Wait, I’m The 3rd Best PSYCHIATRIST in Pensacola?!?

So we have an “alt-weekly” newspaper here in Pensacola that I love called the inweekly. Every city needs one of these to stir the pot, by the way. And they’ve actually stirred up some major scandals and such over the years that the main paper here missed. They’re also way into arts and culture and all that, too, as most of these alt-weeklies are, so it’s a good publication. Anyway, they give out their annual Best of the Coast Awards, and this year I won 2nd runner-up for best psychiatrist. Woohoo!! Except… I’m not even a psychiatrist… Or a medical doctor of any kind… So what’s up with this? Also see my recent post about counseling versus psychiatry to understand the different job titles and who does what. And if you’re interested, you can see my post about how my counseling style, which I just call fast growth, is a different way to do it. And I think it’s a freaking evolutionary shift, with the results to back it up! And it’s time to get louder about it, not because I’m anything special but because I’ve found a way that works better and I really, really, really want people to have the option of being happy. I’ve had excellent teachers and training, and I want to share it, that’s all. Back to the story…

So someone from the inweekly emailed me a month or so ago telling me that I’d won something. I’d already asked them to have a Best Counselor/Therapist category, but it was too late for this year’s edition. So I emailed back saying what did I win? Because I didn’t fit any of the categories. They said runner-up psychiatrist. Really?? I swear I was not behind any voting scheme to do this, by the way; total shocker. So I said that’s great, but I’m not a psychiatrist. They said the people have spoken, so we’re cool with it if you are. And I said hells yeah, let’s do this! Because to me, this represents a message from the people that they’re ready for a better way. If I have anxiety, I’m unhappy, I have an anger issue, I count random things a lot, etc., then please don’t put me on meds right away. Send me to someone to talk to first. And send me to someone that can explain how our thinking works, and how the body is always responding to it. If I think in a frantic way, the body will feel frantic. If I think more calmly, the body will feel more calm. It’s the law. And since I’m a human, I have a totally calm source of thinking built-in. And we can all absolutely learn and practice this; you don’t have to be born super chilled out. I sure wasn’t! And I’m getting better at it all the time.

So here we are. Pensacola’s third best psychiatrist is someone that is a big believer in meds being the last resort. He is a big believer that we want people to be on the least number of different meds. He is a big believer that we want people to be on the lowest dosage of each med. He knows at least one person that almost died because she was on so many pills, and they knew this because when they switched doctors and the new one reduced the pills immediately, the person magically came back to life. “We thought we were losing mom, but when the meds were cut in half, she came right back to life pretty fast.” That happens more often than you think. So with people that really need to talk to someone first, let’s please send them to someone. Don’t try putting them on this pill or that pill; that can totally be done later. This is a big deal, folks, and people are starting to figure it out. Let’s change this!

So I took out a big ass half-page ad describing how I talk to people to help them feel better naturally. It’s posted on the Facebook page for A Clean Mind. And it was a nice ad, very positive (and much nicer than I’m talking now). But some of these shrinks piss me off! It’s like they don’t have a clue. It’s like they think their patient is a lab rat. And I’m sure they don’t, I really am, but I can’t help but get that feeling when I hear the stories in my office. And the worst ones are the vets going to the VA. Wow. And they risked their lives for this country. Okay, rant alert… Backing down off the ledge… Whew, I’m back, that was a close call…

So let’s finish with a nice warm fuzzy. If meds help you, then I’m all for it. But if not, you might have another option. There might be a real “you” in there that is way more awesome and powerful and wise than even the best version you could ever imagine. And you might just need to learn how to get out of the way. Hey, I’m learning all the time. And I’m judging myself less and less, too. It’s a work in progress. But this stuff works, it really does. I don’t know what’s stirring in the air now, but it’s Thursday afternoon as I write this and this week has been off the charts with the transformations, it really has. It’s been blowing me away.

And it’s just the beginning, too. We need to get this information in schools so we can put counselors and psychiatrists out of business, expect in extreme situations. That’s what they should really be used for anyway. But so many of the people that see them are fine, and they just don’t know it. Because nobody told them. And they listen to this crappy voice in their head (that nobody else even hears or cares about) that makes them feel otherwise. When people hear this stuff from me and then things happen in their lives that they handle SO much better than than ever thought they could, it’s pretty awesome. It’s amazing. I’ve already teared up once today, in fact, sharing this with someone for the first time and inviting her to go out and live some life and see for herself. Then come see me again next week to discuss, to compare notes. So cool.

So thanks, whoever voted me for this award! One friend came clean and said he wrote me in, but certainly it must take more than one vote to get third place. And of course the Best Psychiatrist category must be one of the least popular categories… But still, thanks to whoever did this. Because I think the message is awesome, and I think it very clearly represents the way that things are headed in the future as humans evolve. Because the results are in, and this works. It just does. Because it’s all true stuff that I’m sharing. You are not what you think you are. And you sure as hell are not small. And I’d love to join with you in our mutual awakening to the awesomeness that we are, built-in, right now, without having to lift a finger. So thanks, and as always, let me know if I can help!