Mental Health

Y’all…Mental health is So Important. Mental health is as important as physical health. A lot of people do not like to talk about mental health, but I am here saying we all need to talk about it more.

What is Mental Health?

In my layman’s terms, mental health is the status or well-being of your mind and emotions. Mental health is how you feel on the inside of your head and in your soul even and how you deal with those feelings. Just like physical health is on a huge spectrum, mental health is as well. Everyone has a mental health status. Some people have very little issues and others have full blown mental diseases/disorders. If you want a more scientific definition, click here.

Disclaimer: I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL.

We go day-to-day doing our lives, many of us repeating the same schedule week after week. Most of us don’t have a scheduled break in our lives and the lucky ones get a week or two of paid vacation a year. I know everyone feels like they need a break once in a while and that feeling often can come out of the blue.

Yet, Most people cannot call into work and say, “I am taking a mental health day” and use an earned sick day. They would have to use a personal or vacation day or go unpaid.

What the Actual F***???

What good would a day off of work and the kids and other responsibilities do for you? Don’t you think the same would be good for your employees? Your friends? Your family members?

A day where you still get up, get the kids off to school, but then you go do WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO. Have coffee with a friend, read a book, binge watch a show, play an instrument for hours, go fishing, play video games, walk around a shopping mall. Hardly anyone I know schedules a day off to do that. Most of us have to use our paid time off for appointments or things we need to do between 8am-5pm on a weekday. Think of how beneficial this might be to some people!

Now, if you wake up every day not wanting to get out of bed or you have serious anger or sadness issues, though you may benefit from one day to yourself, you probably should seek further, more extensive help. Like I said, mental health is a huge spectrum and some people’s issues are more severe than others. I am not here to diagnose or prescribe anything and I am not a licensed professional. If you feel you need help in this capacity, I would recommend calling some place like Park Center or Parkview Behavioral Health. These people ARE professionals and can help you tremendously.

I really thought that mental health was more talked about than it ever has been before. I still think it is, but when I see outdated company policies that have “sick days” instead of categorizing them all as “Personal Days” or “PTO” it infuriates me. Insurance companies and whoever makes decisions there aid to the problem. I pay a higher copay when going to a therapist or for mental health versus physical health because it is classified as “specialized care.” I am sure this may have something to do with therapists costing more in general, but without insurance, a trip to the physical doctor and therapist are basically the same cost. I’d rather not get into a debate over what I have right/wrong about this, I have been with and without insurance and I am speaking from my experiences. If you have some knowledge to drop on me regarding healthcare and how it is funded, decided or anything else you think I should know, please share it in a positive, constructive way. Knowledge is power.

I am not saying we should all post our daily mental state on social media. I’m saying we need to talk about it with someone somewhere. And we need to be open to talking to others about their mental health too. We need to let each other know we are here if they need a shoulder or an ear. We need to normalize going a little bit deeper when needed to help a friend or ourselves. We need to let people know there are other ways of dealing with things than drugs, alcohol, negative acts and taking their own life. Suicide is not fun to talk about, but if you do, you could help save a life. Suicide rates have gone up pretty dramatically since 2000 in all races and all age groups. We need to find a better way to talk to one another and help each other.

Going to talk to a therapist is Normal and a Very Good Thing!

Many of us were not given healthy tools to use when we are dealing with distress or negative feelings. Many of us do not have anyone we can trust to talk to, confide in with our issues and ask for help. Therapists want to help people. Therapists have gone to school, learned and researched healthy ways to cope with life. I promise you are not going through anything a therapist cannot help you get through. You may not want to hear what a therapist says to you or about you, but I guarantee you need to hear it. If you take the time and make the effort to go, you will be better for it. Even though the copay is more, it is worth it.

Imagine growing up learning all the unhealthy ways to deal with your problems. Then, you go to therapy and learn a bunch of healthy coping mechanisms to use instead. Your life gets infinitely better after implementing these tools. After you’ve figured this out, you teach your kids these new, healthy ways to deal with life and problems. You have just broken a cycle and left a positive legacy for the entire future of your family!!! What a freaking world we could live in, y’all!

If you don’t know where to start, start here and now.

Stop for a minute. Close your eyes. Breathe. Think.

How is YOUR Mental Health?

Taking the time to recognize your feelings is a good first step. Then, figure out a next step on how you are going to deal.

Phone a friend.

Call a professional.

Anonymously call a phone number where people are there to help you.

There is even a number you can text to get help if you would prefer not to talk on the phone.

I am so very passionate about the subject of mental health and I could go on and on and on veering off on many different tangents in regards to how and why mental health is so important. I will end this here and now so I don’t lose anyone in my rambling.

Call: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline @ 1-800-273-8255

Text: HOME to 741741

You matter.

Take care of yourself inside & out.

You are Loved.

MAKE GOOD CHOICES.

~Love & Light, Sarah