The Most Important Step in Mental Health Care That No One Tells You

Taking ownership of your mental health care can be a game-changer. In this video, we explore a crucial shift in perspective: while mental health professionals provide invaluable support, the ultimate responsibility for leading your care and recovery journey rests with you. This absolutely isn’t about undermining the importance of therapists, psychiatrists, or the mental health care system—it’s about empowering you to become the expert in your own experience.

I share my personal story of waiting for the system to “fix” me and the tough but transformative lesson I learned: thriving isn’t something anyone else can impose on you. It’s a deeply personal process that requires you to take charge, advocate for yourself, and define what wellness means to you.

Timestamps:
00:00 - I was waiting for the mental health care system to save me
02:00 - Shifting from survival mode to actively pursuing thriving and wellness
04:51 - Why self advocacy is a critical skill
06:33 - Practical tips for taking ownership of your care

No matter what treatment path you choose, the key message is this: you have the power to lead your mental health journey. You deserve to thrive, and it starts with you.

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[furb]

Keep making videos. You're healthy now and got the whole world in your hands. Do not care about any deluded people commenting nonsense.

[caitlinhoey]

My therapist and psychiatrist both complimented me on my self-advocacy. Neither of them brought medical keto to my attention. It was something I brought to their attention with your channel’s help. I was glad they were open minded and supportive enough to see me through the transition.

I met a neighbor about 2 weeks ago. I live in a 55 and older community with my parents. I told her why I live with them and she revealed that she cared for her now deceased brother for years because he had schizophrenia. I told her about medical keto, and how my symptoms were in remission with zero medication. She held my hand and was on the verge of tears when I walked away because she was so happy with the news of improvement.

Good video. Good advice.

[lisamarie]

"You are the expert in your own experience" 💯

[Liisa]

A word of caution for those who are in the early stages of a psychiatric illness: you only become an expert of your condition with time. More often than not you may have a very delusional view of taking care of things yourself and therefore rejecting medication, for example. So, take your time and learn to collaborate.

[sandysherief]

We should remember that Life is hard and even for people without a MI diagnosis they are struggling daily. Having a “good “ life one has to take ownership and do the hard work. You’re a treasure Lauren for all of humanity! Be kind to yourself. ✌🏽

[mpm]

As a counselor, my goal is to have my clients thrive, not symptom management, but it does take time. It's not something that happens overnight, especially with trauma or severe mental health conditions. I will never give up hope on my clients. I always tell my clients to write down questions in between sessions.

[thelifeofahuman]

I am really happy and feel excited to see more of your content. Your journey is motivating and inspiring it gives hope that we can too live a life that's not focused on just surviving but can and should be focused on thriving kudos to you Lauren

[catherinej]

It's been hard to find support like I had when my husband was alive. Doing things on my own is more taxing than when I had help in that way. Glad that you have Rob as such a great support. I'm hoping to remarry some day to a supportive man like that.

[jeffkoe]

Hello, I am a mental health provider and have been for 35 years. I think your advice is excellent. I’m so glad that there are some peer support available for folks with mental illnesses. We as your providers also have a lot of challenges, including large caseloads incredibly challenging documentation demands. if we work together, it is much easier to help you. If we make recommendations, please try them. If you need help, please ask. Try to put together social supports. We cannot fix your mental illness as in make it as if you don’t have a severe mental illness, but we can definitely work with you to make your progress and your overall quality of life significantly better. It’s okay if a certain provider is not right for you but please give it some time.

[keitoth]

Thank you for everything you do. You give me hope. My mother and her twin lived devastating lives because of their schizophrenia. Two of my siblings suffer from schizophrenia. I have children. I live with a concern that they could develop schizophrenia. I discovered your channel years ago. I wanted to know if there were better options for my children should they experienceschizophrenia, I’ve seen your voyage and your recovery. You give me hope that my children will not live to mental illness. I thank you for your hard work, struggling through difficulty, not accepting the lies of the medical community and for keeping me and millions of others informed of options.

[Skyjamb]

My mental illness started out as schizophrenia then bipolar and that idea of hope lasted for 30 years. I finally got connected with a good psychiatrist. He prescribed Invega (Paliperidone) which for me is awesome. No side effects except weird dreams at night. The med is awesome and it works .

[erinrobinson]

I don't know WHY it took me so long to accept that I need to write things down that I want to discuss with the doctor. I did it for the first time this week with the eye doctor and I believe it really helped him understand what was going on and what kind of help I needed. Absolutely yes, everyone should be writing things down before doctor appointments. Thank you for bringing that up.

[benjones]

Thank you to those brave souls who are going into this so carefully and methodically and giving us all this advice, putting themselves on the line. I remember when a nurse told me that this would be with me my whole life, I was nineteen, and it was the most devastating day of my life (for some reason her voice rather than all the doctors is the voice that stays with me.) I know that we all have moments like this, painful realisations that somehow or for some reason we are told that we are to suffer this for the rest of our lives. Furthermore, I respect caution, and acceptance is important, and I feel that being stoic is valuable, but for me this therapy has been transformative, thank you.

[TorgerVedeler]

Thank you for this. I add that everything you’ve said here applies to all forms of medical care. When I was a kid, I remember being treated as a broken object rather than a person by many doctors. Many of them would talk to my parents but never to me. Now I view doctors appointments much like job interviews. They work for me, not the other way around.

[sheryl]

Your excellence is pure and most genuine!
Your care and communication of the truth in instruction and transparency is extraordinary!
There is no else like you!
And we are incredibly
Thankful for you!!

[talgy]

29 yo here. No job, no purpose, no dreams, no pleasure from life. Bipolar type 2 among many other health conditions. Life is awesome.

[samapattiyoga]

Such a beautiful evolution, Lauren. Self-care is such an important topic toward recovery. Appreciation for your expertise

[janpetsch]

Yes. I am neurodivergent and my diagnosis is ADHD. I am 71 and was only formally diagnosed at age 71. I gave suffered many losses over the past decade the worst being my younger brother who was my person. Two years ago I broke up with my partner in f ten years and my lifelong closest “friends” abandoned me taking ng his side He managed to get me fired from my great job of 17 years. This all sounds dramatic and crazy but it is truth. I have been in therapy for almost five years 1:06 since my brother passed. This is a much needed luxury fir me. My trouble are not as bad as yours but I do empathize.

[elabelnaturel]

Just wanted to say that I find you adorable, the way your tone voice makes and your general expression. It seems that all your psychiatric adventure has provided you a unique layer of modesty, that gives me faith to people.