Thoughts on the Mental Health Profession and What's Next

[Loba]

This post brought to light a lot of things I didn't think about when it comes to mental health.  I feel like I am not being heard when I say that weed helps me out a lot - in a safe way, too - like much better than add medicine out there, and it allows me to connect to love and god, and actually to go deep within and figure these problems out for myself.  All I keep getting is, "No weed."

I can go through posts and see the up and down cycle, and it stays level, consistent, smarter, when smoking weed.  At least for now.

I don't really like therapists, they have not in my opinion, done much to help me - and at times I have not felt heard.  I don't think I can explain that my mother's personality disorder, her need to argue all the time and discipline me like I am still 15, to constantly be expecting from me instead of allowing me to just exist - is disruptive towards my sanity.  I have less problems than she thinks, she thinks I should just take meds, meds, meds and that if I feel upset over her actions, I need a med increase, like she watches me take my pills and controls them - and arguments in the family are turned towards my "mental illness".  I am just waiting for them to pass away so I can have a roommate situation.  If I can hold out for a decade - I think I can, then I can keep the house, go off the meds and start psychedelic therapy.

The things I do each day are already healthy, she just needs to learn to... leave people alone, basically.  She's got BPD and it makes the entire family unit unhealthy, it stems from her.  I sound like I don't have much empathy for them, but they create their own problems and then foisting them off on me and make me "sick"; my spiritual talents are turned into "illness"; it's kind of mentally abusive in some ways.  

I drink or smoke weed to get through it, otherwise I just feel in a chronic state of unmovable agitation.  

https://studopedia.info/6-85774.html Psychological renewal through return to the center - that's what I need to do, and I want to do it by recovering on psychs.  I don't think any therapist is even qualified to understand this let alone tell me what to do.

 

[Ulax]

1 hour ago, puporing said:

And I guess I'm talking about mostly the "conventional" therapists, where most people end up with. I think you would have to search beyond your physical location (usually) if you were to find someone trained in that/versed in spirituality.

I get you.

Might be an echo chamber thing for me. Parts of me have been pretty obsessed with therapy since early 2019, and I've got deep down the rabbit whole. And, I've engaged with a couple of therapies, namely psychosynthesis and IFS which, as I alluded to before, are deeply spiritual. Particularly the latter. So, I think that makes me much more cognisant of the presence of spiritual therapies.

With the coming growth of IFS, that I think is inevitable, particularly with its building scientific validation, spirituality will become v prominent in therapy across the board.

One issue with IFS tho is that its very damaging to right wing ideology. Its system based and sees the mind operating, at one layer of analysis, as a system. Hence, free choice pretty much goes out the window and determinism rules the day. And, to my mind, right wing ideology is built on a platform of exorbitant free choice.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if we see right-wing groups attempt to disrupt mental health funding, try to get research cuts to IFS research, and generally attempt to vilify/ stigmatise IFS. Its a truly revolutionary modality. I'm constantly surprised by the lack of celebration and adulations folks who try it have about it. But maybe that, my adulation and celebration, is a result of my psychic structure.

Hopefully, IFS will rule the day. The only thing is, which is promising, is that reality skews left. And, so, hopefully, just hopefully, IFS will rule the day.

Anyhow, enough about me and my views. Go IFS! 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Ulax
Edit reason = Spelling

[Ulax]

16 minutes ago, Loba said:

https://studopedia.info/6-85774.html Psychological renewal through return to the center - that's what I need to do, and I want to do it by recovering on psychs.  I don't think any therapist is even qualified to understand this let alone tell me what to do.

 

Ye lol I think there'd be a lot of conflict with a lot of therapists on that one. Imagine going to a cbt therapist with that ?.

I don't mean to make light on your situation, but the above thought is funny to me. There are some therapists who talk about past lives and stuff. My last psychotherapist, who numerous parts of me dislike, was actually quite into past lives and I was quite interested in it too. Past lives is what I came to understand your linked article to be about. Maybe I'm wrong. Feel free to lmk : )

Edited May 11, 2022 by Ulax

[Bobby_2021]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cc1IZtDlPxh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 

?when you are vibing with your therapist.

@puporing 

[Matt23]

I get the pricing issue. 

But also... people gotta feed themselves, pay rent, and yes, pay to have an enjoyable and not depleting lifestyle.  I wouldn't want to see a therapist who's barely scratching away a living such that they are depleted and miserable.  I'd want someone who's able to be there emotionally, which to me requires they be monetarily sufficient to live a lifestyle that's sane, enjoyable, and healthy (which is costly).  

