The topic of psychiatric medications doing harm continues to be ‘taboo’ in the mainstream media which is why I was surprised, in a good way, to see the New York Times write a front-page article (that appeared on-line on Sunday August 28, 2022) titled “This Teen Was Prescribed 10 Psychiatric Drugs. She’s Not Alone: Increasing, anxious and depressed teens are using multiple, powerful psychiatric drugs, many of them untested in adolescents or for use in tandem” by Matt Richtel. He weaves in stories from several people who were prescribed a ‘cascade’ of pharmaceutical combinations as teenagers along with statistics and evidence around the increase in psychiatric medication prescribed for adolescents and teenagers even though they have not been formally approved by the FDA for this age group.

Y’all have probably heard, read, seen or have had first-hand experience with the benefits of meditation. Most can feel a sense of ease or calm after only a few minutes of focused attention on the breath or the body. But when meditation is ‘practiced’, which means it is something you regularly engage in for at least three times a week, the benefits can go beyond feeling calm. For instance, a 2014 clinical review of research found that meditation can improve conditions of hypertension, diabetes type 2 and high cortisol and encouraged more research in comparing meditation to therapeutic treatments like some medications.

If you have found yourself in the cycle of trauma, indigestion and eventual microbiome imbalance, you can reverse this cycle. A big part of rebuilding our microbial health lies with food. Our food choices choices can relieve our symptoms as they also reshape our gut microbiome and trauma response.

2020 was a heavy year in so many ways that it feels nearly impossible to be strong enough to reflect and hold all we have been through. Add continued uncertainty around when we will be safe to resume person-person interaction and this ritual that we have done for years, holding the old and the new, becomes overwhelming.

When I felt overwhelm and uncertainty stirring in my belly and chest, I also noticed a voice singing “na na na, na na na”. When I slowed down to hear the song playing in my head, the lyrics below were loud and clear*:

I'm starting with the <human> in the mirror
I'm asking <them> to change <their> ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

~ Glenn Ballard & Seida Garrett