Heart and Soul OT

Interesting thoughts on demons in mental health...

There Are NO "Mental Health" Demons!

The idea that people have “demons” is one of the most damaging myths ever tied to human suffering. It teaches us to fear parts of ourselves that are actually just hurt, scared, or overprotective. From an Interpersonal Neurobiology perspective, there are no demons inside us; only survival adaptations. Our troubles don't come from a demon inside us, but a part of the nervous system doing its best to protect us from pain or danger that once felt unbearable.

When we name those reactions as evil or dark, we make the same mistake the mental illness industry makes when it calls them disordered. Both approaches shame and isolate us from what needs understanding and care. No one heals by exorcising their own pain. We heal when we can safely turn toward it with compassion and *when we’re met by others who can hold it without fear or judgment.*

Labeling people’s trauma responses as demons turns human suffering into a moral or spiritual failure instead of recognizing it as a biological and relational one. It ignores the real causes--violence, neglect, injustice, and loss--and puts the responsibility back on the person to purge or fix something that isn’t broken.

There are no demons here, only wounded nervous systems trying to find safety in a world that too often withholds it. What we need is not cleansing, but connection. Not repentance, but repair.

Ah nice post. I've been thinking lately about clients who are diagnosed with BPD, and the stigma this often carries (by health professionals too ugh).....when complex PTSD seems more accurate...