Hello All,
In June I will be embarking on a
journey to help people start to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in their
lives. While I know that countless psychologists, psychiatrists, self-help
gurus and life coaches have tried to find the most effective methods for
helping people with these problems, I have devised a different way of
conceptualizing and offering a new approach to these so-called
'illnesses.'
Whether it be a self-help book, TV
psychologist, personal therapist, clinical psychologist, family doctor, or
psychiatrist, what I have found time and time again is that there is a
disconnect between what is effective treatment for these issues with respect to
both personal value systems and ethics. What
I mean by this is that (a) everyone is different; and that, (b) not all
therapies or approaches are suitable or effective considering these
differences. Furthermore, many of these
devised therapies have failed to substantiate evidence that they do indeed work
or that they are in any way effective or even beneficial – they are often
misrepresented or grossly inflated, but the average person could be largely
unaware of these shortcomings.
In my research I have found that the
mental health landscape is a vast mine field of theories, regurgitations,
rhetoric, and in some cases, self-serving claims designed to sell an idea,
product, or in the worst case – a pharmaceutical. I believe that the reason there are so many of
these remedies and 'cures' because there is a massive need for these
services which then drives a market for mental health remedies. Sadly, most of these treatments fail and leave
the person exasperated and no further ahead than before treatment. But I am not
selling a therapy, instead I hope to educate and unearth the pro's and con's of
all the existing therapies to promote a more individualized and perhaps
truthful way to conquer these problems.
Noticing the complexity of
information surrounding the various theories of stress, anxiety, and
depression; the problems in the way we talk about it as a society; the
obscurity of the underlying treatment designs and overall effectiveness of
various treatments, I have decided to put my training as a medical ethicist to
task. By combining my background in psychology, neuroscience, religious
studies, medical ethics and law with my own personal journey to conquer stress
and anxiety, I have found what I think to be a better way to approach these
issues - as an ethical method to designing a treatment regimen or lifestyle
that is consistent to your value system and life.
What do I mean by
'An Ethical Method'?
Quite often people do not fully
understand the best explanations for their stress or stress-related illness.
They are not versed nor have they done extensive research into what stress is
or how they can reduce it effectively. The same goes for anxiety and depression
– some of us have a basic understanding, but often it is incomplete or
misguided. Because of this, the stressed person often develops coping
mechanisms that actually exacerbate stress and cause more stress and perpetuate
a trajectory of ‘same old – same old’. What my system or 'paradigm' offers is a
way to think about stress, identify it, and to mitigate it ethically, that is;
to find the best ways to treat your own stress given all of the methods devised
by psychology, modern medicine, and religion and to custom create your own
system based on what works for you. By sorting out what is 'ethical' for
oneself, the person is empowered to live by their own standards and to heal
stress, anxiety, and depression on their own terms, and by doing so, learn how
and why they fell into the deep and unforgiving stress chasm in the first
place. The ‘ethical method’ sorts out fact from fiction and helps people
understand that there is no easy or 'quick fix' and that the best way to
conquer stress, anxiety, and depression actually requires a comprehensive
strategy and that this strategy is not necessarily existent or coded in
psychiatry or clinical psychology but that it is actually existent
within the individual. The ethical approach demonstrates that you can control
your thoughts, your feelings, and your life on your own terms based on
education and principle.
I'm offering one-day seminars on the
ethical way through stress, anxiety, and depression in various Canadian cities
and will soon will be offering these seminars worldwide. I feel it is time for
a new outlook into how we ought to conquer these problems and help people to
help themselves. The central pedagogy in my seminar is that education and
ethics/personal value systems can work wonders in achieving freedom from these
negative emotions and mental states. If we've always tried the same thing and
got the same results, then we can expect the same conclusions; it is time for a
new method - an ethical one.
Please see this link for information
on Canadian seminar dates or email bioethicsconsulting@gmail.com if you would like to request a
seminar in your area.
P. Allen B.A. M.A.
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