Lets Talk Mental Wellness and Mental Illness



 Lets Talk Mental Wellness and Mental Illness

As a therapist and a person who lives this life finding a balance between my mental wellness and my mental illness, I have noticed that there is a significant amount of shame, guilt, irrational ownership, blame, and did I mention shame, surrounding a persons current state of overall mental wellness.  What I have seen people often fail to understand is that mental illness is really not a whole lot different than a physical illness and you never really here any one telling you to "just stop throwing up" when you have the flu, when your gall bladder has gone bad, or worse if you have stomach cancer.  That's the thing when it comes to depression and anxiety especially, people who love those who suffer from these illnesses often have the best of intentions when they recommend thinking about something else, going for a walk, just smile, or asking questions like "why can't you just be happy?"  For those of us who truly understand the varying levels of mental illness these types of statements and questions can be bothersome.  BUT, again, a majority of people who make these statements are coming from a place of love and are honestly trying to help those feeling sick to feel better. Heck, I know I have said things like this a few times myself. I mean really, what else can you say to someone who only speaks of the negative in their life and doesn't ever seem to see any of the positive?  And actually part of the treatment in therapy is to help a person begin to notice more of the little things that can create happiness, to take a few minutes a day to smile, increase laughter, be intentional in doing things that make them happy, and this is a great way to treat the beginning stages of depression.  However, there are times where clinical depression moves to another level. This is where the persons brain chemicals have now changed, their baseline of happiness is now lower than it has ever been, and their ability to feel any sense of happiness has become harder and harder to reach despite their best efforts.  I relate this to going from having a stomach bug for a few days to it now lasting a few weeks, and your usual coping strategies like ginger-ale, soda, crackers, toast, and Pepto are no longer working and it's become more painful.  This is usually when most of us head to the doctor.  There are times where a simple treatment can treat this level of infection as in physical health you may need to change your diet- same can be true for mental health in addition to seeing a therapist weekly for a few months or so.  You may need to make some changes in your environment or other habits.  They may also do more testing in either the physical or mental health and find that it is something much more significant and needs a higher level of care in order to be treated. There are times where it will require medication to treat the illness.  There are times the medication may be necessary in order for any of the other treatments to be effective.  However in the mental health world, medication is frowned upon, and thought of as a escape or a crutch - a way for people to numb out, or avoid their problems.  And this may actually be true for some people, as there are some people who may take pain medication but never need it, or someone who go to the doctor all the time but never have an actual illness.  However, this is usually the minority.  Mental Illness is not a choice. No one chooses to be anxious, depressed, psychotic, obsessed, addicted, paranoid, just as no one chooses to have a physical illness.  No one chooses to commit suicide, just as no one chooses to have a heart attack.  The mind is a organ just like the other major organs in our body and it gets sick too.  It just happens to affect the way we think and feel, and that then makes us feel that we are some how in control of it.  Nope, you are no more in control of it than you are any other illness in your body.  However, you can have a little bit of control, and that is where mental wellness comes in.  Just as you do things to take care of your physical wellness, what are some things you can think of that you do that honor your mental wellness?  For me;  I see my therapist regularly, I take all the good for my body stuff- medications, essential oils, flower essences, vitamins, and calcium. I might eat a cookie or three on occasion, chocolate for me is a must, I exercise a little everyday, I take deep breathes, I surrender when I feel overwhelmed, I ask for help, I admit when I feel afraid, I watch a funny show, I pet or play with my animals, I have a gratitude list, I fall to my knees sometimes. I have a whole lot of things I can do, but mostly I do my best to love myself, honor myself, and see the ways I shame myself through it rather than denying it.  I am human and like you I still have a lot to learn, but the key to all of it is awareness. The only time we can make any changes in our lives is when we become aware of it and decide it's something that needs changing.  Please share what you do for mental wellness, or share what you need when your mental illness flares up! Thank you for being a part of my journey!   

In Light, Love, and Grace

Keri 

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