We’re Normalizing Mental Illness But Not Healing It
Before You Medicate, Investigate
May is mental health awareness month and every time the subject of mental health comes around I feel like I am being punked because we are not talking about the elephant screaming in the middle of the room.
How can we talk about mental health without talking about physical health?
Many of the conversations we will hear this month will range from removing the stigma, to getting out into nature to promoting access to resources.
And I guess this is hitting the goal of raising awareness, but I am here to make clear that awareness isn’t enough.
Why are we so accepting of the rapidly rising mental health issues?
When will we begin to call it unnatural? Man made? Preventable?
When I say that it’s not normal, it is not to shame the people who live it with….I was one of them.
It is to ring the alarm so that we pay attention to what is causing it.
A mental health diagnosis is the canary in the coal mine.
A warning sign of deeper toxicity in our environment.
We are so focused on acceptance, are we even trying to heal?
Can we create a more accepting society and prioritize prevention?
There is a direct and irrefutable correlation between our mental health and the health of our body.
We are asking for a miracle if we expect our mental health to be better than our physical health.
Our health is the output or result from the many different inputs we experience every day.
Those inputs shape our mental and physical state.
Every day activity like…
• Food — especially whole, unprocessed nourishment (Gut health controls our brain, immune system and mood)
• Movement — particularly strength training, which creates endorphins and hope molecules.
• Knowledge of self — because understanding our natural rhythms changes how we define "normal."
As someone who was clinically diagnosed with depression (and fully accepted it because I have multiple close family members who’ve been treated 51/50) I know I was never encouraged to look at my inputs for cures.
Instead I was soothed into knowing that mental health challenges were totally acceptable given my family history and childhood trauma.
These are 3 things I suggest we include in conversations about mental health awareness:
Moving our body makes us happy
When I stumbled into bodybuilding in my early 30’s, I felt like I found a life line.
Lifting weights became my therapy.
It was hard to explain.
All I knew is that the gym was a place that held space for my anger and sadness.
And every time I walked out I felt better than when I went in.
I later learned that our muscles excrete ‘hope molecules’ and our body creates endorphins and dopamine when exercising.
I was stunned to learn that there was actual science that backed up how good I was feeling!
Why aren’t we prescribed a gym membership instead of medication?
A gym membership is much cheaper with way better side effects.
“You are what you eat” The energy transfer of food is real!
Next, I learned about food alchemy.
I am not a huge fan of medications so I turned down the medication I was prescribed.
I went in search of natural remedies and found green drinks.
If you scroll back through my social media several years ago, you will see that I was fanatical about them.
I had a green juice every morning (usually celery, green apple and spinach) and drank smoothie (avocado, spinach and kale) every afternoon.
Since I wasn’t waking up naturally happy, green drinks were how I got my doses of positive, uplifting energy into my body.
Science now tells us that 90–95% of our serotonin (the "feel good" neurotransmitter) is produced in our gut.
And that gut dysbiosis (imbalanced gut bacteria) is linked to depression, anxiety, ADHD, Alzheimer's, and even autoimmune brain diseases.
The data is clear… healthier foods lead to a healthier gut, which leads to a healthier mental state.
We are supposed to work with (not against) our natural rhythms
Every fall I would start to fall into depression.
I never questioned it…I accepted it as normal because so many others did too.
It was a dark, moody, alcohol fueled blur from November to February for several years.
Then I learned that time of year, it actually has a name.
It is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and I remember feeling relieved that it had a name and definition and that I wasn’t crazy.
That is until I learned about our natural rhythms and honoring our seasons.
I accepted that with the changing seasons of fall and winter our body naturally slows down.
My reclusive, hermit mood and desire for rest instead of ending the year strong was a completely appropriate response.
Listening to my natural rhythms removed the shame I was feeling for not wanting to perform.
Learning about our body and how it is built to operate makes a huge difference in what we define as ‘normal behavior’.
These are just a few examples about how movement, food and knowledge almost instantly mitigate some of our mental health challenges.
If you haven’t tried any of these yet, just know … they could change everything.
As we become more accepting and supportive of the mental health crisis we are facing in America, I encourage us to get curious about how we can alleviate it.
Let’s also discuss the systems, culture, and lack of education that contribute to it.
My diagnosis was not a life sentence … it was an invitation.
An invitation to learn more about myself, to understand why I was feeling the way I was, and to explore what was available to support my healing.
Several years later, I can confidently say… I’m a whole new woman.
Yes, I still have moments, but they are just that... moments.
And when my world feels like it is spinning out of control or sinking into darkness, I check in with my body.
Am I moving it?
What have I been eating?
Am I honoring my natural rhythms, especially rest?
This conversation with Self is where true healing begins.
Your next step?
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Disclaimer: This blog is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 911 or seek immediate help from a qualified medical or mental health professional. Your safety and well-being matter.