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When
I read the June issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine,
I noticed the little star that read: “Do you have any ideas for a
column? Or is there something you’d like to see in the magazine?”
Silly me. I told Bonnie, “I
think we should start a column called the ‘Well Writer.’” So now I’m
heading it up. A team of writers will address important issues of
concern to writers, including our health needs. If you have a
particular subject you would be interested in reading about, let me
know.
Even as a counselor who knows
better, it’s not easy to take care of myself. I know what I should do,
but being human I don’t always do it. Sound familiar? If taking care of
yourself usually shows up on the bottom of your to-do list, it’s time
to make a change. Women especially are at risk for depression because
we tend to be the first line of defense in our families to take care of
others but not ourselves. Men are vulnerable as well. As a licensed
Independent Social Worker counseling nursing students, I deal with
mental health issues every day. But what many of us don’t question
until we get depressed or suffer from anxiety is what does mental
health look like? What is the definition of mental health as opposed to
mental illness?
Dictionary.com defines mental health as”:
1. psychological well-being and
satisfactory adjustment to society and to the ordinary demands of life.
Another definition of mental
health is the absence of disease and the enjoyment of life. I like to
say the absence of dis-ease. Just like any other part of the human
body, the mind can have illnesses. (You can read about them at the
National Alliance on Mental Illness. Help stamp out the stigma against
those with mental illness just by becoming informed and sharing your
knowledge.) Jesus taught about and demonstrated mental health when he
would get away from others to pray. One of the best things we can do
for ourselves is to take Matthew 11:28 to heart and go to Him. “Come to
me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
(NIV).
Too often in this turbulent,
fast-paced world, we are tempted to try to solve our problems by
ourselves. God wants us to turn to Him for advice, to use the wisdom of
the Bible, and to utilize the training of those He put on earth to help
others. God created us for community and not to isolate ourselves when
we experience trouble.
We
can relieve stress in our lives by many methods (my top pick is
massage). Other effective strategies are 1) Talking about your problems
with someone you trust; 2) Praying and seeking God’s wisdom for your
particular concerns; 3) Setting healthy boundaries
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(in
other words,
saying no). (See Boundaries: When to Say YES When to Say NO
to Take Control of Your Life, Dr. Henry Cloud, and Dr. John
Townsend); and 4) Exercising, which releases endorphins and helps you
feel better.
One of the biggest mental health
disorders that we all know something about and many writers suffer from
is depression. Did you know that Sir Winston Churchill suffered from
depression? He called it his Black Dog
(http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/).
British folklore talks about a
ghostly black dog with large glowing eyes. This made me wonder if that
was the thought behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of
the Baskervilles. I have not researched that idea but made a
quick run of the question on the Internet and found, not surprisingly,
that Conan Doyle did suffer depression after his wife and several other
family members died.
There are many mysteries yet to
be solved regarding the human body. The health of the spirit is also
related to the health of the brain. Please remember that the brain is
part of the body, and those who suffer with any type of mental illness
are due the same respect as anyone who has cancer, diabetes, thyroid
disease, etc. Taking care of you means taking care of your brain, too.
How are you going to take care of you and your brain health this year?
I’m lacing up my sneakers now.
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