🦋 Holistic Recovery

The Aftermath

- Are you feeling anxious, depressed, or numb since the hurricane?

- Do you find yourself avoiding places or situations that remind you of the storm?

- Are you struggling to sleep, eat, or dealing with constant tension, headaches, or muscle aches?

- Do you feel disconnected from others or find it hard to trust or communicate with friends and family?

You're Not Alone ~ We’ve All Been Traumatized

If you’re feeling any of these symptoms, know that these are natural responses to trauma. Traumatic events like Hurricane Helene can leave us desperately searching for relief. Nights of lost sleep can lead to seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, and without the brain’s detoxifying process—the glymphatic system, which works during deep sleep—we can start to feel paranoid, jumpy, or constantly on edge. It’s like our sympathetic nervous system—the “fight-flight-or-freeze” mode—gets stuck in the “on” position, and we don’t know how to turn it off.

This kind of distress can drive us toward centralized systems in search of quick relief. But these systems don’t always have our long-term well-being in mind. Run by corporations focused on profits, not people, they often rely on labels and diagnoses that lead to medications with serious side effects—effects that can last a lifetime, long after the immediate crisis has passed. Before we know it, we’re caught in a cycle of treatment that doesn’t address the root cause of our pain, and may even make things even worse.

If this sounds like something you want to avoid, click here to join my Telegram chat to receive a 100% off coupon code for one-on-one sessions, along with updates on my calendar so you’ll always know when and where to find me for support.

Hi. My name is Veronica Johnson, and I’m a dually board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with over 30 years of experience working within the centralized medicine system. I have seen firsthand the destruction this system can cause in people’s lives—especially in psychiatry, where labels and medications are often prioritized over true healing.

My approach is grounded in holistic, individualized care, focusing on both physical and mental well-being. I’ve completed an 18-month fellowship on deprescribing and tapering psychiatric medications, training that wasn’t available in conventional schooling. I’ve had the privilege to work with leaders in trauma healing, including Bessel van der Kolk, Peter Levine, and Pia Mellody, and I’ve studied Stan Grof’s work on non-ordinary states of consciousness and spiritual emergency. With these foundations, I focus on addressing the root causes of distress to help you find lasting relief and reclaim your health on your own terms, outside of a system that may not always have your best interests at heart.

Understanding Psychiatry and the Risks of Misdiagnosis

Psychiatry is built on a system that is not based in science. The definition of science is objective data that is repeatable, yet psychiatric diagnoses rely on subjective reports (from both patients and providers). This creates room for misinterpretation and a high risk of misdiagnosis, all based on the chemical imbalance theory, which has been debunked. And at best, it’s just a theory. And the definition of a theory is something that hasn’t been based in science.

For example, conditions like "bipolar disorder" are often diagnosed based on symptoms that may actually be natural responses to trauma, rather than indicators of a permanent mental disorder. Such diagnoses can have serious implications, affecting personal and parental rights and impacting one’s autonomy, which can, in turn, limit options for recovery. It’s crucial to be aware of these risks when considering centralized systems of care.

The Role of Trauma in Diagnoses and Symptom Overlap

A critical yet often overlooked factor in psychiatric diagnoses is the role that trauma plays in shaping symptoms. Trauma can deeply impact mental and emotional health, leading to responses that may resemble symptoms of various psychiatric conditions. However, these responses are often natural reactions to distress rather than indicators of a permanent mental disorder.

For example, hypervigilance—a state of being constantly alert and on guard—can look like paranoia, but it’s often a response to trauma, not psychosis. Similarly, psychosis itself can be triggered by severe sleep deprivation. Many trauma survivors avoid sleep because of nightmares or the fear of reliving their trauma, and over time, the lack of rest can lead to hallucinations or delusional thinking. These experiences are reactions to prolonged stress and fear, not signs of a chronic mental illness.

Symptoms like depression, anxiety, psychosis, and inattention are not unique to any single diagnosis. They can be present in a range of conditions, creating significant overlap that complicates accurate diagnosis. For instance, the inability to concentrate can appear in trauma responses, ADHD, depression, or anxiety. Without a holistic understanding of each person’s history, including trauma, there’s a high risk that these shared symptoms can lead to misdiagnoses and treatments that miss the root causes entirely.

Understanding Centralized Medicine

Centralized medicine, dominated by large institutions and hospitals, prioritizes quick fixes and medications, especially in mental health. While this model may provide fast relief, it may not address the root causes of emotional distress or empower you to take charge of your your own health and wellness.

The Risks of Getting “sucked up” into Centralized Medicine

When people turn to centralized psychiatric or medical systems, they (often unknowingly) surrender their autonomy and well-being to a system that prioritizes profits over people and drugs and procedures over holistic wellbeing and true healing.

A Closer Look at How Medications Can Make Things Worse

Many people enter the psychiatric system seeking relief but often find themselves worse off than when they started. Psychiatric medications are designed for short-term symptom relief, yet they get prescribed for life, and they don’t address the underlying causes of pain or trauma. Over time, medications often lead to dependency, or even addiction, and worsen the very symptoms they’re meant to alleviate.

