I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about how we talk about ‘healing.’ You know the vibe—the ‘journey,’ the ‘process,’ the constant work of getting back to some version of ourselves that isn’t broken. But lately, it feels like the journey itself has become a full-time job. I found a few things that hit me hard on this.
“Where your attention goes, your energy flows, and modern therapy keeps your attention firmly fixed on your ‘issues,’ your ‘diagnoses,’ and your perpetual need for ‘treatment.'”
Dr. McFillin – The Treatment Trap
It’s like we’re paying people to remind us we’re broken every Tuesday at 4 PM. I’m not saying help isn’t useful, but there’s a point where the ‘help’ just keeps you in the patient chair.
“Not just tired, but soul tired. This is healing fatigue, and if you’re feeling it, it doesn’t mean you are doing anything wrong.”
Coach Amanda – Healing Fatigue
That ‘soul tired’ part? I felt that in my bones. We’re told to be patient with our recovery, but then we’re surrounded by an industry that profits from us never actually finishing it.
“This monograph offers an epistemic and psychological critique of the self-help and mindset industry, arguing that it operates not as a space of healing but as a cultural and economic engine.”
ResearchGate – Un-Help
At the end of the day, maybe the most ‘healed’ thing we can do is stop trying to fix ourselves. It’s a weird thought, but maybe the exit ramp of the healing treadmill is just admitting that the mess is part of the design.