At two recent family workshops, young people asked me why their parents hadn’t supported them in getting a diagnosis that would allow them to get drugs—to make it possible for them to function better in school. They said some of their friends had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, were taking drugs, and were getting additional help with schoolwork.


Parents have often asked me this question, but this is the first time that young people have asked. One of the parents talked to her son, X—, about challenging his fears and doing regular sessions with her instead of going on drugs. The school psychologist had been promoting the drugs, but after X— had a good session with his mom, he told the psychologist he thought his mom had good thinking and a good idea. 


As societal challenges increase, more efforts will be made to make money off of people’s fears by offering quick personal ways to feel better. People are being asked to prioritize how they feel and to seek personal happiness instead of organizing to change the negative things they are experiencing.


But this is not just about personal struggles. What we really need to do is address the diminishing support for teachers, schools, and families. In a system that worked, there would be enough resource to think about each individual’s learning style and assist each person to flourish—without drugs.


We also need to offer a picture of reality: 


• Facing and discharging fear makes clear thinking and action possible and is preferable to numbness. Feelings of fear, loneliness, and discouragement are mostly from past undischarged hurts, not from the present.
• All of us did the best we could in the past and made the best choices we could. However, aware support and discharge were not available in our early struggles. This does not have to be the situation now. We can find support and go back and feel and discharge the early hurts. This is not easy, especially if we see people “succeeding” in the short term by numbing themselves. But deciding to feel and discharge is the clear path to freedom.

(If one chooses to get a diagnosis in order to get extra help, they need to understand that they are doing it to avoid being more oppressed, not because there is anything wrong with their mind. And they need to remain firm against taking drugs.)