medication, mental health, crystals & reiki, oh my!

// this is an archived post from October 10th, 2022 from a blog on a previous website hosting service //

today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. mental health is way less stigmatized than it once was, but the work doesn't stop. many mental health conditions are still heavily stigmatized, such a BPD, schizophrenia, & DID, to name a few.

even with the more common mental health conditions, such as depression & anxiety, it's always, "I'm here for you," when it's easy. it's "I'm here for you," until the ugly symptoms show up. the ones where you don't come to events, you don't shower, you don't eat, you get irritable, you can't function. the stigma is still there, even though we like to pretend we're better than that.

I found a good article about understanding the impact this stigma has on people with mental health conditions in World Psychiatry & I highly suggest giving it a quick read.

anyway, why am I talking about this?

well, a lot of people like to equate practicing spirituality with mental health treatment. I could write an entire paper about how the "new age" movement both helped & very much harmed at least 2 generations. (I'm sure there's a different name for the second wave of "new age," but I digress)

for now I'll just say: meditation & reiki healing cannot alter the chemicals in your brain the same way medication from a doctor can.

if you are a spiritual person reading this, I want you to know that you are not lesser or "weaker" or anything like that if you need medication to function daily.

if you're a non-spiritual person reading this, you may think, "well, yeah. that's an unnecessary statement." however, in some spiritual communities, taking meds for things like depression, anxiety, ADHD and more is viewed as something that "blocks" you or closes you off spiritually. "dims your light," things like that.

again, spiritual people who've maybe thought that this was the case for them at some point: you are just as bright as you were off meds, if not brighter, since they help you every day.

there are a lot of spiritual practices that are very helpful to people with mental health conditions, speaking as someone spiritual with a mental health condition. a lot of meditative practices are comparable to coping strategies given to people by mental health professionals.

for example, grounding & centering is similar to many practices used to help someone come back down to reality when they're dissociating.

as a witch, I do practice spell work. but as a witch who believes in psychology & science, I also believe that a lot of what we do is psychosomatic. not everything, because I do have spiritual beliefs, but a lot of things.

for example, crystals. you say, "This rose quartz helps me practice self-love," so you put it on your desk to remind yourself to be kind to yourself throughout the day. iit is just that; a reminder. the crystal itself isn't doing anything; you are the "magick" here. (this is my belief - & it’s okay if you believe differently!)

so that being said: crystal healing. at the end of the day I'm not here to tell anyone what to do or how to live their lives. that's not my philosophy. however I want to remind all my spiritual friends that as much as you believe, a crystal will not change your brain chemistry. we can't will it. the placebo may relax you at first, but it is likely not a long-term solution. the same can be said with any spiritual cure.

why am I writing about this? To make spiritual folks feel bad? Of course not.

one: I want to remind any non-spiritual folks reading that there is genuine belief behind what we do when we do it. I also want you to know that not every witch is anti-science, as is the common belief. 🙄

two: I want any spiritual folks with mental health conditions to know that it's okay to take your meds. people who judge you for it literally do not know what they're talking about. you know who knows what they're talking about when it comes to your health? your doctor. take care of yourself. ❤

three: for spiritual folks who do not take meds because of the strange stigma around it in some communities, I would like you to reconsider. especially if you yourself were once on medication & find that perhaps you should still be taking it. I promise that you are not any less bright, any less capable of reaching enlightenment, any less of a witch for taking care of your health.

that's all she wrote. I hope that this reached you in some way. I hope that next time your friend with ADHD, schizophrenia, or anything else is acting "weird," you cut them some slack. living with the symptoms of a mental health condition is a daily struggle that we're constantly trying to optimize coping strategies for, when we have the space & energy to do so.

thank you for giving us space when we need it. thank you for being there when we need you. ❤