The concept of vibrations is seemingly everywhere in the spiritual community. Everywhere you look, you see people talking about “good vibes” or “bad vibes,” the things that raise your etheric vibrations or the things that lower them. On the whole, these discussions aren’t harmful; for the most part, they give tips for how to live a happier, healthier life. It’s all centered around how to vibrate higher, or become the best possible version of yourself. I saw a post on my Pinterest the other day that was listing things that raise and lower your vibration. I agreed with a lot of it--walking in nature, making an effort to eat healthier, and consciously cultivating an attitude of love, gratitude and forgiveness do, in my opinion, raise your vibration. I tended to agree with most of the items on their list for things which supposedly lower your vibration--except for one. They had listed medication as something which lowers your vibration. Let me start from the beginning. Hi, call me Kris, I’m a traveler, artist, and blogger. I also have PTSD and have struggled with depression and generalized anxiety disorder for most of my life. When I say “most of my life,” I mean it started in middle school and I’ve been dealing with this for most of the past decade since then. I’ve been on medication for depression and/or anxiety for most of that time. Since this post was published, I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic illness which causes me to be in pain most days. I need medication for that, too, in order to do the little things that let me go about my day, like walking. There is so much stigma surrounding medication (and mental illness in general). I was lucky to grow up in a house where my parents didn’t discriminate against the idea of psychiatrists and medication--my mom was a research psychologist, and studied child psychology--but I recognize that that isn’t true for a lot of people. One of the best ways I’ve found to explain the use of psychiatric medication to people is by using the eyeglasses metaphor. I wear glasses. Nobody has ever presumed to say that I should “try harder” to have better eyesight; that would be ridiculous! We know that people with poor eyesight aren’t making it up for attention. They aren’t not trying hard enough to see.
I think a lot of people forget that the brain is simply an organ. Like our eyes. Sometimes, our organs run into a bit of trouble and they need some outside help. Like glasses. Or medication. I understand the hesitation in spiritual circles to think of medication as a good thing. I do. For those of us who try to eat whole foods and live a life in connection to this earth, medication can seem overly-clinical--just some processed thing from a factory that probably also makes other gross, processed things we shouldn’t be putting into our bodies. Beyond that, medication is viewed as messing with our minds. People often worry it’s all synthetic--that it creates “fake” happiness, chemical dependency, and interferes with your natural vibrations. I don’t have time to refute all of this in this article, so I’ll just say: it doesn’t, but don’t just take my word for it, let me leave you with this article, this one, and a hearty encouragement to ask a psychological professional for their opinion on the matter. I’m not a doctor, and I won’t be handing out any medical advice here. All I can give you is my story. For me, medication in and of itself does not raise or lower my vibration. What it does do is give me the opportunity to raise my vibration for myself. When I’m depressed and off my meds, I am physically incapable of recognizing the good in my life. Yes, physically--this is what depression is, as we presently understand it: a chemical imbalance in our bodies. Medication helps to balance the chemicals in my brain so that I’m less depressed. When this happens, I have the mental capacity and energy to consciously raise my vibrations--through gratitude, through love, through laughter and joy. Medication simply corrects an imbalance that was preventing me from being myself and living my life. It gives me a fighting chance. Not everyone who is depressed needs medication. My depression happens to run severe enough that it is necessary for me, but I don’t use it on its own--I use it alongside other tools, like therapy. Many people have tried suggesting more holistic methods of combating depression, such as yoga and healthy eating habits--and if that works for you on its own, that’s wonderful! I’m truly glad. Unfortunately, these methods do not work for me on their own; I need to supplement them with medication and therapy for them to have positive effects. See, I’ve tried going off my medication before. I’ll try again in the future. There may be a day when I don’t need it anymore, but I’m not quite there yet. There may be a day when I need different lenses in my glasses, but I’m not quite there yet, either. It would be a mistake to say I’m less of myself when I’m on medication, because that’s a fundamental lack of understanding of what medication does; it simply allows me to be myself. I do not vibrate lower when I take medication, either, and to say so is not only wrong, but reflects the sort of misunderstanding and discrimination that causes people to hide their mental illness and avoid resources that have been proven effective time and time again. I realize I will not change any minds with this article for those who don’t want to change. That is not my goal. I might even make some people angry, though that’s also not my intent. My hope is that this will reach somebody who is or is considering taking medication for their mental health, and that this article will ease their worries. You are not less spiritual for getting the help you need. Medication will not lower your vibrations, but allow you greater capacity to ascend. You’re fighting a difficult battle. Don't make it harder on yourself.
