Modern medicine provides us with new treatment opportunities that promote better health, which is better than having no options at all.
However, the question is, whether the medical discoveries are truly effective and positive, or we have been relying too heavily on them.
Specifically, if we look at the area of mental illnesses, there are various treatment options available which depend on the diagnosis.
Nowadays, we understand the function of the human mind better than we did in the past.
This empowers us to develop new approaches and techniques that can promote and improve the mental health. This involves:
• Support groups and group therapy
• Psychotherapy such as: Exposure therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Therapy
• Alternative medicine
• Medications
Unfortunately, overreliance on medications is a concerning trend that is constantly increasing. Accordingly, it has been estimated that almost 60% of people who suffer from a certain mental illness have been treated solely with medications.
In this way, we are doing disservice to these patients. Instead of searching for a long-term solution, we opt for a quick fix that does more harm than good.
There are many mental illnesses that can be effectively treated with medications while their real cause remains a mystery.
It is much easier to declare these people crazy and dangerous, since they possess some abilities that most people can develop through meditation. However, what if these people don’t really need medications? Maybe all they need is just support, right amount of sleep and encouragement to become healers.
People who have been blessed with some spiritual gifts, for example the gift of empathy, may also exhibit certain signs that point to the presence of a certain mental illness. In other words, empaths may often feel overwhelmed or exhausted in public situations which may lead others to assume that they struggle with social anxiety.
People who suffer from depression can alleviate their symptoms by using anti-depressants. These medications help them to live in a slightly healthier and happier way although they have been actually affected by misdiagnosis.
By trying to assign them a diagnosis that explains their ″symptoms″, we are actually overlooking and denying their chances to understand, embrace and accept their gifts. Empaths, healers and prophets do posses gifts which they should use to help others.
However, instead of being supported, they are actually pushed into the system which is designed to treat an illness that these people have never suffered from.
If any of the historically notable people had been alive they would have probably been treated with anti-depressants. For example, Salvador Dali, Sylvia Plath, Newton, Beethoven, all of them would have been on anti-psychotics, anti-depressants or Lithium.
By doing so we are actually killing off the prophets, weeding out the geniuses and drugging the messiahs.
Therefore, we have to focus on a more comprehensive and ″human″ approach when dealing with such individuals. Instead of assigning them diagnoses, we should take the time to better understand them and determine whether their symptoms truly stem from an existing mental illness or they are a sign of something much bigger.
However, this is no one’s fault. If we work to support the system, it doesn’t mean we are the system. It is our responsibility to search for an answer regarding the real cause of the mental illnesses. We can all decide to do better since we all deserve that.