But ya... life and survival is transactional I suppose.  I mean, I think it's better than not having any.

I've thought a bit about this and ya, maybe more government funding is better.  OR funding from other sources.  

I think the issue you point out is probably a microcosm of a much larger issue or characteristic of how culture works, survival works, and just life itself.  

Got example, on a cultural level, it'd be interesting to see how other cultures dealt with mental health issues, or even how much of it they had (if it was a small amount, maybe they didn't need to have mental health professionals since maybe they had pieces of cultural and social-psychological-spiritual technologies that combated the mental health issues forming in the first place; like rituals, times of spiritual congregation, 4 day work weeks... who knows).  

You could also look at today's economic system and see how it differes from other cultures, and how it shapes our behaviors within it.  As a way to see how it could be influencing this issue.  Like, for example, I think many cultures have as an integral part of their structure a class or sect of spiritual people who would be taken care of by the society but who would sort of denounce themselves from taking part in culture as lay people would.  Shamans, priests, monks, etc..  Maybe cultures, ours included, need this sort of class of people to act as psychological and social "doctors", guides, etc. since they have the advantage of being "outside of culture and not beholden to it yet they can also interact and help it along".  

Feedback and responses and ideas.

[Asayake]

2 hours ago, ZenSwift said:

Here's my thoughts. 

 

Most people in the mental health profession don't even have their own mental health sound. Having low integrity with getting their own shit together, while trying to help others get their shit together. 

Most therapists suck. An actually good therapist will get rid of 100 pounds off your shoulders in the first session. Getting way more than your moneys worth. 

It's really shitty with the society structure, that people that need it the most, can't afford it, or have their life too chaotic to even make the time. 

 

On another note, many people that see a therapist assume that they don't have to do any of the work and don't lean in. Having a fantasy that they can solve all their problems by just showing up once a week, assuming that's 99% of the work when it's actually 1%.

In practice, a therapist will be a catalyst, and then the other 99% of the work is your own integration. Just like a psychedelic trip.

 

Personally the way I like to go about it is as follows: I would see a therapist specifically for a trauma release, to identify those really tough sticking points, like EMDR. Then I do a deep psychedelic trip about that point in my own time, then I would get a life coach for everything else. 

Well put. I agree with everything you wrote completely.

[puporing]

@ZenSwift Yes all great points! A good therapist is often exponentially better not just incrementally. And yes catalyst sounds about right. Often too with trauma just being a good witness.. 

9 hours ago, ZenSwift said:

Personally the way I like to go about it is as follows: I would see a therapist specifically for a trauma release, to identify those really tough sticking points, like EMDR. Then I do a deep psychedelic trip about that point in my own time, then I would get a life coach for everything else. 

That's a wonderful suggestion and can be a lot more cost effective, especially if the therapist can also be on board with that. Also can help reduce the dependency issue.

[puporing]

@Loba I'm sorry to hear about your situation right now.. sounds really tough. Do you feel like there's no other options but to live with them until their passing? No judgement but it does sound suboptimal for you. But I also get that things can be rough out there "on your own" too. If you have to stay with her it may be worth looking into creating a bit of boundary, if it's safe to do. I know it's very hard to do but you deserve independence (even if living in the same space) and that's something you can create gradually!

9 hours ago, Ulax said:

Hopefully, IFS will rule the day. The only thing is, which is promising, is that reality skews left. And, so, hopefully, just hopefully, IFS will rule the day.

Anyhow, enough about me and my views. Go IFS! 

I am not too familiar with IFS though I do keep hearing about it on this forum. Will have to look into it some more. Thanks for your perspective and input!

8 hours ago, Bobby_2021 said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cc1IZtDlPxh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 

?when you are vibing with your therapist.

@puporing 

Ughhhh.... that timer. ???

8 hours ago, Matt23 said:

I think many cultures have as an integral part of their structure a class or sect of spiritual people who would be taken care of by the society but who would sort of denounce themselves from taking part in culture as lay people would.  Shamans, priests, monks, etc..  Maybe cultures, ours included, need this sort of class of people to act as psychological and social "doctors", guides, etc. since they have the advantage of being "outside of culture and not beholden to it yet they can also interact and help it along".  

Yes that is very spot on. That is a huge missing piece in the largely materialist world we live in in most developed countries. Even psychologists need such people to support them with their work, maybe especially them do.

Edited May 12, 2022 by puporing

[Ulax]

11 hours ago, Bobby_2021 said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cc1IZtDlPxh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 

?when you are vibing with your therapist.

@puporing 

?

That's a real one