A little Dose of Discernment

I’ve seen a pattern with social media content creators and wellness practitioners that has created a lot of confusion for me, as a practitioner, and for my clients. I’ve been noticing how prescriptive these practitioners have become in sharing information in an attempt to educate people. There are many valid and great resources available and I appreciate debunking myths and exposing pharmaceutical companies across ALL platforms, despite the many ways these multimillion dollar companies aim to sell their products or push their manipulative and toxic agendas. On the other hand, there seems to be an over saturation of information geared towards people who need answers/healing/a quick fix for complex health issues they’re struggling with. This is a valid need; and if you’re someone who’s been going through it, of course it’s understandable to want to seek answers.

The question that’s been coming up for me over and over again is where are we heading towards with these trendy posts and videos? The marketing world and various social media algorithms certainly don’t have the patience for in depth information anymore. We’re simply too tired and wired for longer formats. With that comes the issue of people not having space for research and choosing entertainment/quick fixes over depth. This is directly impacting the quality of the content we’re getting, given that major American enterprises are in control of our news platforms.

The answers we seek are in the longer, slower paced, softer voices that navigate the root cause of health concerns. This is absolutely necessary.

Yes, there’s a need for curating content better in service of what consumers and seekers are looking for, AND we need to remember we can’t talk about health in such narrow windows of time and give miniature sized answers to complex and nuanced discussions. There are no quick fixes in life, let alone in health. 

I really think we’re doing marketing wrong. The basis of these systems are ever changing and so is our approach to treating illness, not to mention bio individuality, which is at the root of medicine. No one body reacts to stimuli in the same way. And while there are many overlapping symptoms and conditions with similar pathologies, treatments almost always vary, and for good reason.

When we speak of bio-individuality, we’re looking at the complexity of the human body. We’re also working with the entirety of a person from their past to their present. In these assessments we always look at the emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual aspects that have shaped a person far from the simple cookie cutter solutions being thrown around on social media posts.

It can be exhausting navigating the ups and downs of our health. When we work with our own practitioners and see information contradicting our treatment plans, we could run the risk of comparison or analysis paralysis that can both lead to doubt and even health anxiety. These habitual routines hinder our health and growth.

Often the biggest issue I see in my clients is a sense of overwhelm and confusion they feel when beginning a protocol. The beginning of any path can be daunting. With health, we may run the risk of catastrophizing or generalizing conditions based on external resources that simply don’t apply to us. Details could become blurry, tangled, and lost in translation. So when I see people coming to me with things they’ve heard while researching answers to find clarity, I immediately ask them to pause and take a tech break. If that’s not possible, I ask them to mute and unsubscribe from what others have to say and share.

Healing happens when there’s integration of parts, healed and unhealed. We need to create safe containers for patients and clients in any situation to dive deep into the root of their concerns. It takes time to get sick and it will inevitably take time to heal. When we get symptoms and signs from the body, we are invited to turn inward and listen to the unique way our body is communicating with us. The keyword here is unique. That means the information we hear has to be a match for us. Only you or and your trusted team of practitioners can support you with that. This in return gives you the ability to nurture and strengthen your self-trust in handling difficult situation and your capacity to heal. You get to reclaim your health by being the curious observer of what your needs and non-negotiable are. And that’s powerful. 

Knowledge is power, surely but we need to remember integration happens in spaces where we can be still and cultivate calm. A triggered mind is a sign of a triggered nervous system doing so much to grab our attention. This is the time we especially need to drop down to the body, find the root of illness/trauma and titrate those intense sensations to open up space. More information isn’t necessarily the answer to confusion. Stillness is. There’s a lot of research supporting a button up approach to recovery that encourages deep listening and healing.

So this is where it gets interesting. To avoid the information trap that our culture is currently stuck in, it’s important to avoid quick fixes and genuinely look for a more thorough understanding of our health issues and their roots. Healing isn’t so much about more information, rather it’s about finding the correct information. Not all resources are the same; that’s a given. And yet remembering that complex problems can only be understood through an attentive lens is an essential step in reclaiming your voice and advocating for your needs from a place of curiosity and care. We need the space to have in depth discussions. Five or ten second social media videos have validity in the marketing world but not in the world of health and wellness, where people’s’ lives are at stake. And that to me is both unethical and malpractice.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this too.