From Symptoms to Solutions: Understanding the Deeper Roots of Mental Health
I need you to hear me.
By the time this issue of Best Holistic Life lands in your hot little hands, the month of May and mental health awareness month will be long past.
And given that recent statistics reflect that I have two seconds to capture your attention, and I will likely have your attention for no more than 8 minutes, I want to waste no time getting to the point.
* In 2019-2020, 20.78% of adults were experiencing a mental illness.
* That is equivalent to over 50 million Americans.
* Millions of adults in the U.S. experience serious thoughts of suicide, with the highest rate among multiracial individuals.
* The percentage of adults reporting serious thoughts of suicide is 4.84%, totaling over 12.1 million individuals.
* 11% of adults who identified with two or more races reported serious thoughts of suicide in 2020 – 6% higher than the average among all adults.
* Over 1 in 10 youth in the U.S. are experiencing depression that is severely impairing their ability to function at school or work, at home, with family, or in their social life.
* 16.39% of youth (age 12-17) report suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.
* 11.5% of youth (over 2.7 million youth) are experiencing severe major depression.
* 22.87% of adults who report experiencing 14 or more mentally unhealthy days each month were not able to see a doctor due to costs.
* In the U.S., there are an estimated 350 individuals for every mental health provider.
We have a major problem in the United States that extends far beyond the month of May. If we collectively do not take it seriously, we are going to see what is already an epidemic grow beyond epic proportions with a potential no point of return.
Arguably, the physical symptoms most of you experience on a routine basis are the final manifestation of a mental and emotional metaphoric weed that has not yet been pulled.
Most of you chasing symptoms to slowly step your way into a better life have no idea that many of the physical ailments you experience are directly associated with if not totally rooted in, the mental and emotional aspects of your person that have not been safely explored and integrated.
Taylor, how in the world do my gut issues, lack of libido, or irregular cycles have anything to do with my mental and emotional health?
Well, sugar, I am so glad you asked because this is exactly what I work with in practice every. Single. Day. With the women in my community. AND I wouldn’t dream of walking away without giving you something to sink your teeth into.
So, let’s get to it, shall we?
Have you ever felt butterflies in your belly or even, dare I say, got the nervous poops prior to a big event?
These sensations are just one example of how the mind can impact the gut.
In fact, it’s been found that chronic depression, stress, and/or anxiety can actually change the physiology of the digestive tract, affecting the way it functions.
But wait, there’s more…
I’m sure, by now, with the amount of information available on the internet, you know that lack of sleep symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, and depression can be amplified, making it more difficult to actually fall and stay asleep.
If this goes on long enough, it will eventually lend itself to things such as insomnia or even sleep apnea.
Then there is longevity.
Given that you are reading an article in Best Holistic Life I imagine you’re interested in doing everything you can to live a LONG happy and healthy life.
Part of bringing that desire to fruition is tending to your mental health.
I’m sure you’re starting to see that mental health has extensive impacts on the ENTIRE body.
It’s been found that chronic mental health issues (can we find a new word for this please, how do you feel about opportunities, mental health opportunities, feels so much kinder than issues) can actually decrease overall life expectancy….
I would suggest you read that again…
Why is this the case?
Because as you’ve started to see in the picture being painted above between gut health, sleep, energy, and even your heart…
Mental health impacts everything from immune health to resilience through chronic health conditions.
Emotions that are freely experienced and expressed without judgment or attachment tend to flow fluidly without impacting our health.
As you can see above… repressed emotions (particularly fearful or negative ones) zap mental energy, negatively affect the body, and lead to health problems.
Humans are wired to defend against threats and loss in life, meaning you tend to prioritize bad over good.
While this is a tidy survival mechanism for someone who needs to stay hyper vigilant in a dangerous environment, the truth is that for most of us, this “negativity bias” is counter-productive.
You use words like health and longevity to define what you are seeking to experience out of life and I think these are great starting places and the one word many of you don’t often touch upon which so neatly wraps up everything we all seem to be after is resilience.
Resilient people are able to experience tough emotions like pain, sorrow, frustration, and grief without falling apart.
Resilient people do not deny the pain or suffering they are experiencing; rather, they retain a sense of positivity that helps them overcome the negative effects of their situation without bypassing the emotion that is arising.
Believe it or not, there are some people who are able to look at challenging times with optimism and hope, knowing that their hardships will lead to personal growth and an expanded outlook on life.
So, while May is long gone, and I am not one to tell you to spend too long looking in the rearview mirror, I do want to take this moment, while I have your attention, to remind you.
You’re doing great.
Being a human is far from easy.
We’re all in this together.
And if support is what you need, it’s often only one call, click, or message away.
Big Love, T
Statistic Reference: CDC
- Connect with Taylor, or start reading one of our favorites from Taylor.
- More articles are available from our VIP Executive Contributor, Taylor Sappington.