wellness

Universal Mental Healthcare - Sustainable Development Goals are the way of the future!

Are you or a loved one experiencing social withdrawal? Mood disturbances? Thought disturbances? Changes in behavior? Irregular expression of feelings? Perhaps you or a loved one have already been diagnosed with or are actively treating a mental health condition.


I hope you can take some comfort in the fact that you are not alone. According to a survey conducted by Mental Health America (MHA), nearly 50 million Americans are living with a mental illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) defines mental illnesses as medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, daily functioning, and ability to relate to others. Just like physical illness, mental illness requires further treatment with a healthcare professional. Unfortunately, almost a quarter of all adults struggling with mental illness were unable to access the treatment they needed as a result of absence of health insurance or coverage limitations, shortage of mental health professionals, lack of treatment types, significant disconnect between primary and behavioral health systems, and exorbitant costs for mental health services if providers do not take insurance (MHA, 2022). Another worthy factor to consider is that individuals may be hesitant to pursue mental health treatment due to societal stigma. The consequences of lack of mental health treatment are dire and can result in increased suicide rates, increased rates of chronic medical conditions, and increased incarceration rates to name a few (NAMI, 2022). 


The United Nations (UN)  is an international organization where the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems and find shared solutions (United Nations, 2023).  The UN is responsible for the creation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals ‘SDG’, each with an intent to promote prosperity while protecting the planet (United Nations, 2023).  The SDG’s are: 

  1. No Poverty

  2. Zero Hunger

  3. Good Health & Well-being

  4. Quality Education

  5. Gender Equality

  6. Clean Water & Sanitation 

  7. Affordable & Clean Energy 

  8. Decent Work & Economic Growth 

  9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  10. Reduced Inequalities

  11. Sustainable Cities & Communities

  12. Responsible Consumption & Production

  13. Climate Action

  14. Life Below Water

  15. Life on Land

  16. Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions

  17. Partnerships for the Goals 


As a whole, there are 169 unique targets divided amongst the goals to act as guiding principles to achieve said goal. All members of the UN as of 2015 have agreed upon the creation of the SDG’s and have committed to contributing towards the achievement of all 17 goals by 2030. The one we’ll be focusing in on is SDG #3 - good health & well-being, as this goal is one way in which we as a society can work together to increase access to affordable mental healthcare services. This is the first global plan documented that factors mental health as a realm in need of further development. Target 3.4 of this goal pertains to reducing noncommunicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promoting mental health and well-being (World Health Organization). 


The commitment to improving mental healthcare by the United Nations and World Health Organization are vital proponents for creating a better world and dismantling systemic barriers associated with untreated mental illness. This global scale initiative is a great step in the right direction, and will require participation from more than just United Nations members.

How can you make a difference in advocating for mental health care in your community? Stay tuned for more articles where we will discuss the expectations and benefits of therapy as well as some tips to improve your mental health outside of therapy. 








References: 

Access to Care Data 2022. Mental Health America. (2022). Retrieved from https://mhanational.org/issues/2022/mental-health-america-access-care-data#:~:text=Adults%20with%20Ami%20Who%20Did%20Not%20Receive%20Treatment%202022&text=Over%20half%20(56%25)%20of,Vermont%20to%2067.1%25%20in%20Hawaii. 

Navigating a mental health crisis. NAMI. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Publications-Reports/Guides/Navigating-a-Mental-Health-Crisis 

United Nations. (n.d.). The 17 Goals | Sustainable Development. United Nations. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals 

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/europe/about-us/our-work/sustainable-development-goals/targets-of-sustainable-development-goal-3 



Spiritual Wellness - Saving the best for last

Spiritual Wellness

 

hap·​pi·​ness

(ˈha-pē-nəs)

noun.

a: a state of well-being and contentment 

b: a pleasurable or satisfying experience

joy·ful

  (joi)

noun.

·       delight, great pleasure, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation, rejoicing, happiness, gladness, glee, exhilaration, ebullience, exuberance, elation, euphoria, bliss, ecstasy, transports of delight, rapture, radiance.

·       enjoyment, gratification, felicity.

·       cloud nine, seventh heaven.

·       joie de vivre.

