#1 ·
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about the weird, almost cult-like shift in how we discuss mental health online. It feels like we’ve moved past the era of "awareness" and straight into an era of "curated optimization," and honestly, it’s starting to get a little unsettling.
Lately, my social media feeds have been absolutely flooded with these ultra-polished "wellness gurus." You know the type—perfect lighting, minimalist aesthetics, beige linen outfits, and a voice so calm it feels almost artificial. They all seem to be peddling the same philosophy: that any reliance on traditional medical intervention is somehow a failure of character or a symptom of being "unaligned" with nature. It’s this subtle, pervasive messaging that if you aren't thriving through herbal tinctures, specific breathing exercises, or unverified supplements, you’re just not trying hard enough.
What bothers me most isn't just the commercialism—though the sheer amount of money being made off these "holistic" subscriptions is staggering—it's the psychological weight this places on people who are actually struggling. There is a massive difference between someone wanting to optimize their sleep and someone trying to manage a fundamental neurobiological reality. When you take someone who is genuinely struggling with executive function, focus, or emotional regulation and tell them that their struggle is actually just a "toxic imbalance" that can be cured with a specific blend of mushrooms or a proprietary vitamin stack, you aren't helping them. You're gaslighting them.
I see this play out in the comments sections constantly. You’ll see someone post about their genuine struggles, and within minutes, a dozen "wellness advocates" will chime in with condescending advice about "healing from within" or "natural alternatives." It creates this incredibly dangerous hierarchy where being "natural" is equated with being "healthy" or "virtuous," and being medicated is equated with being "lazy" or "suppressed." It’s a very easy way to sell a product, but a devastating way to treat human beings.
I remember a friend of mine who went through a really dark period. She was working so hard to manage her symptoms, following every protocol her doctor gave her, but she still felt like she was drowning. Then she saw a series of videos from these influencers claiming that "real healing" comes from abandoning synthetic aids and embracing "nature's wisdom." She tried to follow that path for months. She spent hundreds on supplements that did nothing but give her jitters, and when she didn't "transform" into the productive, zen goddess the influencers promised, she felt like a complete failure. She felt like she had failed at being "natural." The psychological toll of feeling like your biology is a choice you're making incorrectly is immense.
We’ve reached a point where "wellness" has become a commodity used to judge people. It’s become a way to gatekeep mental stability. If you can afford the high-end supplements, the retreats, and the organic lifestyle, you’re "healed." If you rely on the standard medical path because it’s accessible or because it actually works for your brain chemistry, you’re "part of the problem."
I think we need to have a much more serious conversation about the ethics of influence in the mental health space. There is a fine line between promoting healthy lifestyle choices and predatory pseudoscience that targets people at their most vulnerable. We shouldn't be conflating "unfiltered nature" with "medical efficacy."
Do you think the rise of the "aesthetic wellness" movement is actually doing more harm than good for people navigating neurodivergence?
Lately, my social media feeds have been absolutely flooded with these ultra-polished "wellness gurus." You know the type—perfect lighting, minimalist aesthetics, beige linen outfits, and a voice so calm it feels almost artificial. They all seem to be peddling the same philosophy: that any reliance on traditional medical intervention is somehow a failure of character or a symptom of being "unaligned" with nature. It’s this subtle, pervasive messaging that if you aren't thriving through herbal tinctures, specific breathing exercises, or unverified supplements, you’re just not trying hard enough.
What bothers me most isn't just the commercialism—though the sheer amount of money being made off these "holistic" subscriptions is staggering—it's the psychological weight this places on people who are actually struggling. There is a massive difference between someone wanting to optimize their sleep and someone trying to manage a fundamental neurobiological reality. When you take someone who is genuinely struggling with executive function, focus, or emotional regulation and tell them that their struggle is actually just a "toxic imbalance" that can be cured with a specific blend of mushrooms or a proprietary vitamin stack, you aren't helping them. You're gaslighting them.
I see this play out in the comments sections constantly. You’ll see someone post about their genuine struggles, and within minutes, a dozen "wellness advocates" will chime in with condescending advice about "healing from within" or "natural alternatives." It creates this incredibly dangerous hierarchy where being "natural" is equated with being "healthy" or "virtuous," and being medicated is equated with being "lazy" or "suppressed." It’s a very easy way to sell a product, but a devastating way to treat human beings.
I remember a friend of mine who went through a really dark period. She was working so hard to manage her symptoms, following every protocol her doctor gave her, but she still felt like she was drowning. Then she saw a series of videos from these influencers claiming that "real healing" comes from abandoning synthetic aids and embracing "nature's wisdom." She tried to follow that path for months. She spent hundreds on supplements that did nothing but give her jitters, and when she didn't "transform" into the productive, zen goddess the influencers promised, she felt like a complete failure. She felt like she had failed at being "natural." The psychological toll of feeling like your biology is a choice you're making incorrectly is immense.
We’ve reached a point where "wellness" has become a commodity used to judge people. It’s become a way to gatekeep mental stability. If you can afford the high-end supplements, the retreats, and the organic lifestyle, you’re "healed." If you rely on the standard medical path because it’s accessible or because it actually works for your brain chemistry, you’re "part of the problem."
I think we need to have a much more serious conversation about the ethics of influence in the mental health space. There is a fine line between promoting healthy lifestyle choices and predatory pseudoscience that targets people at their most vulnerable. We shouldn't be conflating "unfiltered nature" with "medical efficacy."
Do you think the rise of the "aesthetic wellness" movement is actually doing more harm than good for people navigating neurodivergence?