When we hear the term “Mental Health what many actually think about is “Mental ill Health”
There is also a common belief that conditions associated with mental ill health can’t be healed they can only be managed.
Whilst I know for some people that is the case it is my experience both personally and professionally that that isn’t the way it has to be.
In my late 20's - early 30's for a variety of reasons I went through a very difficult few years in those years there were good times for the most part I was functioning on the outside but inside there was a lot of other stuff going on. At times I most certainly wasn't the easiest person to love.
For me talking therapy wasn't the answer and I am grateful that I had other holistic therapies to turn to.
This is a blog I wrote a couple of years ago feel free to share it as it might just resonate with someone. #LifeIsAboutThriving
Healing and Dealing
The words of this blog have been rolling round in my head for the past few days so I hope in putting it together I have got it right.
In South Armagh the term "wheeling and dealing" is fairly familiar and it is most certainly one of our stereotypes. Today I am putting a new spin on it and I am going to talk about "healing & dealing".
In my experience there are two approaches to health & well being; there is "dealing" and then there is "healing".
Each has its place and is important and necessary at different times, sometimes they happen along side each other and sometimes we put all our energy into "dealing" that we forget that healing is possible or perhaps we aren't aware of the many options that are available to help and support us on our healing journey.
By "dealing" I mean managing symptoms, in however we do that; diet, exercise medication, holistic treatments, etc but I also mean the view that we must "fight illness" whether that illness is categorised as a physical health problem or a mental health problem. We are in battle, we battle against our body and or our mind and that can become exhausting. What if this illness or disease is our wiser self, communicating with us that something needs to change, what if we are being encouraged to go deeper to get to the root cause and to heal on a deeper level.
What if we were able to put as much energy into healing as we do into fighting. What if instead of saying "I will fight this" we said "I will heal this" Could it bring about different results?? We could be fighting forever but I truly believe based both on my own experience and the experience of others, that when we choose to heal, when we look at the physical reasons along with emotions,experiences and beliefs that often lie at the root of both physical and mental health problems and work on changing and healing them; then the fight, the battle, even the war is over and we are free to experience true health, happiness and well being. There are many different options and paths that we can take, often we say I have tried everything and nothing works. I am pretty sure there will be something out there that you haven't heard of or experienced.
It is rarely one thing on its own that works but when you choose to heal and see everything as a piece of that journey knowing that true healing is different for us all then you will find the path that is right for you.