spaceinthesky

They have have been tested. Do a google search. It's ignorant to believe you know everything or your culture knows everything without investigating. If a loved one or you get sick with autoimmune diseases or other things not curable by western medicine, you may not be so quick to judge. You may experience remission through natural means vs taking the pill that gives you more problems. If you have a disease or need surgery clearly western medicine is great. If you have some issues or want to be preventative, there is wisdom in nature. In yoga. Yes there is quackery and ignorance in ignoring the advances of western medicine too. And more people are seeing the need for living more in balance with the natural forces - that's just going to grow until the dinosaurs that sneer at complementary medicine die out. :)

I would like to jump in on this with a question. I have 30k in loans from undergrad and prereqs by the time I'm done (went to cheapest in state school). I am wondering what people propose as best idea for one who does not have rn or bsn or a bio major and needs to go to school more? I would like pmhnp. The direct entry is indeed expensive but it's in demand and I could keep moving on with my life toward my goals that way. With the advent of the dnp, it looks like I would be the last to be able to do the msn. Those loans are huge and scary. But working now not making enough is also scary. :) advice appreciated.

I guess the other part is that placebos are scientifically proven to work too. So there's that.

Who would be funding the research? Mother Earth? The alliance of trees and bushes? Or the naturopaths that are probably not making that much money? Lolz :) I don't really know that much about naturopathy at all. But I do know that things like reishi mushrooms are proven to cure cancer and recognized as such elsewhere (China). In Dharamsala I went to HH Dalai Lama's former physician and got herbs to take 4x a day for a month and came back home to normal thyroid levels (tsh was 8). And it cost the equivalent of five dollars! Def good to operate within the system if you want to get paid. It's sad but it is how it is. Then from there, incorporate or branch out. Best of luck!

It sounds like there are a lot more shades of gray than I can even imagine, as zenman pointed out. You sound like you'd be really good at discerning the right thing.

Thank you for answering. It's good to hear about the people whose lives it's changed for the better. Id like to hear more about those! But I guess most of those people are on them and not "out" about it.

That's beautiful you teach to soldiers. I would like to work with that population. I do agree it can help some people and love that. I guess for me it's more with kids in traumatic environments where the fear or depression makes sense... last year one of the nicest, smartest girls I was teaching went from depressed to episode of self harm after going on an antidepressant. After that she was in and out of school... I still wonder how she's doing. I've participated in ceremonies too, originally seeking it out for my brother. Would love to in the rainforest. Maybe one day. I did yoga teacher training with a former chiropractor :) totally agree on that. Have heard wonderful things about qi gong but never tried.

I was put on an anti-depressant as a depressed teen with two alcoholic parents and went manic. Then put on depakote, gained 40 pounds in a month and was even more depressed. For 2 years I went through a roller coaster of pharmaceuticals and inpatients. It wasn't until I stopped taking them all against everyone's wishes that I could go to college (I had been in all Honors/AP classes, I was smart just sensitive) and got into yoga, painting and them went on to work within the transformational community facilitating webinars with alternative therapists, shaman and herbalists (Stanislov Grof and Ram Dass were faves). My younger brother went with heroin to deal. He's lovely, extremely smart and has always read physics and neuroscience for fun, and sensitive. I was dead set against medications after what in hindsight feels like serving time. But when my brother would stop using, he would enter psychosis from the subconscious mind overwhelming him, as heroin had kept that at bay. Is he schizoid? No. But they want him to be on for life. I believe it can stunt you to never process what it was or get in touch with whatever lesson or thing to change or practice to help that depression or anxiety is pointing to. Transformation comes from a moment of catharsis, which even talk therapy doesn't necessarily do. But my brother could be dead if he didn't use that as a crutch. I'm thankful. It changed my mind. Sometimes we need help, but for some people that help can cause serious problems. And with the long term effects of those drugs I'd argue that help could cause serious problems for all but if it's necessary of course that outweighs. I should still be on bipolar apparently because it's lifetime but I would never take them again! I am not manic without a stimulant. This has been the best 6 years. :) Even with painful things. That was the worst period of my life and I think our society is crazy, and if you're feeling that, then you're actually normal. The biggest thing with the craziness is student loans for jobs that don't pay enough. Psych np pays and would let me into the field! I'd use that money to offer complementary yoga classes or something else for all my patients. And to be more honest. Like it sounds like you will be. You could also have adaptogenic herbs or other things to offer in conjunction. Anxiety meds or huffing essences. Or both! I guess it's just easier to take a pill, or cheaper. Who has money for super healthy diet and yoga classes? Usually not a psych patient on a bunch of serious meds, I'd imagine. Don't forget the streets or the struggle when you make it as a PMHNP! Dont even get me started on ibogaine and ayahuasca for addictions instead of the 90% recidivism rate that is rehab. Dr Debra Marsh did some research off shore with a way better rate w ibogaine. I've seen miracles with the santo Daime church, only allowable bc a Rockefeller got caught w ayahuasca and hired awesome lawyers. When you love someone w addiction you just want them to get better. I wish all future nps had experience taking some of these medications. They would probably not be so quick to give without a few questions and discussion of possibilities! :) or at least reminding people of ownership of it doesn't work for them. Blessings and thanks for writing back. I think you'll make a great pmhnp. Kudos for standing your ground with the pregnant woman. The one I went to years ago actually asked me if I ever had trouble sleeping and did I ever see the butterfly commercial? Then whipped out her Lunesta stamp. She was always really happy prescribing more. You won't be that!

