*This post was written 6 months ago*
The global wellness market is valued at over 4.75 trillion (wellnesscreative.com 2022 statistics). There is a demand for self-improvement, homeopathic or alternative ways to achieve better health or mindset. Where there is a need, there are always people waiting to exploit people's desperation to look and feel better. I believe that most people have great intentions to help others achieve their highest potential; however, we have to be mindful of those that don't. I am not a consumer advocate but, if a sell is too good to be true and people promise you the world and total transformation, I'd run for the hills. That’s a huge indication of fraud. What concerns me about the wellness industry is that some of these organizations are cult-like and require you to be a part of a controlling following. At this point, your chances of becoming victimized either financially, emotionally, or physically becomes a given. My dear friend, who works for the Attorney General's office asked me to watch a documentary on Netflix, UnWell. She claims that her office is receiving more complaints about unfair business practices now more than ever and they are seemingly cult like in operation. This documentary highlights the pros and cons to some of the wellness industries most popular activities. When I worked for law enforcement, I would constantly receive phone calls from people complaining about fraud or being taken advantage due to pyramid schemes. Any consumer fraud case was referred to the attorney general's office because they are the investigating agency. I am going to briefly address two of the fads in the documentary, essential oil industry and Ayahuasca.
In the documentary, (Un)Well, explains that the essential oils industry can be plagued with pyramid schemes. Specifically, Young Living which is involved in a class action law suit alleging that the organization is a pyramid scheme that promises riches, but the ultimate wealth going to those at the top of the pyramid, which is less than 1% of the company- a small handful of individuals at a diamond status. A pyramid scheme is an unsustainable business model, and usually illegal operation, where participants pay to join and profit mainly from payments made by subsequent participants (merriam-webster). You have to recruit. The most well known pyramid schemes are Mary Kay and Herbalife. The problem with the essential oils industry is that there is a possibility that the appropriate use could be therapeutic to people but when greed and poor intentions take over, the risk of being victimized increases. My concern about this organization is their way of operation is like a cultish religion. They meet in heavy numbers and the leader of the organization is often charismatic and has a shady past. People are so desperate to feel better that they believe the false promises to be healed, and use one person's success story as a way to manipulate people. I did a podcast episode on cults and explained the dynamics and the five characteristics that determine if a "religion" or organization is a cult. I'll put a link of the podcast at the end of this post; it is worth listening too. The western world is so confused. We live in a society that is hypocrisy. We want to be healthy but our ego keeps us from healing properly and actually doing the work with patience and humility. We want that quick fix and are desperate to heal NOW. Sometimes alternative therapy offers this and it's appealing. I understand people have issues with western medicine as do I. My daughter has an autoimmune disorder which leaves her quite vulnerable to illness and we have struggled many years to help her physically. Western doctors do not encourage alternative therapies nor through our experience have helped my daughter achieve some sort of control of her illness. I get why people turn to the wellness industry for alternative therapies but we have to be vigilant and have higher standards. I want people to be aware that these organizations exist and to never fall for promises of curing or put all your eggs in one basket because someone said they were cured. It's about awareness and doing research. The greatest consumer saying is, 'If it's too good to be true, IT IS!" Do your due diligence and check organizations on the better business bureau, inquire about the business to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) to see if there were any complaints, do a google search of the CEO's or leaders to see what comes up. I'm pretty sure if any of the people listed in the class action lawsuit did their due diligence and background checking they would have found the disturbing history of the founder and red flagged him.
Next, I want to move on and talk about Ayahuasca which is also an episode covered in this documentary. So, Ayahuasca fascinates me. I think the fascination is because of my heritage. I grew up with the belief in shamans, healers, and holistic methods. The thing that really upsets me about Ayahuasca is the exploitation of this vine and spiritual practice by western people. If you are not of the culture that utilizes this sacred practice, you have NO BUSINESS facilitating it or profiting from it. I also want to add that I grew up respecting our spiritual and familial practices passed down to generations and was always told of the power of our ancestors. My warning to these fools in this documentary, white men, that have exploited and hurt people through this practice, you will receive your karma.
Ayahuasca is made from parts of the Psychotria viridis shrub and Banisteriopsis caapi vine. It has powerful hallucinogenic properties. Ayahuasca ceremony should only be performed by an experienced shaman. They claim, and why people are turning to this wellness technique, is because the experience may improve psychological well-being. Many people that have experienced extreme trauma or addiction claim the experience has led to long-term life altering positive changes. Some people have described it as bringing out the darkest depths of their trauma that has been hidden. There is a healing component that gets released in the process. There is current research that supports these claims but not enough for me to believe that people should take such a great risk or put their lives into some strangers hands, especially people exploiting the practice. The Ayahuasca takes 20-60 minutes to kick in and the effects involve visual hallucinations, euphoria, paranoia, and vomiting. In addition, people on certain medications or diagnoses cannot participate because of the negative reactions. Most of these ceremonies do not involve medical personnel in case anything goes wrong. To me, the dangers outweigh the benefits. Most of these ceremonies are not performed by experienced shaman in an indigenous community or using the traditional practices of the indigenous people of Latin America. The documentary highlights a dangerous experience and I have to point out that during the experience you are extremely vulnerable and at times not in control of your body or actions; therefore, you can open yourself up to victimization, dangerous situations, even rape or molestation. You put your trust in people that you do not know, which is alarming. People can counter act my argument and say the same for doctors but at least western medicine has rules and guidelines. There is an accountability process, procedures and laws that protect the sick despite being an imperfect system.
I wanted to talk about this documentary and the wellness industry because I want people to be safe and put their safety and wellbeing first. We often put our needs before our safety and that is when victimization can occur. We become victims of consumer fraud when we refuse to recognize the red flags or we place too much trust in false claims. Abusers are now infiltrating the wellness industry and we must be aware. If you invest in a wellness technique, business, or participate in a wellness ceremony do your due diligence, investigate the person, company, and procedure to make sure your investment either personal or professional you are protected. Ignorance is not bliss. Trust is earned not given. The documentary, UnWell, is a great reminder that with everything in life there is a dark side. We have to explore both sides to find the truth and make healthy and safe choices. If you haven't seen the documentary, I highly recommend it.
The Victim Assistant- Peace, Love, and Happiness
Follow me on my socials, @victimassistant, listen to my Podcast: The Victim Assistant, Crime Victim Advocacy, consult with me 1:1 empowerment coaching- the practice of self-love), email me questions all links:
https://linktr.ee/thevictimassistant
Cults : Spiritual Abuse podcast episode:
https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-victim-assistant
(UnWell)- Netflix unwell
Consumer fraud report to local government and or federal trade commission ftc.gov
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