A healthy dose of skepticism regarding "gold standards" of care, questions about the validity of most psychology research, and learning to trust yourself.
This is a perspective I whole heartedly agree with and have struggled to put into words anywhere near as convincingly as you have here. Also, the frame you propose for expanding how we think about our own healing capacity is resonant with how we’re approaching spiritual and personal development at my company Labyrxnth - our facets of care are meaning making, embodiment, self expression, wholeness and connectedness. We attempt to brain and “gold standard” our way through so much of life often neglecting the power of our own inner guidance and non-cognitive ways of knowing and growing. Thank you for the awesome work you’re doing to stare your learnings and help more folks explore these frontiers.
great essay, Andy! your point on gold standards as it relates to food perfectly illustrates the importance of having access to our individual biofeedback via wearables like CGMs and HRV monitors. n of 1 research is way more actionable and powerful than blanket gold standards
so many people's journeys inward start and end with CBT/talk therapy – thanks for shining a light on the *many* other paths towards psychological healing & wellness
And if you think about my thesis it actually coincides with this... ie. what if the actual root cause of almost all mental health issues is physical.
Then of course no amount of sessions with a western therapist is truly going to move the needle much.
But what I challenge you to think about is.. what if by fixing the physical you actually fix almost all the mental health issues by default?
I've had massive amounts of trauma the past 10 yrs. In 2014 for example with my wife about to give birth to my first child... I thought for several months that I was gonna be a vegetable soon because my brain couldn't retain any information for more than a couple minutes. And i'd become a hermit.
I wouldnt have held down a job as the McDonald's fry guy in that state. And when you're in that type of state for a few months... you literally think you're never gonna exit it.
And yet.. here we are 9 yrs later.. i've figured out the physical part... and i cannot feel trauma even if i tried.
It's like my brain just parked it somewhere i cant even touch or think about. And instead im effortlessly in a good mood everyday from morning till the time i go to bed.
Without seeing a therapist. Without any exercise. Without caring about my diet.
I'm not trying to brag or anything.... just posing a different perspective.
That if a case like mine can exist... perhaps the underlying logic of how all this works is quite different than the way modern society currently looks at it.
This is a perspective I whole heartedly agree with and have struggled to put into words anywhere near as convincingly as you have here. Also, the frame you propose for expanding how we think about our own healing capacity is resonant with how we’re approaching spiritual and personal development at my company Labyrxnth - our facets of care are meaning making, embodiment, self expression, wholeness and connectedness. We attempt to brain and “gold standard” our way through so much of life often neglecting the power of our own inner guidance and non-cognitive ways of knowing and growing. Thank you for the awesome work you’re doing to stare your learnings and help more folks explore these frontiers.
great essay, Andy! your point on gold standards as it relates to food perfectly illustrates the importance of having access to our individual biofeedback via wearables like CGMs and HRV monitors. n of 1 research is way more actionable and powerful than blanket gold standards
so many people's journeys inward start and end with CBT/talk therapy – thanks for shining a light on the *many* other paths towards psychological healing & wellness
Great stuff!
And if you think about my thesis it actually coincides with this... ie. what if the actual root cause of almost all mental health issues is physical.
Then of course no amount of sessions with a western therapist is truly going to move the needle much.
But what I challenge you to think about is.. what if by fixing the physical you actually fix almost all the mental health issues by default?
I've had massive amounts of trauma the past 10 yrs. In 2014 for example with my wife about to give birth to my first child... I thought for several months that I was gonna be a vegetable soon because my brain couldn't retain any information for more than a couple minutes. And i'd become a hermit.
I wouldnt have held down a job as the McDonald's fry guy in that state. And when you're in that type of state for a few months... you literally think you're never gonna exit it.
And yet.. here we are 9 yrs later.. i've figured out the physical part... and i cannot feel trauma even if i tried.
It's like my brain just parked it somewhere i cant even touch or think about. And instead im effortlessly in a good mood everyday from morning till the time i go to bed.
Without seeing a therapist. Without any exercise. Without caring about my diet.
I'm not trying to brag or anything.... just posing a different perspective.
That if a case like mine can exist... perhaps the underlying logic of how all this works is quite different than the way modern society currently looks at it.