This cycle, known as polypharmacy, is common. One medication is prescribed to manage symptoms, but it may cause side effects that require another drug, and then another, until individuals find themselves on a cocktail of medications. These drugs can numb emotions, create new health issues, and make it difficult to experience any genuine sense of relief. When people try to reduce or stop these medications, they often experience intense withdrawal symptoms, such as brain zaps—jolting, electric shock-like sensations in the brain—and akathisia, a severe inner restlessness that has been described as feeling like you’re being “electrocuted from the inside out” making it nearly impossible to sit still, and patients report wanting to “jump out of their skin”.

When patients report these symptoms to their psychiatrists, however, they are often dismissed or gaslit and told they “need the drug for life.” But no one would tell an alcoholic they need alcohol for life—these are symptoms of withdrawal, not signs of relapse. For many, this cycle leaves them feeling increasingly hopeless and disconnected, trapped in a system that isn’t designed to truly hear their concerns or help them heal. Patients often start to feel like a burden when they report these side effects, adding another layer of suffering to their already hopeless experience.

When We Numb the Pain Instead of Processing It

It’s human nature to avoid pain and turn toward pleasure. This is where addictions come in. But numbing uncomfortable emotions through medications doesn’t make it go away—it only masks it. Medications can dull or numb emotions, but the unresolved pain remains beneath the surface. When the drugs wear off, the pain is still there, often intensified by the temporary numbness. This emotional numbness can lead people to feel disconnected from life, to the point where the emptiness is worse than the pain itself.

In fact, many people say they’d rather feel pain than feel nothing, because pain is a human experience we’re wired to process. Numbness, however, creates a void that can feel unbearable, sometimes leading people to believe that ending their life is the only escape. True healing requires that we feel, acknowledge, and work through our pain—not push it down or numb it out.

Loss of Personal Agency in Centralized Medicine

When people enter the centralized mental health system, they may quickly feel like passive participants rather than active partners in their care. As diagnoses are assigned and medications prescribed, individuals can find their choices diminishing, feeling more like cases to be managed than people to be understood. This sense of powerlessness deepens as one’s treatment path is determined by a system that often prioritizes symptom management over true healing. The longer someone stays in this cycle, the harder it becomes to break free, as the system emphasizes compliance over autonomy and profits over people. In time, the very act of seeking help can feel like a trap, leaving individuals with a profound loss of control over their own mental and emotional well-being, disconnected from their sense of self and unable to chart their own path to recovery.

Hurricane Helene: A Gateway to Centralized Medicine

Disasters like Hurricane Helene can make it tempting to seek immediate relief through centralized medical systems through:

- Crisis Response: The initial turmoil of a disaster can lead us to seek the quickest form of support, often from centralized psychiatric services.

- Isolation and Lack of Support: Chaos, displacement, and isolation can drive us to rely on medical systems when community and personal support feel out of reach.

- Normalization of Seeking Help: In the wake of trauma, mental health care is often promoted as essential, which can lead us to centralized systems that may not be the best fit for us.

- Desperation for Relief: Trauma can create a pressing need for quick solutions, making centralized psychiatric care seem like the only viable option.

There is another way....

A Holistic Approach

However, there is another way. At White Oak Medicine, I offer a holistic approach to mental health, designed to help you reconnect with your sense of self and agency. As a dually licensed family and psychiatric nurse practitioner, I look at the whole picture, taking into account both physical symptoms and emotional experiences. Using natural and psychospiritual methods, my aim is to help you address the root of your struggles—not just the symptoms—so you can find real, lasting relief.

Together, we can explore options that honor your unique healing process, from one on one therapy and auricular acupuncture to community-based support and candlelight vigils. This approach empowers you to find sustainable and meaningful relief.

Conscious Healing Begins with Conscious Grieving

Learn to lean in to discomfort. True healing begins when we acknowledge our pain. We don’t have to let fear or grief control us, and learning to process these emotions is essential. We’ve all been traumatized by recent events, and we are all grieving—not only for our own losses but for the losses of our community and the land herself.

Survivor’s guilt is real, and there’s no way out but through. I’m here to guide you, not from a place of theory, but as someone navigating this path alongside you. My entire life has prepared me for this, and I have the professional training as well as lived experience to guide you through these extraordinary times. This is my solution to building a healthy, resilient, supportive community together here in WNC, and I will be offering the following FREE services in and around the WNC communities:

Auricular Acupuncture & Community Process Groups

Hurricane Helene has left a wake of trauma, grief, and a profound sense of loss in her path. Whether it's the upheaval of daily life, the loss of homes and security, or the destruction of our treasured towns and villages, we’ve all been uprooted from our sense of normalcy. These groups provide a grounding space where we can come together, process our emotions, and find connection through our shared lived experiences. Led by a psychiatric nurse practitioner trained in multiple trauma and healing modalities, these sessions offer a safe place for healing, empathy, and mutual support.