I appreciate this post coming from the opposite perspective of studying shamanism for years because of the webinar company I worked for and a gifted session years ago (I was skeptical and experience won me over). I now hope to become a PMHNP.

I'm pursuing prereqs to be a PMHNP, largely because this is the population I want to work with and currently work with teaching yoga and working w/ ED children. I have personally seen people helped function better by medications but I have also seen people that seem to be strongly damaged by them (ie. the anti-depressant sparking mania, suicidal thoughts and actions that are resolved after they go off of them). Mainly I feel children who are depressed, etc. usually have home lives that warrant that, and these medications can cause a lot of harm in growing brains from seeing the students in schools. PMHNPs, how do you reconcile this with the oath to "first do no harm?" There is a lot of information out there from reputable sources and psychiatrists themselves about how this is all speculation (there has never been proof that depressed people have lower serotonin, psychotics have dopamine issues, etc.) and that the psychiatric medications themselves are proven to perturb the brain. Can you tell me more about how you operate and remain in integrity? Thank you so much.

Thanks so much! Will be in touch.

Thank for your responses. I was thinking about establishing residency as I do my prerequisites. The aBSN at west carolina is 15k cheaper. I'm not sure about the others in the state but I've been wanting to move for a long time. Do you know of any public schools to look into? I don't care about name. I do care about quality of life/nature/cost.

I'm visiting Asheville from nj in a week and am really excited to look at cheaper colleges! From my research Western Carolina is the only one near there w a BSN program? Any others? Anyone have any thoughts on Western? I *love* Asheville and would feel so blessed if I could study there and save money on loans. Am also interested in other progressive cities in nc w colleges but don't really know what to check out/have friends couches to surf upon. :) so any other thoughts on where to check out mucho appreciated!

Thank you all for your responses - it really helps to have this support. :) I wish my college *had* a BSN program -- they only have RN-BSN. But I'm still doing the prereqs/basic classes I'd need for aBSN or a transfer school, so I have some time. Thanks again! And yes, I see all the PHMNP job listings. It inspires me.

I currently have enough credits to graduate w/ a degree in what would have been English/Special Education, currently getting student loans, yet still struggling w/ money just to live in NJ. I am 28 and have $30k hanging over my head in student loan debt. - graduating would cut off student aid? How would I pay for an aBSN? How would I pay for a DIrect NP if I could get into one? - I am willing to relocate and serve underserved populations in the future. - I have a 3.8 gpa, but no patient exp. other than teaching yoga to people w/ disabilities and health issues, and I used to hospice volunteer. I liked doing that, but I needed to work more and get paid. - My community college charges 500/credit hour in the nursing program (RN) now so the aBSN is really not that different in price. - My options are: 1. Transferring to a college w/ a BSN program and taking 3 more years. 2. Finishing my prereqs while I still get the Pell grants and going to an aBSN program. 3. Moving somewhere cheaper (and probably nicer) and getting my RN. Praying I can get into being a Psych RN (I know my personality type). Then going to more school. 4. Going to a direct PMHNP program if I can get in and taking out huge loans but being willing to do whatever with moving because it's the job I really want to be doing. - My dream is to be a Psych NP. I was going to go into counseling, but to be honest, I do not always find talk therapy to be the best and I do not want to be poor for the rest of my life/any longer. I also think I could do much more in this field and have spent a lifetime being an unpaid counselor, unpaid addictions counselor, and general wellness cheerleader for a lot of people. I love it. But now I want to get paid for what I love, and well! I have a few questions for Psych NPs out also: *Do you feel like you are able to practice holistically ever? *Is setting up your own practice a viable reality? *Are you able to order checks for other medical problems like hypothyroid and food allergies? (Celiac masqueraded as depression for a lot of my life) Nutritional deficiencies? *Anyone else done a Psych NP direct route? Advice? Advice for getting in? Do I need to become a CNA or HHA? I've done hospice volunteerwork before. I could def see myself working in one of those. *I know I want to work with children so I assume I should become a Family PMHNP? *What if you want to become an FNP down the road?