11 Comments
elizabeth
11/13/2020 08:48:06 pm
thank you so much for this. i was put on just about every meditation in the book as a teenager (im 20 now) and no matter what, things were bad. after i got off them, a good while after, (things were still bad) i began my spiritual journey. this led to me getting sober and beginning to address my toxic behaviors, and finding forgiveness for the trauma(s?) that contributed to my mental state. i learned that my healing is in my hands, and i found the desire to heal. i also realized that often times i have the ability to change how i feel- though this doesn’t mean its safe or healthy to ignore my emotions as they present themselves. its been a few years, and as of election day its been bad again. nowhere near as bad as it was, because im conscious enough now to sort of understand what’s happening. but these feelings are eating me up, and i cant go on only having occasional bursts of motivation to do things today that will make my tomorrows better. its not healthy to experience life or death stress levels every day. my past experience with medication was bad, but there were so many factors to it. and since finding my spirituality, i have been worried that going back on meds could affect my ability to work with different states and layers of consciousness. but now, i’m thinking that maybe having more manageable anxiety levels and less intense stress in my life MAY JUST open up some room for me to thrive on all levels, without sacrificing my mental health. your article also made me wonder if the people claiming that medications lower your vibration realize that they’re perpetuating a stigma that has gotten so many people hurt- or worse.
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Kris
11/22/2020 09:57:02 am
I'm so glad that you've found the space and strength to begin healing - though I'm really sorry to hear it's been hard lately because of all the stressful things in the world (I can definitely relate to that). In my experience, medication has not hindered my work with different realms and spirits, as it's helped me lower my anxiety levels to see more clearly. I hope it does the same for you. I don't think people claiming medications lower vibrations realize they're harming people or perpetuating harmful narratives - I think they're simply misguided and trying to help people the best way they can, as we all are. I hope that whatever path forward you choose is the best possible one for you, and that you continue to heal and thrive.
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Jess
3/27/2021 04:35:54 pm
Hi sweet Kris.
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Kris Rose
6/16/2022 10:31:40 am
Hi Jess - I'm sorry for my late reply; I confess I took a little break from this blog during the Covid shutdown and forgot to look at comments. If you still want to talk, I am happy to. You should be able to email me in my contact page, at [email protected], but just in case I can email you first. I hope you're doing okay now.
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Matt
5/26/2021 03:30:16 am
I agree with you but the problem is that they do not work in the long run and often create new symptoms (Side effects). And when you want to come of them its basically impossible.
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Kris Rose
6/16/2022 10:56:07 am
Hi Matt - they can definitely have some troublesome side effects, and sometimes a medication you've been on for a while will decrease in effectiveness (I've had to switch medications several times because of this). For me, the benefits of finding a medication that works for me & my body greatly outweighs whatever side effects it may have, and even the trouble of experimenting to find which ones do and don't work.
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DJ
9/27/2021 05:53:43 pm
First of all, thank you for sharing your experience. Reading this article has helped me to decide on taking medication for my PTSD. I am a combat veteran from the US Army.
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Kris Rose
6/16/2022 10:40:04 am
Hi DJ - I'm sorry for my late reply; I confess I took a little break from this blog during the Covid shutdown and forgot to look at comments. I think what you're doing to heal is amazing. It can be frightening to start medication or even ask for help, but I'm so glad that you were able to take that first step. Meditation is definitely an amazingly beneficial practice (one that I'm trying to do more regularly, too). Thank you for your service, and I really hope that you find peace in your path forward.
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The way I was explained depression is that there is inflammation or reaction in your brain that makes it hard for serotonin to be released. If you've been dealing with it for most of your life it may be hard or near impossible for it to be corrected without medication. I'm a medium and notice that when I'm off my medications it makes it difficult or hard to channel when I'm in a low vibrational state or if at all. It cannot be corrected unless I ascend and reach a dimension that is strong enough to heal this part of my body. Maybe someday but for now I remain in 5d.
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Kris Rose
6/16/2022 10:45:47 am
Hi Britt - I agree it can be really hard to deal with when it's a recurring or persistent problem. I've also noticed that when I'm in a deeper depressive episode, it's very hard to do spirit work or journey outside my physical form. I know we'll heal someday - hopefully we can be patient with ourselves in the meantime :)
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Maya
3/26/2022 11:17:22 pm
Let's raise our vibration one medicine 💊 at a time.
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Hi, there! Call me Kris. I’m a world traveler, author and artist working to showcase the world's beauty and inspire you to find your confidence to see the world!
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