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Mental Health: Accepting Healing Over Time

 

Valarie Ward has written a good breakdown of how pop mental health writing is often not only unhelpful, but perpetuates stigma and judgment. Treatment–whether chemical, cognitive, or situational–can support and help to heal mental health, but it’s not a magical instant “cure.”

It’s useful to find the type of treatment or intervention that is most helpful and supportive to YOU. It doesn’t mean you’re “doing it wrong” if you still have symptoms or flare-ups. It means that humans are biological, not mechanical objects that can have new parts swapped in for an instant fix. [See: PTSD as chronic illness]

There is nothing wrong with trying to find things that help you feel better and function better. We encourage you to explore treatment modalities!

But the danger in chasing a “cure” can be the idea that if it’s not “cured,” then we just aren’t trying hard enough. Plenty of people with mental illness and injury hear this message from well-meaning friends, family, and loved ones, though sometimes in different words.

“You’ve been in therapy for weeks/months/years, why isn’t it helping?”: If it’s truly not helping, then of course try something else, or something additional!

But often this really means “I’m upset that you’re not ‘cured’ yet.” Unfortunately, we may also internalize these messages ourselves, which just means that we have found another “should” with which to beat ourselves up; another way to use perfectionistic standards against ourselves.

Instead, notice how far you’ve come since you started working on your healing. Even if it has only been a few days, I bet you already learned some things that help you to comfort yourself or to reframe your thoughts in a healthy way that hurts less!

And if you’ve been working on healing for a while, I bet you are experiencing more days during which you can get out of bed. Or get out of the house. Or days you can do some meaningful work or play. Or days you can spend time with your children. Or fewer days spent in the hospital. Or a better ability to see yourself having a future. Or a few more relationships that are going a little better than they used to. I bet you’ve already done a lot more healing than you think!

So instead of beating up on yourself for not suddenly being “cured” or “fixed,” take stock of how your healing really is progressing, and be proud of yourself. ❤

 

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Self-Care: Becoming Your Own Good Parent

I frequently hear people describing “luxury” activities, such as getting a manicure or buying things for themselves, as “self-care.” Often it’s said jokingly, but I get the sense that many people do not really know what self-care is. Sure, self-care may usefully incorporate some luxurious activities. But that’s really not what it’s about. Self-care is simply doing for yourself what a very good parent would do for you, to the best of your ability. And a good parent would make sure your needs were met. Every day.

We learn what we live. If you grew up in a chaotic, dysfunctional, or abusive household, you may not have received a complete template for what a good parent does.  If that is the case, then you have had a long time to practice not treating yourself very well. The only way to retrain yourself in that skill is the way you develop any other skill–by practicing. So here are some things a good parent would do for their child that you can practice doing for yourself:

A good parent would make sure you had a regular bedtime and enough sleep, maybe even a nap when you’re feeling cranky or sick. They would make sure you were getting enough nutritious and enjoyable foods. They would make sure you bathed, brushed your teeth, and had clean clothes.  They would make sure you had some time to run around outdoors. They would make sure you got medical care.

Do you do those things for yourself? Or do you make yourself operate on too little sleep and put off eating until you’re drooping? Do you treat meals like sins or punishments instead of necessary and pleasant events? Do you treat exercise like a penance for eating? Do you ignore illnesses and injuries until they are simply unbearable?

A good parent would arrange for playtime with nice friends, and would limit time spent with those who were mean to you. A good parent would comfort you when you were sad or afraid, listen when you were angry, and share your happiness. A good parent would maintain healthy boundaries: they would allow you to have your own feelings and not make you responsible for theirs.

Do you do those things for yourself? Or do you spend more time with unpleasant people out of obligation, and less time with people who are good to be around? Do you dismiss your feelings, swallow your sadness, minimize your anger, ignore the importance of your joy?  Do you call yourself stupid for having a feeling? Do you take responsibility for making sure things are okay for everyone around you, even if it means you are unhappy?

A good parent would encourage your interests, your curiosity, and your work habits, and would help you develop your talents. A good parent would also give you adequate unstructured time to relax between all that working and practicing.

Do you do those things for yourself? Or do you dismiss your interests as silly or insignificant? Do you put off necessary tasks repeatedly? Do you tell yourself that your talent for sewing, mechanics, dancing, writing, music, art, is unimportant and not worth practicing? Do you always forgo pleasurable, enriching, or relaxing activities in favor of your to-do list or more work hours, even when you have some free time?

One of the tasks of adulthood is to re-parent ourselves, which really means developing the habit of self-care. If you want to feel better and function better, start the practice of becoming your own very good parent.

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What To Do Until Your Therapy Appointment

Even when there is not an emergency situation, it can be hard to cope with crisis or distress while you are waiting for your appointment in a few days or weeks. But taking care of yourself as best you can until then will help a great deal.

Talk to friends / family members: Share your feelings and thoughts with someone you feel comfortable with and who cares for you.

Take a bath / shower: Taking a bath or shower can calm you down and soothe you.

Exercise / take a walk: Go outside or go to the gym to exercise and release the tension.

Write: Take some time to write about how you feel and how you make sense of things.

Practice relaxation techniques: Listen to a relaxation track on YouTube or similar, and follow the directions.

Eat healthfully: It is important to take care of your basic needs. Fueling your body with healthy food is one of them.

Practice meditation: There are many different kinds of meditation. One of the ways to practice meditation is to be still and observe the sensations in your body from head to toe. If troublesome thoughts come into your mind, be aware of them but let them go. Try the free guided sessions at Headspace if a structured approach works for you.

Breathe deeply: You can practice deep breathing in any setting. Try to inhale deep into your abdomen.

Get enough sleep: If you are tired you will not be able to think clearly. Sleeping 7-8 hours per night can rejuvenate you and help you think clearly. Practice meditation or take a bath to help with difficulties falling asleep.

Attend to your spiritual needs: During hard times, attending to your spiritual needs by attending or observing services, meeting with others, or praying may help to comfort you.

Set several small goals for the day and work on them: Focusing on one thing at a time will help keep you from feeling overwhelmed.

Structure your time: Re-evaluate your priorities. Time management isn’t just about “how much can I squeeze in” but rather “what can I let go of.” Include things that are meaningful and comforting for you, not just a bunch of obligations.

Accept help: When loved ones offer help, try accepting some instead of expecting to do everything on your own. Also, remind the anxious part of yourself that you are no longer helpless and you will take care of yourself.

 

– Dr. Liz

  • (Adapted from materials used at Michigan State University Counseling Center)
  • For additional practical self-care measures, try this helpful list!