Panic, anxiety and emotional outbursts are not really good examples of a person with a perfect mental health. But do they define you, or are they the things you have to overcome while working on your mental health?
Most people talk about Going Crazy, hence the name of this blog. But "Going Crazy" does not mean that your mental health is bad. Even though everything is a bit messed up right now. You can still do the right things. I think that is what defines your mental health. How you go about your everyday life. And how you keep on going even when it feels like all the things you took for granted suddenly and drastically change around you.
The definition of Mental Health is yours to decide
Most often mental health is described as: Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It has an impact on the way we think, feel, and act. It also influences how we deal with stress, interact with others, and make decisions. Mental health is crucial at all stages of life, including childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. If you have mental health difficulties, your thinking, mood, and behavior may be affected throughout your life.
In my case , my psychological and emotional well-being are all jumbled. Which in turn makes my social well-being, a bit screwed as well. But I still think I get to decide what mental health means for me. As mentioned in Fear and Shame, I can't really control my emotions right now. Does that define me ? Does that make me a person with bad mental health ? I talked about my Way of coping with all the crazy. And in there I talk about the different ways I choose to struggle through some of the most difficult things I have had to do. And by struggling I mean that I keep doing the things that scare me. I keep doing the things that give me even a semblance of joy for just one moment in a day. Just because I know that I would not make it otherwise. I strive to find ways to keep myself busy and my mind occupied. Because if I didn't, I know I would be a whole lot worse. The shame, the guilt and the doubt, they eat away at me. But I still carry on living my life. I still play with my kids. Maybe not as often as either of us would have liked, and perhaps not as wild as I used to. That is my Mental Health.
So what is the definition of Mental Health?
I think the way you handle all of it. That is what defines your mental health. Do you go by instinct and give in to the fear? Or do you contest that fear and keep fighting everyday so that you can keep on going the next day as well? The way you handle stressful environments. Do you avoid them all together or do you find ways to circumvent the triggers.
Why is Mental Health important?
Mental health is more vital than ever when you have PTSD. It affects all aspects of our life. The value of a healthy mental health pervades everything we do, think, and say. And it affects the way we and our loved ones cope with all the Crazy.
Reasons to be concerned about mental health
Stabilizing constructive behaviors, emotions, and thoughts requires maintaining a positive mental health even if our body or mind say different. By concentrating on mental health and doing the things to keep going: can boost productivity, improve self-esteem, and improve relationships. It helps ourselves to know that even though everything is crazy we can still do most of the things we used to. It helps our loved ones realize that we still want to get better.
Working on our mental health can help us control — or at least combat — some of the physical health problems that are directly linked to mental health concerns. If I stopped doing all the things my body and mind tell me not to do or the things I have absolutely no energy for, I wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning. As you can imagine, that wouldn't be very beneficial to my physical health. Also because most of the symptoms are related to stress and external stimulants, reducing stress by exercising, breathing exercises or other ways of coping may have a beneficial effect on the symptoms. Perhaps you'll have a bit more time to find a quiet place to get away from a certain trigger.
I can not stress this enough. Finding people to support you is one of the hardest and most crucial parts of coping with all this. I am very glad I have several people around me who help me with everything. Most of all my wife, without her and her support I would probably be sitting in a corner crying my eyes out. But also and not limited by, the in practise mental healthcare. She has been regularly checking up on me. Going so far as making weekly appointments until I was able to see someone. These apointments help me to open up and just let all the emotions in. She is also one of the people who keep mentioning I'm doing the right things. I need help off course, but the things I'm doing are helping me keep my mental health positive even though it might not feel like it. As long as I keep on going against the current and stay active and keep using my ways of coping with this, I won't give in to this Crazy. Otherwise I might as well just give up.
I know I haven't talked about the flashbacks or the panic attacks so much lately, but things have been a bit hectic. I had a couple of bad days and mostly the flashbacks and panic make me angry. All the time. I have trouble enjoying, loving and living. I'll try and put thoughts on paper soon. So bear with me.
If you want to support me, please join me on my facebook channel, or leave a comment below. If you just want to talk feel free to use the contact form and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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