A New Approach
A New Approach
It has been said that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I used to paraphrase these words often in conversations. What I have learned to appreciate over the last few years as I have taken a new approach, is that insanity is a real disorder. We need to collectively find new ways to not only express ourselves when we reference these phrases, but also we need to remove the barriers to success in helping people heal, such as prejudice, out of reach healthcare costs, and stigmas.
I read a recent article, posted on The New York Times website, “‘Nobody Has Openings’: Mental Health Providers Struggle to Meet Demand. (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/well/mind/therapy-appointments-shortages-pandemic.html).
The reason this article caught my attention is it really hit home that we have a behavioral health problem that has become a large wave, more like a tsunami, that is consuming our resources and overwhelming our healthcare systems. Doing the same thing we have been doing is not going to solve the root cause. We need a new approach, now.
Although the article referenced above focuses on mental health, I include substance use disorders and any other disorders we are seeing increases in. Look across the landscape and you will see the statistics are escalating across all age groups, all cultures, and most of us are not excluded from some sort of behavioral health challenge.
The biggest gap discussed in the article is the lack of professional people having availability to see new patients or refer them to other resources. The person hangs up with no help leading to despair and the person continuing their journey of pain, suffering, depression, or thoughts of suicide. Unfortunately, there will be an increase in people losing all hope and the statistics are increasing in this area as well.
We have the means and opportunity to change the course by taking a new approach. There are many alternative therapies that are often overlooked or receive no accreditation since they are not traditional therapeutic approaches. Psychotherapy, psychiatry, medication, and other approaches have helped many along the way and will continue to do so. I am not saying they will not. I am saying that we need to broaden our view and recognize that therapies like Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), meditation, yoga, and many others, offer solutions in the near-term, as well as long-term, to help people find relief until they can be seen in a more conventional system of care. We also need to remove the insurance hurdles and find creative ways to help people that are not able to either self-pay or who have private insurance.
I do not claim to have the answers readily available, but I do know we need to take a new approach. After all, if we turn our back on our own society and let them hang up the phone without offering some way to help them, then what will we be left once the dust settles? Can we wait for more people to become certified in a program that typically requires four to eight years of schooling, training, and experience? Or do we find a new approach to embrace new ways to look at helping people?
We need to open our eyes and minds to realize Everybody Has Openings if we recognize that we are all here to help each other through a very challenging time that shows no sign of letting up.
Open to ideas and appreciate any conversations focused on solutions.
Energy Practitioner