
One of the most life changing realizations I've ever had was that the brain is part of the body. Duh. But we talk about Mental Health and Physical Health like they are two separate things. The brain is just as physical as anything else in our body. If you are struggling with mental illness and aren't trying to improve your physical health, you are leaving money on the table.
If you are struggling with mental illness and aren't trying to improve your physical health, you are leaving money on the table.
The reason this is so important is because you can use your body to control your mind. When it comes to mental health, we often over index on mind-over-mind techniques. We try to think our way out of it. Identifying and changing negative thought patterns is central to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. If that's a new term for you, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques are typically what happens in a session with a therapist. Identifying negative thought patterns (thinking) and changing them (also thinking).
There is nothing wrong with mental techniques. I've got dozens of em. They are incredibly important tools. As with all tools, they need to be used at the right time and for the right purpose.
I lean heavily on physical tools because they don't give me a choice. If it's cold, I shiver. If it's hot, I sweat. I don't have to decide. In fact, I don't get to decide. There is hardwiring in me that will create these reactions whether I like it or not.
The same is true for mental health. If you are eating well, sleeping well and exercising, you will feel better. Breathing techniques, will make you feel better. Getting exposure to sunlight causes a biological response. You don't get to decide. I can assure you that hopping into a cold bathtub or cold shower will make you feel different.
It's important to caveat that there are very legitimate and messy problems in life that might be causing the symptoms in the first place. What if someone is in an abusive relationship? Suggesting to them that they should go for a run, eat an apple and then they'll feel better is reductive. This is where professionals therapists and psychiatrists come into play. But, as someone who has been going to therapy on and off for my entire life (tip - stay on), I can tell you that their approach is going to be finding an inch of clear head space and building momentum. Taking care of your physical health can help add to that momentum. It can be the crow bar that wedges the door open just a little bit further.
On the other hand, there are people who experience symptoms and there is not a clear cause. I was suicidal when I was 9 years old. What ails a 9 year old? There are countless stories of people who are seemingly successful, seem to have it all together and take their own lives. "I wish I knew." "I had no idea." I've said both of these things myself. While I don't have the specific answers, I read a book that lays out how these kinds of things happen.
One of my favorite books I've read lately is Brain Energy by Dr. Chris Palmer. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor several times. He did it. He discovered the rules to the game and has the science to back it up. There's not anything in there that is Earth shattering, there's no big secret reveal. There is no silver bullet. But what is Earth shattering and shocking is just the structure and logic behind it. You're left with no questions. It's one cohesive structure and narrative that makes so much sense. Why would medication work for some people and not others? Why did the ketogenic diet help virtually eliminate his patient's schizoaffective disorder (=schizophrenia + bipolar disorder) symptoms? Why could getting more sunlight help improve your mental health?
In short, his theory is that mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. There are countless causes of metabolic disorder, and then metabolic disorder can result in a variety of symptoms. Here's a great example he uses: A runny nose. That could be caused by a cold. It could also be caused by an allergen. Two entirely different causes that, if you look at the symptom alone, appear to be the same. The next layer of that is the variation of symptoms. Two people could be allergic to cats. One person might get watery eyes and a runny nose. The other might get shortness of breath and break out in hives. If we looked at the symptoms alone, we'd think they have entirely different causes. But at the end of the day, we know they are allergic to cats.
The underlying causes are many. It takes trial and error to figure out what works best for you. It's hard work. The good news is, everything is going to help, if only a little bit. The door being an inch open as opposed to locked closed is progress. If you keep making progress, tomorrow will be better than today. That's something to look forward to.