I posted this video a few days ago to social media. I had an overwhelmingly positive response, some good discussion, and then a full on riot.
I shared it with groups I thought would find it relevant and all but one were receptive. An international Facebook group made up of civilians immediately began attacking the video and me.
I was told that the video was “dangerous” and “unscientific.” Apparently my few statements also constituted “fear mongering.” Then I was accused of shaming people for taking medication and seeking therapy. Also, the video should have had a “Trigger Warning” and I was admonished for not following the group’s rules. Despite my comments and logical explanation, the hysteria escalated. I eventually deleted the post from the group to stop the fighting between several members.
After the initial misunderstanding, I made sure to post this comment with the video:
“I’m not implying that medication is bad, science is wrong, and that you should be afraid of taking your meds, having some prescribed, etc. I spent some time trying to overcome my issues without them and I found they were a necessary part of my treatment plan. BUT- they were only PART of the plan. You can’t rely on medication alone. If you read the tag line- it should clue you in- we’re not talking about just anything, it’s about moral injury, shame, and wounds to the SOUL. Such things cannot be resolved by taking a pill. You can mask symptoms but you’ll never fix the problem.”
If you’ve already seen the video you may want to go back and watch it again. Decide what I’m trying to say and feel free to engage in dialogue through the comment section. Most assuredly, I will get back to you.
I typed out a response to the group:
“I take meds to help my symptoms. I get regular counseling. I also engage in many alternative types of therapy/treatment.
I’m sad. Earlier I posted a video to this group. Instead of inspiring people to seek alternative treatment (in addition to medicine) Â I stirred up a significant misunderstanding in which I was called names, insulted, and denigrated for having an opinion. I certainly made no statements that my way was the only way. I certainly passed no judgement or shamed anyone. I am sorry that some members felt that way.
We need to differentiate psychological trauma from moral injury and shame- wounds of the soul.
Medication and counseling together were still not enough to address the wounds to my soul. Time does NOT heal all wounds. Mitigating symptoms and waiting doesn’t advance healing. Mitigating the symptoms while engaging in intensive therapy can have massive gains if the approach is correct for the individual.
I see a doctor on a regular basis and never told anyone not to. The paper I held and allowed to unfurl (in the video) was the combined instructions/interactions/side effects from the medications I’m taking.
There must be something distinct here- perhaps the complexity of the polytrauma situations found in this group that I’m incapable of understanding.
The video post that was shared had text above it, “Medication can’t fix Soul wounds”. That should be an indication that we’re not simply discussing taking medication or seeing a doctor. Never in the video do I mention seeing or not seeing a physician. Never do I tell anyone not to take their medication. Honestly, if you are so easily offended by someone showing papers that have warnings about their own medications and encouraging people to seek alternative treatment then you probably get offended by a great many things.
If you are confused about a subject, statement, etc it is always best to rewatch, reread, or reevaluate before responding. We often react instead of responding. Human nature leads us to lash out, attack.
This incident proves how powerful words are- whether they are understood for their original meaning or misinterpreted. But, are we so influencable that hearing something ONE time would make us change significantly? I guess it depends on what it is. What if I’m actually the tenth person to say something of that nature and someone decides that they should stop taking their meds (despite the fact that I never said anything to that effect). Am I therefore responsible for their actions? Where does personal responsibility begin and end? I took responsibility for the posibility that the post could cause damage and I removed it myself.
In my life, I have taken responsibility for my issues and sought treatment through MANY different programs- beyond what a normal Dr and medication could ever accomplish (though, once again- I was seeing a Dr and taking medication while in those programs). I’m happy to say, that for me, it was a massive success.
It would be nice to start a conversaton without being attacked. I had only posted here once or twice before. Instead of support and understanding I found insult. Instead of conversation I was lectured about things I didn’t even say.
I hate saying that I’ve been triggered but honestly, that’s what this incident has caused. I was told I was “priviledged to not understand” what it was like to need life saving medicine. It confused me greatly because I AM on medication and it is saving my life and greatly improving the life of MY FAMILY. These things could have easily been discussed with questions and reasonable conversation. Perhaps I could’ve been persauded if they had tried to make a valid point.
