I found more harm than help in typical insurance-approved settings, both medically and mentally. I laid the blame where it rightfully belonged, right next to their overwhelming incompetence.
I eventually found healing practitioners from all the arenas I was taught to avoid who were willing to barter for time/skills vs. taking only cash or insurance, (found them via attending healing oriented community events/workshops/drum circles/farmers' markets/live music events/etc.) and they kindly introduced me to several methods that have been highly sustainable and much more effective than what was being offered to me in the other arenas...like breathing techniques, mindful consumption (whole food plant-based vegan) both internally and externally, purposeful daily movement (a.k.a. - exercise) that's FUN and readily accessible, learning to use herbs to supplement my consumption habits and specific biological needs, learning to love myself from the inside out like I'd never been taught to do, re-learning all the systems that make up this being known as me in great detail, sound healing, energy healing, massage therapy, acupuncture, etc., etc.
Those things put me on a path of continual unlearning and re-learning that feels so incredibly self-empowering, whereas before, I was relying heavily on all those other supposedly highly skilled professionals who didn't even really know me to answer stuff for me rather than with me, if that makes sense. They operated in a manner that doesn't allow much patient input, beyond demographics and basic symptom lists, from what I directly experienced. I was often looked upon as rather undesirable company, even when I was paying them well for their services, when asking questions in certain offices...not a very healthy working relationship when you're silenced more often than you're allowed to converse. It left me quite jaded and unhealthy as f*ck, to say the least.
I also finally found a high quality talk therapy outlet via the local domestic/sexual abuse shelter that's free of charge and available however long/often you need it. They also offer support groups for those who choose to participate. My previous insurance-approved therapist search left me with one who fell asleep while I was talking to her, one who treated my sessions more like a bible study than a therapy session, one who talked down to me in a heavy paternalistic tone, and one who never made eye contact beyond the first hello. All of the above also ignored the long list of traumas I lived through each time I'd hand it to them or try to discuss it. The path to wellville has led me through many side trips to hellville, that's for sure. Wishing you well in your pursuit of quality care.
