Disclaimer: Obviously I am not a Doctor or certified in mental health diagnoses and treatment, however, I have been around the block and am only presenting options for people so they get the best exposure to what they may not know exists.
For some lucky ones, no matter whether you attend to your mental health and wellbeing perfectly, there is still a chronic issue which is genetic and not lifestyle-induced. As many people realize eventually, it is neither a one-size-fits-all solution, and traditional medicine/psychiatry has many flaws, thus I believe in a blend of alternative healing and traditional medicine when it comes to chronic/genetic conditions. That is of course in addition to trauma therapy which is essential for people suffering from mental health conditions.
If you suffer from a chronic mental health condition despite doing all the (wellness) things, and having your life somewhat in order, and you still don’t want to go the traditional medicine route, there are alternative medicines and healing modalities but I am not an expert in them yet and thus cannot confidently recommend any.
Regardless, one should always take a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach to their mental health to achieve lasting inner peace, health and vitality.
<aside> ⚠️ If people do not suffer from a chronic condition like yours, please do not take advice from them. Many people who have tried psychedelics will try to convince you to experiment with them, and as powerful as they can be, there is not enough research yet that assures its safety for people with chronic mental health conditions like bipolar etc.
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PLEASE NOTE - When Choosing a Therapist: Just because someone is a qualified therapist, like any other job in the world - it does not mean they are good at their job! If it is your first time, I highly recommend trialling different types of therapists and their modalities, (and even male vs female) before committing to one longer term. It is crucial that chemistry between the therapist and client is right for any progress to be made, which obviously takes time to develop, however it can be felt on the first session. If you don’t feel comfortable with the therapist, it will not be effective. Lastly, if after a few sessions you see that your therapist is just nodding and not willing to get honest and get real with you on your situation, I would personally red-flag it, unless you want to pay someone to just listen and agree with everything you say - then go ahead 😉
While everyone can benefit from a therapist to increase their self-awareness, receive objective feedback, and work through their childhood wounding, some people need to go deeper to address childhood (and adulthood) traumas in order to heal more painful wounding.
Note: When reviewing therapy options for trauma, carefully look out for whether that therapist is ‘trauma-informed’, and what additional training and experience they have had in the area.
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The reason I am so passionate for people to address their trauma is because our baggage is the single greatest thing that holds us back in life, and from living a rich, full and beautiful life. Trauma can affect every single area of our lives, it affects how our brains process information, to how we make decisions, and our beliefs of the world and ourselves. Without addressing the core wounds, one can never truly unlock their full potential.
Trauma is very complex and, in fact, can be split up into three different categories:
Acute Trauma - This means there was a single traumatic incident (childhood or adulthood)