Every month seems to be This Month or That Month, dedicated to something or another. May happens to be Mental Health Awareness Month in addition to whatever else it is.
When we started going over the medications for mental health in my pharmacology classes, we got the following attention grabber: "Look to your left. Look to your right. One of the three of you will suffer from a mental illness in your lifetime."
The mind and mental health are just as significant (perhaps slightly more than) as the body and physical health. Together the mind, body, and spirit of a person make up their soul. If one of the parts is not right, the whole soul suffers. It is important to take care of all the parts.
Sometimes we disregard mental health or dismiss it with disparaging remarks. "They should just snap out of it. Try thinking happy thoughts. Just overcome your fears." It usually takes a lot more than words to make any other disease state to go away (heart disease, bacterial infection, broken bone). Why would we expect the same for an illness of the mind?
My examples of physical maladies are good for two reasons: not only are they ones to which that we can relate, but they also show how they can come about. Some illnesses come from self-neglect, some from misfortune, and some from a combination. No one chooses specifically to be unhealthy but either bad luck or a series of bad choices can lead to illness. You can't suddenly choose to be healthy either and expect to be so. It takes dedication to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. But also sometimes bad things happen and that's okay. We don't get to choose everything that happens to us, but we can choose how we will act and react.
My examples of physical maladies are good for two reasons: not only are they ones to which that we can relate, but they also show how they can come about. Some illnesses come from self-neglect, some from misfortune, and some from a combination. No one chooses specifically to be unhealthy but either bad luck or a series of bad choices can lead to illness. You can't suddenly choose to be healthy either and expect to be so. It takes dedication to be healthy in mind, body, and spirit. But also sometimes bad things happen and that's okay. We don't get to choose everything that happens to us, but we can choose how we will act and react.
The brain (and kind of with it, the psyche) is an organ just like the others. Just like the illnesses and disabilities of the other body organs differ and the treatments for those ailments differ, so does the brain have its own sicknesses (each with unique signs, symptoms, and stages that can vary between individuals with the same diagnosis) and treatments to go with each. Some of those treatments can be drugs, some can be behavioral changes.
As I thought about the ways mental illness has affected my life and the lives of my friends and family, I couldn't help but wonder, "What more could be done for people with these life-altering situations?" I'm a pharmacist by trade and training, but my first thought really isn't to "throw more pills at it".
That isn't to say that medication is unnecessary and can't be part of a treatment plan. Medicine is a tool, just like any other. There's still work to do in other aspects of life to get the job done, but medicine can make the job a little smoother if used correctly. It's like dividing a piece of food. Some people do just fine without any tools. Some might need to use a knife. Depends on the food, depends on the person. And the knife can be used improperly, so it does take some help and guidance. Most tools require proper use to get the proper effect without harming oneself. Same with medicine.
But it often takes more than just the tool to get the job done. It takes the work of a hand and arm to use a knife to cut fruit. It can take TLC (therapeutic lifestyle changes, more on the tender loving care in a minute) to make a difference in achieving healthiness. These changes can be small or large and can vary from individual to individual based on personal needs and ability. They can be anything from diet changes and increased physical activity, introducing coping mechanisms, or having regular activities to give structure and pattern to life's path.
As I thought further on the various mental illnesses plaguing my family and friends, I also drew one more conclusion. No matter what ails the person, each of them needs love. As I recently read this article, Ministering to Latter-day Saints with Mental Disorders, I couldn't help but think that 'love' is one of the best medicines for mental health issues. The article focuses on only a few disorders and doesn't cover some of the other major ones that I have seen affect those around me. But I did kind of see how the article (yes, it is directed at Mormons) pointed the reader toward loving the individual beyond whatever their mental disorder is.
I've seen friends and family struggle with anxiety and depression. I've seen my grandmother suffer from memory loss and cognitive decline (and my grandfather try to battle it). I've seen PTSD and loss of loved ones. I've seen parents trying to raise children with mental disabilities. Every single one of these people needed or still need varying levels of medical care including medication, therapy, and lifestyle/behavioral changes. More than that, each of them needed love and the attention of people who care about them (not just for them). And that is something we all can do.
Mental health is such a heavy topic. I know that some of my biggest fears have to do with losing my own mental capacity and health or having to raise a child or care for a parent with decreased cognitive ability. It's not easy at all. But one thing that I know will get me through if those challenges come to me is that I am loved and that I do and will love those individuals for whom I am responsible. Love is an answer.
As I thought further on the various mental illnesses plaguing my family and friends, I also drew one more conclusion. No matter what ails the person, each of them needs love. As I recently read this article, Ministering to Latter-day Saints with Mental Disorders, I couldn't help but think that 'love' is one of the best medicines for mental health issues. The article focuses on only a few disorders and doesn't cover some of the other major ones that I have seen affect those around me. But I did kind of see how the article (yes, it is directed at Mormons) pointed the reader toward loving the individual beyond whatever their mental disorder is.
I've seen friends and family struggle with anxiety and depression. I've seen my grandmother suffer from memory loss and cognitive decline (and my grandfather try to battle it). I've seen PTSD and loss of loved ones. I've seen parents trying to raise children with mental disabilities. Every single one of these people needed or still need varying levels of medical care including medication, therapy, and lifestyle/behavioral changes. More than that, each of them needed love and the attention of people who care about them (not just for them). And that is something we all can do.
Mental health is such a heavy topic. I know that some of my biggest fears have to do with losing my own mental capacity and health or having to raise a child or care for a parent with decreased cognitive ability. It's not easy at all. But one thing that I know will get me through if those challenges come to me is that I am loved and that I do and will love those individuals for whom I am responsible. Love is an answer.
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