The Healing Crisis Also Known as Next Level Bullshit

There’s one thing that’s been instrumental to my healing and recovery from depression: Truth.

Truth be told, a decade ago, I was drowning in my own bullshit—most of which I didn’t even know was my issue—let alone my responsibility. The most pivotal turning point for me was working with a new therapist, one I trusted to tell me the truth—especially when I didn’t want to hear it. In fact, one of my early published articles was “Why I Requested a Therapist that Would Call Me on My Bullshit After 20 Years of Depression.”

My first session with that therapist was over six years ago. A few years into my recovery and support to become med-free, I claimed a Brilliant Transformation and went about my “recovered” life.

But here’s the thing about recovery, awakening, and enlightenment—the process doesn’t end. While we may think we’ve “mastered” a lesson, chances are we will encounter opportunities to up-level that mastery and learn the lesson on a deeper level (time and time again).

It takes a good friend, trusted coach, or skilled therapist to help us move beyond the layers of bullshit we encounter and accumulate throughout our lifetimes. These practices are enhanced with a boatload of truth and a heaping measure of humor.

Recently, intuitive counselor, Rita Henry said to me, “I’m calling bullshit on your bullshit.” This statement, and my work with Rita in her Truth and Transformation Healing Retreat, let me know I was dealing with some “Next Level Bullshit.” Rita works with and in truth. In fact, she rocks it!

Next Level Bullshit is often recycled bullshit that comes to light when you’re on a healing journey. It’s the stuff you thought you were beyond, only it resurfaces unprocessed like the corn in the toilet. It’s the truth staring you in the face reminding you that no matter how much you’ve evolved, there will always be work to do and lessons to learn. Apparently, these lessons need to be pulverized before they are released for good. Only, the learning and processing takes place in layers, over decades—and even lifetimes.

No doubt, there will be casualties along the way. However, when you’re committed to truth, releasing clears the way for better things to come. While the “wreckage” of this healing doesn’t always feel good, it often demolishes things like limiting beliefs, generational patterns and curses, egoic responses, conditioned reactions, and resistance that hold us back from our purpose—and more importantly, happiness.

Here’s the thing Rita said that stood out to me about Next Level Bullshit. She said, “You’re not used to being met with your own bullshit. You love it, because you’re being seen. And…you’re not a fan.”

I mean really, who is a fan of their bullshit? I’m known as one who is great at calling out bullshit (in others). With Rita’s statement, I feel good knowing I’m helping others be seen in truth. At the same time, I understand why not everyone is a fan. As they say, “The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off.”

The main component of Rita’s work is truth. I recall working with her years ago, when she frequently told me to “Tell the truth faster.” As someone who couldn’t imagine living and expressing my truth, that phrase was a huge stumbling block for me. Today, I embrace it. I find myself telling the truth faster as faster. Instead of staying in unfulfilling situations, I tell the truth (yes, the uncomfortable ones) in order to step into joy and move on faster.

Some truths are easier to tell than others. And sometimes I encounter a lot of resistance to accepting the truth, let alone expressing it. You know what else sometimes happens when you’re confronted with “Next Level Bullshit?” Enter: a healing crisis of epic proportions.

What is a healing crisis, you ask? Of course, it’s different for every person, but my recent encounter with my own bullshit led to a massive shutdown that felt a lot like a detox. It included tears, anxiety, body pain, purging, insomnia, lack of motivation, and a strong urge to rest.

While a healing crisis may feel catastrophic, it’s also a sign that actual healing and enlightenment occurs with energetic releases. As Jill Leigh notes in an article about healing crisis, “The energy you released came from all of your energetic fields or bodies. Your Etheric body, (the energy system for your physical body), was holding emotional energy in its cells, the fascia, joints and multiple chakras. Your body let it go, a huge boon for its well-being. Your Astral body (the energy system for your emotional body), lightened through your work.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m here to do light work (that is often very heavy). Confronting and purifying next level bullshit is not for the faint of heart. However, working with others who rock truth and support you along the way is a ticket to next level enlightenment, which is way more fun than next level bullshit.