Let's Talk Mental Wellness
I talk a lot about mental illness, but it’s time to switch the narrative tonight and talk about mental wellness. Mental wellness is an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect, and function; it is an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow, and flourish.
Did you know that while 70% of Americans with mental illness described themselves as having flourishing mental wellness, while only 20% of those free from mental illness “flourished” in their mental wellness?
I’ve had my ups and downs over the past 7 years, but currently I’m in a very good place. Let’s break down what I’ve done to help.
- Therapy: I’ve learned it’s not a one size fits all type of situation. My first experience with therapy was actually very negative. My counselor was very condescending and patronizing. I didn’t make an effort to continue when insurance changed. However, my therapist this spring and I had an great connection. If your first therapist doesn’t work out, it’s ok to fire them and find someone else!
- Medication: my journey with SSRIs is as rocky as my therapy journey. It took 5 years and 5 different medications, combos, and dosages to find the right one for me. There is a blood test that can show you what family of antidepressants will work best for you. Medications aren’t a quick fix either.
- Vitamin, minerals, and hormones: a quick blood draw this spring showed that I was dangerously low on vitamin D and magnesium. It’s always a good idea to have a full thyroid panel down as well.
- Diet and exercise: moving my body definitely helps my mental health, but how I fuel it affects it even more. When I consume a large amount of processed foods, I become lethargic, cranky, and even more anxious. I’ve cut out most caffeine and all alcohol as they decrease my mental wellness as well.
While I am not healed (nor do I believe I will ever be free from mental illness), it is vitally important to me to work on my mental wellness so I have resources in place when times get tough again.
What do you do for mental wellness?