 

 

You might be wondering why I’m starting today’s blog post with a vocabulary lesson.  You might also be expecting a post centered around religion – and yes, we will touch a little bit on religion today, but spirituality is a concept that encompasses so much more than just religion, and there are ways to have a full experience of spiritual wellness without ever stepping foot insight a place of worship or reciting a prayer!  So, back to our vocabulary lesson … “The term happiness comes from the Old Norse term happ meaning ‘luck’ or ‘chance.’” (www.dictionary.com).  You might feel happy when you find a $5 bill on the street, or when your school/job calls a snow day.  But happiness is temporary – it’s an emotion, and all emotions are temporary.  When the $5 is spent and the snow melts, the happiness fades. 

 

Joy though? Joy is rejuvenating.  Joy is laughter.  It’s connection.  It’s peace, it’s love, it’s compassion.  And for some people, that’s connected to religion.  For others, it’s connected to music, nature, animals, or people.  Joy lasts beyond the experience.  Joy fills us up.

 

Last summer, I went to an beach resort.  I’m content with a book and a beach pretty much any time.  One afternoon, my travel partner and I decided to split up.  They went to the gym and I stayed for an aquarobics class in the pool.  The activity was coordinated to music and I splashed around with a bunch of strangers for half an hour.  Afterwards, I sat in the pool and just reflected.  My book wasn’t waterproof, I didn’t have anyone I knew to talk to – I just sat.  And as I sat, an overwhelming sense of calm came over me.  I settled into myself and realized that I hadn’t been STILL in a very long time.  We’re always connected, you see.  Phones, Apple watches, laptops, tablets.  Always getting notified of something that isn’t here, isn’t now.  And I sat that way for an hour, just enjoying the sensations of the cool water, the warm sun, the sounds of laughter and conversation around me.  I vowed in that moment to make more time for silence and disconnection from my phone.


Yoga has always been a place for me to disconnect.  I love that my studio does not allow cell phones – it stays in the cubby outside with my shoes.  For an hour or so each week, I am only in tune with my body and my thoughts.  If you are a yogi (or even if you’re just at the gym, or running, or whatever), I encourage you to turn off or take off your smart watch.  Yes – that means running or lifting weights or walking without your podcast or your music!  See what it’s like to just be in the moment.  You can also try this with your pets.  Put your phone down and spend fifteen minutes petting your dog or your cat (or hamster, etc.) without any distractions.  The National Health Institute’s research shows that interactions with animals significantly reduces cortisol – the stress hormone. 

 

I also find spiritual wellness in music.  Many people I’ve worked with throughout the pandemic have struggled with the loss of live music – there is magic in the vibrations of song.  Whether you join a band, sing in a choir, or just go to your local open mic night, I encourage you to seek out live music.  Every Tuesday I gather with other music lovers and sing in a choir – and It’s wonderful.  Being in the room with other like minded individuals creates a sense of connection even without any spoken word!

 

I had been thinking about what to write for the spiritual wellness post for awhile – I’d planned to save it for last because our spiritual wellness is so wrapped up in the other dimensions.  We can gain spiritual wellness in our social connections, our physical experiences, in nature (environment), etc.  Spiritual wellness seemed like the culmination of a variety of topics.  And yet, I felt like there could be more.  I started doing a little reading and became interested in the service aspect of wellness - how giving can really lead to getting.   

 

One of my favorite ways to engage in spiritual wellness is being involved in causes that I truly care about.  Sure, there’s a few charities I regularly contribute to – that’s important.  But it’s passive – they take the monthly donation and I don’t think twice about it.  But there are also some active engagements!  I donate blood when I can (I tend to be anemic, so I’m often turned away) because I know how much blood donation can positively impact a family.  We foster retired lab beagles – it’s the most amazing experience.  They come to our home having no idea what a dog is, and within a few weeks, they learn about toys, stairs, couches, and snacks.  They learn about running and grass and playing.  And even though there is a bittersweetness in the goodbye when they get adopted, it is so wonderful to have seen them grow.  We hang their photos in a collage frame with the words “Goodbye Is The Goal” in our kitchen – we’ve seen 9 dogs come through this house and hope to need a bigger frame soon.  It fills my heart to see a dog who didn’t know how to be a dog make a new family happy.  I’m still friends with the adoptive mom of my first foster puppy on Facebook, and seeing the love that I helped bring into her family is the most amazing feeling!

