As I heal my brain/body I lose the capacity to dissociate … it’s excruciatingly painful. Both physically and emotionally. Dissociation whether it’s what gets labeled “psychotic” or more ordinary is an important coping mechanism for many…. It’s often demonized or pathologized, but in point of fact, everyone dissociates to some extent. As I lose this capacity I have to mourn it. I mean really mourn it because it was my friend and helper for so long…AND because the process, physically, hurts like a motherf***er (it’s got real physiological correlates and is deeply embedded in the body). This process is all tied up in my healing the brain injury…life is an incredible mystery. My body and brain are incredibly weird and fringe — both astonishingly beautiful and horrifying too.
We are all profoundly unique and complex and it is really, just the lack of understanding that fact alone, that makes western medicine so dangerous. It is for that reason that I have this brain injury incurred upon me by that system of medicine our culture is subject to. See: Medically induced illness: iatrogenic injury
More about healing from this post on healing psychosis:
“People can heal the sensitivity to become what gets called psychotic by becoming AWARE…that is a growth and maturation process…when one matures enough to become an observer of their thoughts and become discerning about the content of their thoughts psychosis pretty much goes away…
Psychosis is, among (many) other things, also, quite often, a deep attachment to one’s (not consensually reasonable) thoughts and beliefs. To be clear much of what is consensually and widely believed in society and the mainstream is also delusional. It’s just generally accepted. R.D Laing has much to say about the “normal” human being. Let’s just say that real clarity and lucidity is not normal.
All human beings can become psychotic under the right (or wrong) circumstances…
Strengthening the health of the body helps clarity and growth too…as holistic beings it all matters…everything.
The maturation and healing process happens naturally…and can be aided and supported by many different things.”
More:
- The life-liberating impact of feeling the feeling
- Feeling your way to nondual awakening…
- Meditation and Trauma: Untangling the Tangle of Contemplative Dissociation
- The Body Keeps the Score (Part Two) — how trauma changes us
- Meditation: not all bliss and roses
- “The Red Book”: A Primer For Healing Madness In A Mad World
*it is potentially dangerous to come off medications without careful planning. Please be sure to be well educated before undertaking any sort of discontinuation of medications. If your MD agrees to help you do so, do not assume they know how to do it well even if they claim to have experience. They are generally not trained in discontinuation and may not know how to recognize withdrawal issues. A lot of withdrawal issues are misdiagnosed to be psychiatric problems. This is why it’s good to educate oneself and find a doctor who is willing to learn with you as your partner in care. Really all doctors should always be willing to do this as we are all individuals and need to be treated as such. See: Psychiatric drug withdrawal and protracted withdrawal syndrome round-up
It’s become clear to me that whenever it’s possible that it’s helpful for folks who’ve not begun withdrawal and have the time to consider a carefully thought out plan to attempt to bring greater well-being to your body before starting the withdrawal. That means learning how to profoundly nourish your body/mind and spirit prior to beginning a withdrawal. For suggestions on how to go about doing that check the drop-down menus on this blog for ideas. Anything that helps you learn how to live well can be part of your plan. That plan will look different for everyone as we learn to follow our hearts and find our own unique paths in the world. Things to begin considering are diet, exercise and movement, meditation/contemplation etc. Paying attention to all these things as you do them helps too. The body will start letting us know what it needs as we learn to pay attention.
For a multitude of ideas about how to create a life filled with safe alternatives to psychiatric drugs visit the drop-down menus at the top of this page.
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Interesting perspective!
As mental health practitioners, we at times to get so focused on just getting the person better and miss out on the process…..Always great to hear the life experience perspective.
This shares about the being used to being in a particular “protective” (That is deemed unhealthy) state of mental illness and the difficulties of letting go of that state (even if unhealthier), no?
Monica has been my guiding light in the ignorance and darkness, as I continue to struggle with the (intentional) brain injury and bodily damages left by the “doctors,” and others who I entrusted.
Hello Monica I really Appreciate your Sharings! So much depends upon our LOVING the self, Accepting Our Uniqueness, Not Judging, and Surrendering all to the Divine. I too come from a past of so-called psychosis, and it has been WITHOUT QUESTION Meditation WHOLE Bodily Meditation that has been the true “Healer” of the conditions of that separate self sense that can lead to the psychotic states. God Bless You so much! LOVE LOVE there is ONLY LOVE ultimately Shoh Nah