Mental Health: Challenging the Status Quo

Why I needed to delve deeper into the complexities of Mental Health. In 1999, my path diverged. I had already trained as a Youth and Community Worker, but something tugged at me to train as a Mental Health Nurse. My experiences in the community, especially with young people, fuelled this desire. Little did I know that this decision would shape my entire professional outlook.

From the very beginning of my mental health journey, I resisted the allure of the medical model. Yes, medications have their place, they are like tools in a toolbox, but they are not the sole key to unlocking good mental health. There is much more to the puzzle.

Enter Dr Lucy Johnstone and Dr Peter Breggin. Their words became the key to unlock compassion and my internal drive. Let me introduce them:

Dr Lucy Johnstone: The Biomedical Model’s Challenger

Dr Johnstone has long been a critic of the biomedical model in psychiatry. She does not merely question; she dismantles. Her alternative? Psychological formulation, the art of understanding a person’s distress within their unique context. It is like shifting from a fixed diagnosis to a dynamic narrative.

Dr Peter Breggin: The Medication Maverick

Dr Breggin wears many hats: psychiatrist, author, and outspoken critic of psychiatric practices. His mission? Advocating for alternatives, because sometimes the conventional path is not the only one worth exploring.

Thinking Outside the Box

Reading their works was like opening a window in a stuffy room. Suddenly, fresh air rushed in. I questioned norms, challenged assumptions, and embraced curiosity. My nursing practice transformed, and I became an independent thinker, unafraid to wander off the beaten path. It also created a thrust for learning, so that I had the knowledge and skills to support people beyond just medication. Yes, for me supporting people goes beyond prescriptions, it is about understanding, empathy and holistic care.

Serotonin and Self-Creation

And here’s the kicker, as a student nurse I never bought into the idea that antidepressants magically created serotonin. From the literature, I knew that we are the alchemists of that. Our minds, our actions, they brew the medicine of well-being. Serotonin dances to our internal rhythm, not the other way around.

But the real magic happens being at the side of a patient when in a crisis. Being there with someone during their most vulnerable moments, when life feels like it’s unravelling, is indeed where the magic lies. It’s in those quiet, intense moments that true connection happens.

This requires patient care without judgement, knowledge helps to have the understanding and empathy required to support someone at a crucial time. As care providers, we must set aside judgment and approach each patient with an open heart. Knowledge provides the foundation for empathy, it allows us to see beyond symptoms and diagnoses, understanding the unique human being behind them.

I listen, ask questions, and considered context. And guess what? Patients respond. Their stories unfold, their fears, hopes, and dreams, all woven into the fabric of their life, and you can understand why they are struggling with their mental health. Active listening is an art. When we truly hear someone, beyond their words, we create space for healing.

The story may be about the impact of life, but nevertheless, this becomes medicalised with a diagnosis. While diagnoses are essential for treatment, we must remember that a diagnosis does not encapsulate a person’s entire experience. It may be a starting point, but it is not the whole narrative.

Subsequently, medication does not change life, and even though sometimes the medications may help, they do not heal.  Medication can be transformative, but it’s not a panacea. It’s like mending a broken bone, it sets the stage for healing, but the real work lies beyond the prescription.

The overreliance of medicalisation, of “social affect”, can trap individuals to stay in the mental health system. For instance, framing non-medical issues or aspects of life as medical problems. Are we pathologizing normal human experiences in the context of mental health, viewing psychological struggles primarily through a medical lens. By believing that their struggles are solely medical issues that can be neatly fixed through medications can sometimes trap them within the medical framework, expecting pills to solve everything. But healing extends beyond pills, it involves lifestyle, relationships, and self-discovery. A more holistic view would be the recognition that good mental health is about our entire existence. Our habits, connections, and understanding of self which all contribute to our mental wellness.

It’s like a broken leg, the crutches do not heal the leg the person does that. The crutches are the aid to move on with life the best way they can. Just as crutches support physical healing, our interventions, whether therapeutic or pharmacological, provide support. But the person’s resilience and determination drive the true healing process. The real work must begin to make the positive changes required for healing. Otherwise, they stay on their crutches. We must shift focus from symptom management to holistic well-being. It’s about empowering patients to rewrite their stories, to find purpose, resilience, and hope.

The medical model has its place, but it is not the sole compass in the vast landscape of mental health. So, I delved deeper. I learned about different approaches, their nuances, their hints of wisdom. And with each discovery, I feel a responsibility to share. Patients need to know that healing is not confined to pills and diagnoses.

From Learning to Empowering: A Full Circle Journey

Over the years, my personal quest has been to explore various therapy modalities. Why? Because knowledge is not meant to be hoarded, it is a lantern we carry to illuminate others’ paths. Patients deserve more than just prescriptions; they deserve understanding and self-empowerment.

The Full Circle: Solution Focused Hypnotherapy

And then, like a cosmic wink, I completed my Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. It felt like coming home, a full circle moment. Let me tell you why:

The Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Ethos: Resources Within

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy believes in human resilience. People are not empty vessels waiting for fixes; they are reservoirs of resources. As therapists, we are not advisors with all the answers; we are facilitators. We tap into their thinking styles, nudging them toward their own solutions.

The Brain’s User Manual

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is not just about trance and relaxation (though those are magical too). It’s about understanding the brain’s wiring. Imagine sharing brain facts with a patient, their neural pathways lighting up like city streets on a map. Suddenly, they get it. They see their struggles in a new light.

Being stuck, it’s like quicksand for the mind. But Solution Focused Hypnotherapy hands out lifelines. We guide patients away from the trap. We help them find footholds, their unique solutions, to pull themselves free.

Youth and Community Work Revisited

Remember the ethos of youth and community work? It’s woven into Solution Focused Hypnotherapy’s fabric. Both celebrate empowerment, resilience, and the beauty of individual narratives. It’s not about fixing; it’s about igniting sparks of change.

So here I stand, a nurse, a facilitator, a believer in the human spirit. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is not just a diploma; it’s a lantern of light, a beacon for those seeking their own paths out of the dark.

If you are struggling with your mental health and well-being and want support, reach out! Call me, Tina 📞07448569443 for a free consultation. Together we can explore why you feel the way that you do, using solution-focused hypnotherapy.