PART I:

ACCEPTING WHAT IS WRONG AND THEN ACCEPTING ALL THE HELP AND ADVICE THAT YOU CAN GET

Remember the things your mind tells you when you are depressed? Remember item number six? It states that “you should deal with this on your own”. I don’t really know why this feeling is there. Is it because we don’t want to have to admit to other people that something like this is wrong with us? Is it the stigma? Are we embarrassed? It is because we don’t want to have to admit to ourselves that something like this is wrong? Does seeking help for this issue mean admitting defeat? Does it mean finally holding up your hands and saying “yes, something is wrong with my mental health”? Is this something we should be ashamed of? Is it, in fact, the result of chemical imbalances in our brain creating this feeling of being alone? The reason eludes me, but the fact remains that it is difficult to admit that all is not well in this domain.

Perhaps there are still some issues with the language we use around mental health. The word ‘mental’ itself is used quite colloquially with a somewhat negative connotation. For instance, the phrase, “he went mental” might be used to describe the actions of a serial killer who goes on a rampage. An extreme sports enthusiast might watch a downhill mountain biker perform a backflip over an immense drop and say something along the lines of, “that was freakin’ mental!” While meant as compliment, the latter still suggests a sense of being challenged in the sanity department.

“Maybe if we referred to our ‘brain health’ people might find it easier to accept .”

Maybe it is time to drop the word ‘mental’. Maybe if we referred to our ‘brain health’ people might find it easier to accept (both in themselves and in others). Somehow, ‘brain health’ seems more accurate, more biological. It seems more indicative of what is actually wrong – chemicals in our brain are aren’t quite at the right levels and are affecting our thoughts and behaviour. Our brain health is affecting our emotional health. Correcting these levels in the brain is going to help make us better. Oh, and as with many health issues, some sort of counselling is also going to be beneficial in facilitating our recovery. After all, many cancer patients undergo counselling/therapy as a part of the complex jigsaw that makes up their treatment. Surely nobody would suggest that they didn’t make use of this support?

Coming Soon… Chapter 6: Part II