Thoughts about mental health

The mental health and vision analogy

The analogy of mental health and vision is a great one.
We generally don’t ostracize people for wearing glasses or contacts, and we generally don’t beat ourselves up for not having perfect vision.
When our imperfect vision becomes disruptive or dangerous, we do something about it.
We need to get to the same place with regards to mental health.
We shouldn’t ostracize people for struggling with mental health issues, and we shouldn’t beat ourselves up for not having perfect mental health.
When our mental health issues become disruptive or dangerous, we should do something about them.

Stigma

There is still a ton of stigma around mental health issues.
There is a generational divide around mental health.
Those who say people struggling with mental health issues should “just suck it up” are wrong and can cause real harm.
Breaking down the stigma around mental health is an urgent and important societal mission.
Talking openly and honestly about mental health can literally save peoples’ lives.
Workplaces, homes, and communities must foster environments where people feel like they can safely discuss mental health.

The mind/body connection

Reminder to anyone who says “It’s all in your head”: your head is part of your body.
Your mind influences and impacts your body. Your body influences and impacts your mind.
Stress can cause and/or contribute to acute, detrimental physiological problems.
Traumatic events can dramatically alter peoples’ mental and physical health.
Grief can impact peoples’ mental and physical health.
Improving sleep improves physical and mental health.
Regular exercise improves physical and mental health.
A good diet improves physical and mental health.
Reducing or eliminating bad lifestyle habits improves physical and mental health.
Though this is changing, some in the medical field unfortunately don’t approach health problems in a holistic way.
Consider how your physical health influences and impacts your mental health.
Consider how your mental health influences and impacts your physical health.

Support

Human beings are social creatures.
You are not alone.
Trying to power through mental health issues alone isn’t a good strategy.
You have people in your life who care about you and want you to be healthy, happy, and safe.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends, family, or even strangers if you’re struggling with your mental health.
Trust that people who care about you want to help you, not judge you.
There are many formal support groups and resources that can help you navigate mental health issues.
Notice when friends, loved ones, and even casual acquaintances seem off, down, or are exhibiting alarming behavior.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to them. Even simple gestures or casual conversations can really help someone struggling with mental health issues.
Talking about your own mental health in a healthy way can break down stigma, encourage others to open up, and even encourage people to seek help.
Don’t forget to tell the people you love that you love them.
Mental health issues affect not only the individual, but all of the people in the person’s life.
It’s important for those close to someone suffering from mental health issues to seek support and have healthy outlets.

Therapy

Therapy can be very helpful at identifying and working through problems with a skilled, trained professional.
Even the healthiest minds can benefit from therapy.
Rapport between a patient and a therapist is absolutely critical.
Finding the right therapist is like dating; don’t write off the entire concept based on a bad experience.
Talk therapy is only one type of therapy; there are myriad others that might be worth exploring.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help people identify and overcome unhealthy thought patterns.
More therapists and mental health professionals are desperately needed.
A better diversity of therapists and mental health professionals is desperately needed in order to properly serve the diversity of populations and lived experiences.

Meditation and mindfulness

Nothing is permanent.
Like waves in the ocean, emotions come in and then recede.
Mindfulness involves focusing attention on the present moment while acknowledging and accepting thoughts and feelings.
Fighting thoughts and feelings can lead to suffering. It’s possible to simply notice thoughts and feelings.
Meditation can help cultivate mindfulness.
Cultivating mindfulness can alleviate suffering and improve mental health.

Medication

No one wants to be on medication. It’s natural to want to err on the side of dealing with things naturally.
It’s good to explore treatments and therapies other than medicine.
But sometimes we need medicine.
Medication can help adjust brain chemistry in order to see more clearly, similar to how eyeglasses or contacts help people with imperfect vision see more clearly.
It’s ok to be nervous, skeptical, or apprehensive around taking medication.
While some people need to take medication in perpetuity, many people are prescribed medication on a short-term basis.
There are many different kinds of mental health issues, and there are many kinds of medications.
Every mind and body is different. Some medications may not be effective at all, while some might be more effective than the others.
Medication should be regularly monitored and adjusted as needed under the guidance of a professional.
Many concerns around pharmaceutical companies’ incentives and business models are valid. That’s a separate conversation than whether or not medication can help people with mental health issues.

Psychedelics

Brains develop neural pathways for thought patterns that can grow deeper over time.
Sometimes deep neural pathways can form around unhealthy thought patterns.
Psychedelics can help the brain “jump the tracks” out of those well-worn neural pathways and view the self and the world in a different, healthier way.
Psychedelics should be done in a therapeutic setting under the supervision of a professional.
While the psychedelic experience itself is potent, many of the therapeutic benefits come from the subsequent integration work done with a professional.
Psychedelic therapy should be legalized.

The big picture

The world has suffered through a global pandemic for the last several years.
The pandemic isolated people from one another and forced everyone to behave in ways that go against basic human nature.
This led to collective suffering.
While everyone’s suffering is different, it’s important to recognize that everyone suffered.
It’s important to recognize that shared suffering continues to impact society today.
Given that context, it’s absolutely critical and urgent to have an ongoing, worldwide conversation about mental health.
There is so much overlap between mental health and other critical societal issues like poverty, injustice, political polarization, violence, child welfare, education, etc, etc.
Improving the world’s mental health would almost certainly lead to improvements in many other aspects of society.
Governments, organizations, and communities should prioritize mental health care.
Governments, organizations, and communities should fund mental health care initiatives.
Governments, organizations, and communities should build and evolve infrastructure around mental health care.
Citizens should demand that governments, organizations, and communities prioritize mental health care.

Resources

Note: I am not a mental health professional, so take all of this with a grain of salt. Please take good care of your mental health and care about those around you.