. I know now that we’re all equal, all connected. If we can all just remember who we sre, thst we will always need each other, that we ARE each other, every single one of us, together we can learn and grow towards eternal peace, joy and happiness!
Thank you for giving me hope that we can not only recover and remember our humanity but also our inherent divinity.
Pathologizing defense mechanisms and vulnerability in the face of trauma isn't constructive. Even strong people can break, it doesn't mean they remain broken, but we need to allow space for the breakdown. Some people really are being victimized and are unable to function and for those who have not experienced extreme trauma, it is easy to express contempt for what can look like 'weakness' when in fact it is a natural reaction to overwhelming circumstances. Not everyone shares the same level of nervous system resilience, because we are individuals.