Options are part of trauma-informed care

2/17/2025

Surviving the trump administration, A Daily Thread. Episode 26: Options are part of Trauma-Informed Care

It was kind of hard to get out of bed this morning. That happens sometimes, for me – depression will wash over me like a fog and sort of dull everything out. I personally believe this is a NORMAL RESPONSE to the adversity of life. We’re surrounded by pain and injustice all the time, and it can be hard to find joy and connection sometimes.

My personal journey to address my issues with depression and anxiety has been long and nuanced. Over the years I’ve explored: exercise, overwork, food, alcohol, acting, meditation, EMDR, talk therapy, IFS, tapping, acupuncture, ketamine, psilocybin journeying, microdosing, time in nature, breathing techniques, yoga, exploring new hobbies, connecting with other humans, volunteer work, connecting with animals, writing, creative projects – I’m sure I’m missing some, but this eclectic combination includes more and less “healthy” as well as more and less effective options, and is something that I evolve and refine constantly as my needs change.

SSRI’s have not been something I have personally tried. For my own taste, I prefer other options – and I have strong feelings about the negative impacts of big pharma and don’t want to join that part of the capitalist machine. HOWEVER, I know that SSRI’s are an effective part of many people’s treatment combination.

So the fact that rfk jr. is “investigating” them (i.e. threatening to take them away) is – well – fucked up. He says it’s because he thinks they’re addictive? First of all, there’s no real basis for this claim and also, NEWS FLASH – if he’s trying to remove things because they’re addictive, he’ll also need to go after food, exercise, WORK, and (obviously) OUR PHONES, among many, many other things. Sound ridiculous? Exactly. I don’t believe for a minute that he’s actually concerned with addressing addiction through this escapade.

It’s also pretty ironic that the party of “small government” is so hell-bent on trying to command our lives when it comes to the issues they want to judge and control.

I’m a newish member of the psychedelic healing community, and I have heard whispers from more than one longer vetted member that they were optimistic about rfk because he is a proponent of psychedelic healing. Well, if that’s the case, he’s missing the point, and going about it all wrong. One of the basic building blocks of trauma-informed care is making sure people have OPTIONS, and giving them personal agency around how they choose to take control of their health and lives in general. There is no one-size-fits-all method – for living life in general, or specifically for mental healthcare. Something that works for one person will be totally ineffective for someone else – and we all require a giant toolbox of options to round out our treatment plan. If his grand plan includes expanding psychedelic care, GREAT, but for fuck’s sake, DON’T take away our other options while you’re at it!

#survivingthetrumpadministration #fightfascism #notmypresident #standupspeakout #strongertogether