The TMI Times: From Empowerment to Overwhelm in Modern Healthcare
In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, the journey from disempowerment to empowerment has been profound—but it hasn’t been without its complications. We now live in a time of unprecedented access to information, yet that abundance has begun to tip into overwhelm. As someone who’s witnessed this shift firsthand—both personally and professionally—I’ve been reflecting on what we’ve gained, what we’ve lost, and how we might find our way back to balance.
A Glimpse Into the Past
In 1951, when my grandmother gave birth to her first child, the experience was as impersonal as it was disempowering. My grandfather waited outside the delivery room, cigarette in hand, while my grandmother was heavily sedated. She woke up to find she was no longer pregnant. Her baby had already been introduced to the family before she even met him.
There was no emphasis on the mother-child bond, no skin-to-skin contact, no autonomy. Her breasts were bound, and formula—then considered superior to breastmilk—was given without question. By three months, her infant was eating beef and potatoes. It was an era when “the doctor knows best” reigned supreme, when asking questions was discouraged, and patients were taught to comply rather than engage.
The medical culture of the time encouraged the use of cigarettes for stress relief and prescribed pills as quick fixes. Health education was virtually non-existent for the average person, and medical information was locked behind institutional walls. There was no Google, no online support communities, no youtube vidoes or blogs.
A Personal Turning Point
Fast forward to the early 2000s. As a young adult facing unexplained asthma symptoms, I turned to conventional medicine only to be told my lungs were “fine.” The inhalers didn’t work, and no further answers were given. The only alternative resource at the time was our local health food store. You’d walk in and ask an employee which tea could help your symptoms—hardly a clinical approach.
Eventually, my father connected me with someone practicing alternative medicine. That practitioner looked at my whole being—not just my symptoms. I was given breathing exercises, dietary recommendations, and emotional work. It changed everything. That experience led me to study acupuncture and start practicing in 2006.
The Information Boom
Back then, access to holistic care was limited. If a patient wanted alternative options, they had to know someone who could refer them. There were no TikTok videos on nervous system regulation or podcasts about microbiomes. I would guide my patients with personalized care plans, recommend relevant books, and connect them with a growing—but still niche—network of like-minded practitioners.
Then something shifted.
Around 2016, as social movements like Me Too and Black Lives Matter encouraged collective awakening and advocacy, healthcare began to change too. The internet became a space for sharing personal health stories and forming communities around lived experience. Patients began reclaiming their voices—and their power.
When Empowerment Becomes Pressure
And then came COVID.
The pandemic was a turning point. It amplified both our desire for answers and our disillusionment with inconsistent messaging from medical and political leaders. In that vacuum, online experts flourished—some credible, some not. Influencers, podcasters, and wellness bloggers began to fill our feeds with content about everything from cortisol to cold plunges.
One of the most prominent voices has been Dr. Andrew Huberman, a Stanford neuroscientist whose podcast launched in 2021. He and others have helped demystify complex science—but they’ve also contributed to an ever-growing checklist of things we “should” be doing.
Suddenly, knowledge isn’t empowering—it’s exhausting.
Take, for example, the growing popularity of tools like period-tracking apps, continuous glucose monitors, and the Oura Ring. These technologies offer real-time insights that were unimaginable just a decade ago. But while many patients are eager for this data, I often see a spike in anxiety when the numbers suggest something is “off.” For so long, the only feedback we had came from an annual blood test or the occasional blood pressure reading. Now, we’re constantly checking in—and the ego clings tightly to the idea that everything must be okay. When it’s not, emotional sensitivity rises, and the fight-or-flight response kicks in. Our identities become enmeshed with the need to be “fine,” even as we quietly fear the worst—heart attacks, cancer, the unknown. After 19 years in practice, I can say with certainty: no one has perfect health. The body is always in flux. With the sheer number of environmental toxins and chronic stressors we face today, it’s unrealistic to expect otherwise. What we need is not more data—but more compassion for our very human experience.
The Rise of TMI: Too Much Information
What was once a lack of access has become a flood. We’ve swung from one extreme to the other. Knowing more doesn’t necessarily help us be healthier. In fact, it often adds to the anxiety, because with each new piece of information comes another perceived obligation—another thing to “do right.”
We’ve created a culture where wellness is no longer about presence or intuition but about performance. About doing everything correctly in order to prove our worthiness of feeling good.
How do we maintain boundaries with the information we consume?
How do we remember that healing isn’t about perfection, but about presence?
Find your Village
In this landscape of abundant advice, it’s essential to seek out trusted experts who take the time to understand you—your history, your symptoms, your life. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all, and following generic protocols from influencers, no matter how well-meaning, can often do more harm than good. True wisdom in a practitioner comes not just from knowledge, but from listening deeply and tailoring care to your unique needs.
A New Way Forward
This isn’t a call to abandon information or disengage from the wider world—it’s an invitation to be discerning. To pause before adding another protocol to your plate, to notice whether a piece of advice resonates or just reinforces self-doubt. It’s about reclaiming agency not by knowing everything, but by knowing yourself. In a world that often equates wellness with doing more, perhaps true healing lies in doing less—but with greater intention, attunement, and trust.
Monica Mae Leibson, L. Ac.
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