Will I find support here? You decide.”
No response has been made by the group, I may have been blocked.
Can we listen to ideas different than our own and consider them? How do we help society return to a place of rational discussion? And finally, Should you take medical advice from someone on Facebook?
-Drew OUT!
Chris Reardon
October 2, 2020 14:47Hey Drew, I didn’t see the initial video, but I have to first commend you for the creativity of stop scroll videos! You could easily do some YouTube/Facebook ad videos lol. On another note, it is sad the attacks you got, but sometimes with sensitive topics like this, you have to qualify your answer first and then provide more insight. I agree with you after having gone through REBOOT and seen what Mighty Oaks is doing among other organizations that many of the issues we face are at the soul level, not medical level even from a mental perspective. Austin’s perspective as well is interesting too. “It would be nice if people could be appropriately educated and prepared to deal with these levels of stress ahead of time, and we could forego the PTSD and other problems. That day may come in the future, and everyone reacts differently to things, but for now this what we’ve got-medications, therapy, philosophy, brain chemistry, etc.” One of my “little sisters” (a young lady in her 20s going for higher level education whom I’ve known she was a young teenager) is going through occupational therapy and told me that a lot of what we know today about occupational therapy came from treating soldiers back in World War I. That was interesting. She also believes that there can be an inoculation of sorts from mental illness issues like PTSD by training certain skill sets ahead of time. I agree with her. In fact, I see it in my own life where I have been through really difficult situations but for the most part came through stronger and still am moving forward because of strong coping mechanisms of my faith in Jesus, close relationships with brothers and sisters in the Lord, a strong sense of purpose, and other skills used to effectively deal with crap in my life. Yesterday I was having a drink with a few of my fellow Marine leaders and were discussing some of their past experiences in combat operations and recognized (without surprise) that they talked more about issues that were related to what we call “moral injury”. One of the guys discussed how he really started to question some of the decisions being made by people around him who got almost too “kill happy” from those in the US military (my words here) and the other in terms of real life difficulties of dealing with the same issues but from another partner force and extremes on the other end of cowardice from another partner force. These issues won’t be resolved by medication. I for one still being in am recognizing the need to be a force of positive influence on decision making to prevent these types of things to the best of my ability both in terms of lives lost or shame felt from actions in wartime that could have been done differently.
Drew
October 8, 2020 11:33Chris, Moral Injury is a difficult thing indeed. When it comes to what you’ve observed or the actions of others, it becomes extremely difficult to sort out. It seems more spiritual in a sense- people asking, “Why would God allow that?” There is no medication for moral injury. You can numb the pain but it doesn’t help treatment or resolve the issue.
Austin
September 26, 2020 22:28Medication might buy time, but they don’t fix underlying problems – they are to mask symptoms. Convincing someone that they are ruined and will require medication for life is going to depress them – and when the prescriptions involve anti-depressants, it becomes a self-licking ice cream cone of misery and failure. Artificially pumping more happiness into your brain – while your rational mind is fully aware that things are going poorly – both in your own mind, and in the world around you – is retarded. Medications can help get someone from point A to point B alive and avoiding prison time, but they aren’t going to repair trauma, teach morality, or give you a new path forward in life.
If you’re taking a medication that alters your mental state and decision making ability, and you take it for months or years, you’ll be getting accustomed to the false way it’s making you feel, and you’ll be taking actions in your life that you would not take in your unaltered mental state. When you cease taking those medications, you will be suddenly faced with the real way you should have been feeling, based on your adaptations to stressful environments – but there will be less memory associated with the stress reactions, it will feel more foreign, disorienting, and unsettling. Coming off of medications is dangerous. Then there’s the life decisions and long term impacts of that to deal with too. The whole thing can turn into a shitshow pretty quick.
It would be nice if people could be appropriately educated and prepared to deal with these levels of stress ahead of time, and we could forego the PTSD and other problems. That day may come in the future, and everyone reacts differently to things, but for now this is what we’ve got – medications, therapy, philosophy, brain chemistry, etc.