Each session begins with the NADA protocol, a gentle, five-point ear acupuncture treatment that helps calm the nervous system, ease anxiety, and support emotional balance. This protocol is especially helpful for managing trauma and addiction by reducing cravings, improving sleep, and fostering a sense of calm, which is invaluable in the wake of intense experiences like Hurricane Helene.

Participants are welcome to attend the auricular acupuncture session, the group process, or both, based on their needs and comfort level. If attendance is low and a group session doesn’t form, I’ll be available to provide one-on-one support so you still have a safe, supportive space for grounding and connection.

Prayer Circles & Candlelight Vigils

These gatherings provide a sacred space for reflection and remembrance. We’ll begin with a prayer and meditation circle, setting intentions for healing, peace, and strength for the land and its people. As we transition into the candlelight vigil, we’ll honor the lives, homes, and communities affected, with the glow of candles symbolizing hope and unity. Please bring a candle. These gatherings will take place outdoors in local parks and on injured land, so dress in layers to honor those displaced and connect with the land in need of healing.

Judicious Medication Management

(Many pharmacies were refilling prescriptions if you have your bottle, even without refills. Please don’t throw away your bottles!)

Often, traumatic events like this one become the entry point into centralized medicine, where medications are used to numb the pain instead of addressing the root cause. I am fully aware of the harm this can cause in the long run, and at White Oak Medicine, I take a different approach. While medications may have a place in this acute situation, I use them wisely and with caution—always with the goal of getting you off them as soon as possible. My focus is on true healing, using natural and holistic care that honors your whole person, not just the symptoms.

If this sounds like an approach that resonates with you, click below to join my Telegram group where you'll find my schedule if you'd like to participate in any of the above modalities here in our communities. I am also offering a virtual Community Support Group for those that can't make a live one.

A note on helping others:

It’s truly beautiful to want to help others, especially when we see their pain and suffering. But it's important to remember that the only person we can heal is ourselves. We can’t control the thoughts of others—the only thoughts we have control over are our own (and that's a full-time job!). So, the only person we truly have control over is ourselves. It’s through our own healing that we can make the biggest impact on those around us.

When we commit to our own transformation, it’s like planting a seed that grows and radiates outward. By embodying the change we want to see, we become a mirror for others, increasing the chances they will do this work for themselves simply by bringing it into their energetic field. Once we see what needs healing within us, we can’t unsee it. This awareness opens the door for growth—not just for us, but for everyone around us. Our inner work changes the “new normal” for everyone we encounter. And THIS is how we change the world: by changing ourselves.

Healing isn’t about doing the work for someone else. That’s why the word “healer” has never felt right to me—it’s about guiding others to do their own healing and leading by example. The only person we can heal is ourselves. As we do our inner work, that energy shifts the world around us.

If you think this message would benefit someone you care about, please share it with them and invite them to join our community on Telegram. If you work with others and are interested in collaboration, feel free to reach out through the contact information below. 🙏

A Fluid Response to Our Community’s Needs

As we all navigate the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, I’m assessing where the greatest needs are in our community. My ability to offer support will evolve as I work locally and expand outward to reach as many people as possible. Locations, times, and specific events will be announced on Telegram based on availability and community feedback, starting close to home and moving outward. My intention is to provide support where it’s needed most. Please feel free to reach out if you are aware of an area with an urgent need.

How to Stay in the Know:

🦋 Join the White Oak Medicine Hurricane Helene Recovery Circle Telegram group here where you'll find updated times, dates, and locations to all events, including the zoom link for virtual events (this is the BEST way to stay in the know, as I list real time changes here. However, if you need assistance setting this up, feel free to email me below).

🦋 Sign up to my email list to have notifications sent to your inbox.

🦋 Use the Contact Veronica box below.

🦋 Email me here and I can help you get started: [email protected].

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Stay connected to receive updates on how White Oak Medicine is meeting the needs of the people of WNC.

Freedom of Choice

In overwhelming times like these, the need for relief is real, and I understand that each person’s journey is unique. I’m not here to judge anyone for seeking support within centralized medicine. Sometimes, in the face of trauma, immediate solutions feel like the only option. That choice remains valid and always will be.

However, it’s important to know that centralized medicine is not the only option—no matter how much we are conditioned to think it is. Whether you choose holistic care or the path of centralized medicine, my commitment is to your freedom of choice, empowering you to make decisions that align with your personal needs and those of your family.

No one turned away for inability to pay

I’m here to help, and am offering FREE in person and virtual sessions to help get you back on your feet. Empower yourself with knowledge and resources, and take charge of your health and well-being. You have the strength to find the path that feels right for you and reclaim your autonomy. Your healing matters to me because you are my community, and together, we can work toward a healthier WNC for all of us. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve you 🙏

Support our People ~ the Heart of WNC

We appreciate your support as we rebuild. Thank you 🙏

$1.00 USD

Click here to support the mental health and spiritual wellbeing of the people of Western North Carolina. Your donation helps us rebuild by focusing on healing our minds, spirits, and hearts, which is essential to restoring our communities.

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