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Mental health disorders are a rising concern in our society. The negative trend with mental health issues increasing is being experienced not only by adults but also in young children as well. And it seems that there is a stigma in society that the only way to address these mental health issues is by means of some sort of psychotherapy or behavioral therapy and prescription medications, which come with their own array of problems. And let’s be honest, many times, someone who is experiencing mental health issues doesn’t want to open up in the traditional ways in which allopathic therapies are trained in. And while western medical doctors hold strong to the teaching that therapy and prescriptions are the only or correct way to treat mental health issues, many in the holistic wellness field are left saying “there’s got to be better ways!”
I’m no stranger to mental health issues, which is why I was compelled to share this series with you.
My husband has lived with combat post-traumatic stress disorder for about 11 years now. After his deployment, he was never the same, and most likely never will be. Then there’s my lovely 15-year-old stepdaughter, who experienced multiple occasions of childhood sexual abuse when she lived with her birth mother. Events that, over the last few years have resurfaced. I tell you this because, for both my husband and my daughter, we tried the traditional routes for years with little to no improvement. Both my husband and daughter found traditional therapy a waste of time and large prescriptions SSRIs turned my husband into an outbursting with anger zombie while my daughter began secluding herself from the world and feeling hopeless. I found myself always saying “there’s got to be better ways to help them!”
How many of you either suffer from mental illness, know someone who has suffered from mental illness, or know someone that currently struggles with mental illness of some kind- diagnosed or not?
Far too many, I will tell you that! In fact, anxiety disorders are ranked as the most common mental health issue in the U.S., and numbers are expected to rise. Currently, 18% of our population experiences some form of anxiety disorder; that’s approximately 40 million people! And in children, it is estimated that one-quarter of kids between the age of 13 years and 18 years suffer from anxiety. [1]
Mental health issues not only affect the individual suffering from it but also those closest to them. The struggle of negative mental health behaviors often radiates outward and projects onto the family, which can, in some cases, lead to growing mental health struggles for individuals who maybe didn’t struggle in that way previously.
I am here to tell you that there are better ways to improve mental self through holistic, yet realistic, methods of healing!
It is time that we, as parents, as siblings, as spouses, as victims, as sufferers, and as individuals take back control of our mental health. Because it is possible! Here’s the thing, you are your biggest healer. Even when it doesn’t feel like you can. But you are! Because you know you best. You know, or can discover the easiest, what it is that you need to improve your mental health and your entire wellness journey. It is important that you take the time to address the mental health issues that you or your loved ones are struggling with in different ways. Ways that are not taught or utilized in western medicine, but in lifestyle changes that work. Together, let’s work together toward a positive change in mental health.
Let’s look at ways that you can implement holistic changes into your life and improve your mental wellness.
This blog series is all about providing you with different options within the holistic realm of healing that are easy to implement and don’t require expensive doctors, medications, or typical therapies. Let’s call these three basic options that I will share “practical” because that is exactly what they are. By utilizing nutrition to improve gut health, energy work to reduce stress and get in touch with yourself, and regular physical activity to support your mental self, you can begin your path or aid your loved one on their path to regaining control of the mental self.
Continue to Part 2…
References:
1- ADAA. (N.D.). Understanding Anxiety & Depression. Anxiety & Depression Association of America.