The social and economic consequences and costs of mental health disorders affects families, individuals and the community as a whole. One in two Australians deal with the effects of mental health disorders. And with a 70% rise in hospital presentations over 15 years, it is time to enhance approaches to mental health disorders.
Many seek psychological help and access to services. But with an estimated 3.9 million people with mental health problems, only 2.9 million are accessing help. And this is costing our economy $180 billion and $500 million a day in lost productivity. The government spent $10.6 billion on programs for people with a mental illness in 2019.
So what is good mental health?
Good mental health
Good mental health is vital to your overall health and wellbeing. According to the World Health Organization, \”Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.\”
It is a state of wellbeing where you contribute to your community and deal with the stresses of daily life. You recognise your talents and abilities, and are a productive member of society.
More and more we, as a society, have concerns for the mental health of ourselves and the people we love. But we cannot always rely on the government and healthcare system to provide the services needed. Often people will fall through the cracks when standard practices fail them. But there is additional help in alternative therapies that may just be what you need to get your life back on track.
Mental illness – What is it?
Mental illness is a term that covers a wide range of conditions that can affect how you think and feel. It can be debilitating and make coping with daily life difficult. And there can be many factors that impact your mental wellness such as genetics, environment and daily habits.
Everything from loneliness and a lack of self-confidence to feeling sad all the time and mood disorders can hold you back from living life to the fullest. Do you have concerns for your mental health or of someone you love?
Symptoms of mental health issues
Symptoms of mental health issues vary depending on the type of illness that affects you. But many can share common symptoms. These can include:
· A lack of interest in food or eating too much.
· Withdrawing from the world and the people you care about.
· You may no longer get enjoyment from your favourite activities.
· No matter how much sleep you get, you always feel tired.
· Sleeplessness or sleeping too much.
· Turning to illicit drugs or alcohol to help you cope.
· Feeling numb.
· A loss of empathy for others.
· You cannot stop those negative, nagging voices in your head.
· Aches and pains that you cannot explain.
· Mood swings that are so extreme it affects your relationships.
· Thoughts of harming yourself or someone else.
· Flashbacks to negative events that just will not stop.
· Unable to cope with daily life or work.
· Constantly fighting with the people in your life.
· Feelings of hopelessness, anger, anxiety, sadness, fear or hopelessness.
And these may be worse when under stress or stressful events can trigger the symptoms.
It is important to see your doctor for a diagnosis. They will give you a physical check up to ensure there is not a physical health problem contributing to what you are experiencing. And they will refer you to a mental health worker for further assessment. You may even need medications and psychological help. This can take some time and may not help you in the short or long-term. So you may seek alternative approaches to help get your life back on track.
Reset your brain to better mental health
Recovering from a mental illness can mean you need to reset your brain to complement traditional methods. Conventional methods may not help. There is a risk of serious side effects when taking psychotropic medications such as antipsychotics and antidepressants. But when you change the way you think, it may change the chemical connections in your brain.
Resetting your brain takes brain training so you can try the following four steps:
1. Relabel your thoughts, behaviours and feelings. Next time you have a thought, feeling or behave uncharacteristically, relabel them. For example, you can rename an unwanted thought as “not true” or as a “false message”. This helps you to recognise the difference between reality and the false messages your brain sends. Or if you get angry easily, you can relabel the behaviour as a “harmful behaviour”. It is about refusing to let your brain trick you into the way you should think, feel and behave.
2. Work out why these plague you. It can be frustrating to have unwanted thoughts, behaviours and feelings plague you. But it is because your brain is misfiring so the negative chatter and behaviour can take over. So when you realise this, it is easy to tell yourself that it is a false message or there are better choices to make.
3. Refocus your thoughts, behaviours and feelings. This is where the hard work begins. Now you recognise the problem and what causes it, replace the negative with a positive every time negativity takes over your brain. Replace these with positive thoughts or do something you enjoy. It will help change your brain chemistry as you are creating a new mindset and patterns. The more you do this, the easier it becomes.
4. Putting it all together. By consistently replacing old thoughts and behaviours with new ones, old patterns become simple distractions that do not add value to your life. Eventually they will not be so intense and will become a distant memory.
These four steps can help you change the way you see the world when you have a mental illness. There is also a Perth clinic, the Blissiree Pty Ltd, that is a Spa for your brain. It specialises in mental health disorders using a proprietary technique its founder developed. Highly trained facilitators work with you with the aim of helping to break down old patterns of behaviour.
Unique brain spa
The Perth brain centre is unique and the first of its type in the world. Using auditory stimuli, the aim is to reprogram your brain’s unhealthy patterns through the unconscious part of your brain.
By working with the unconscious part of your brain, it may help change your conscious thoughts and behaviour. It may also be possible to address the conditioned patterns of behaviour you inherited at birth.
Blissiree Pty Ltd facilitators will also offer guidance on how to make better decisions and more positive life choices. And these may break the self-sabotaging patterns that may underly your mental health disorder.
Final words
Prioritising your mental health can be difficult. This can be because you are not in the habit or just cannot commit to prioritising your mental health. And when you do not prioritise your mental health, your symptoms can escalate so you may need help. Until you do something about it, this will continue to negatively impact your overall health, life and happiness. It also impacts your partner, friends and family.
With some simple changes to your life and practice, you can learn to prioritise your mental health. Discover your triggers and work on challenging that negative nagging inner voice. Work on resetting your brain. See through the illusion it creates. But if your mental health has become a problem, it is time to turn it around. Time to do something positive about it. Seek help. Take back control. You do not have to go through it alone. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can start taking good care of your mental health.
Reach out
If you are struggling, reach out to our professionals. When you are not coping, contact us. We can talk to you about getting your life back on track. But if you reach a crisis point, call us immediately. We are here to support you.
We can work with you over the phone, via Skype or in our Spas. Book in today for my Emotional Empowerment Program. I have an introductory offer for just $99 so you may start taking back control of your life. We aim to help you cope with any mental health challenges. Our facilitators may alleviate the effects of these so you start to take control and enjoy life again.
Let me help alleviate the effects of mental health issues
My Emotional Empowerment Program has helped many people like you for more than a decade. My aim is to help you manage your symptoms. This can give you new hope for the future. A future filled with happiness, peace, and contentment in weeks not years.
Give the Blissiree Pty Ltd a try by booking a free 25-minute telehealth consultation. Or discover a seamless way to rejuvenate your emotional and mental health by becoming a member. It will give you access to more than 75 audio programs that can help your child and you to live inspired and improve mental wellbeing.