 

So when you consider your spiritual wellness, I encourage you to ask yourself – what am I passionate about?  Do I allow myself silence?  Do I feel connected to anything (nature, people, animals, art, etc.)?  What are the things that speak to your soul?  If it’s hard to connect to your spiritual mind, perhaps start with asking your intellectual mind, physical mind, and social mind – what brings you joy?  

References:

National Health Institute. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets

Emotional Wellness: You're okay no matter how okay you are (or aren't)

Emotional wellness – what exactly is it?  In the age of social media, many of my clients (and friends, and family members) think that “emotional wellness” means being something along the lines of “Happy all the time” “Peaceful” “Okay with it” “Managing” “Grateful” “Perfect” … etc.  This actually makes a lot of sense, since on social media we see the “good” parts of our friends’ lives – the gratitude, the weddings, the fresh cut grass, the fresh cut hair, the make up, the new clothes.  We respond to bad days with “silver linings” and “at least it’s not…”s.  

 

Sounds good, right? Surround yourself with positivity.  Perfect.  Everyone wins.  Except …

 

Except you had a really crappy day.  Your boss was a jerk.  You got a flat tire.  You burned dinner.  Your takeout was cold.  You couldn’t sleep.  You can’t find a way to “BE POSITIVE!!!!”  Especially because everyone on your feed is so stupidly, annoyingly, perfectly happy.  So obviously, you suck. You are a failure.  You are the problem.  It’s you. This is called “toxic positivity” (stay tuned for future posts).

 

My friend Amy texted me one night telling me she was the worst mom in the world.  She and her husband had recently moved their toddler from a crib in their bedroom into her own bed in her own room.  They thought Holly would be so excited – she had a “big girl bed,” the room was decorated to Holly’s liking, she was old enough to make the switch!  Holly thought differently.  When Amy texted me, Holly was screaming and crying hysterically for what felt like hours, wanting to sleep in Amy’s bed – but she was two and a half, and it was time for her to move into her own room.  Amy felt like the worst mom in the world … and then, miraculously, Holly stopped crying.  Amy snuck out of her room – she was going to snap an adorable photo of her toddler sleeping alone for the first time.  How cute!  What a milestone!

 

Holly wasn’t in her bed.  She wasn’t in her room.  She was next door, in her sister’s bed.  Amy sent me a picture of Holly and her big sister with a caption along the lines of “Can you believe this defiant child?!” I tried my best to provide support while I laughed behind the comfort of the cellphone at how smart and resourceful the toddler was. The next morning, I woke to a truly surprising Instagram post. 

“Went to sleep in their own beds … found them like this this morning. #sisters” 

  It was that same photo of Holly and her sister, but this time with the caption: “Went to sleep in their own beds … found them like this this morning. #sisters”  I texted her immediately – “I’m going to make a blog post about this one day.” (#goalachieved)

The number one barrier we often see when it comes to overall self esteem is comparison of self to others – so how does this relate to emotional wellness?  The answer: SIGNIFICANTLY.  The first question when evaluating emotional wellness is: “Do you see stress as something you can learn from or avoid?” Stress is defined as the deficit between the demands on you and the resources you have.  When you perceive the demands as perfection (the toddler who transitions easily to sleeping alone) and your experience is different/inadequate (a toddler who is STRONG in her expression of autonomy (developmentally appropriate, albeit exhausting and aggravating)), you will inevitably perceive yourself as less than (I am the worst mom).

 Signs of emotional wellness include:

  • Having the ability to speak to someone about your emotional concerns

  • Saying “no” without feeling guilty

  • Feeling content most of the time

  • Feeling you have a strong support network

  • Being able to relax

  • Feeling good about who you are

So .. can you view stress as something you can learn from (or avoid)?  In this situation, Amy was able to talk to a friend (who happened to be a therapist well versed in child development (who probably also annoyed her with articles and growth charts and comments like “it will pass!”)).  Not all of my advice was helpful, but the support was!  One thing Amy had to learn was to stop judging herself for being frustrated with her kid – parents have become socialized to think they have to see their kids are these little angels that they’ll love all the time.  Reality check: NOPE.  No, you will not. Have you ever met a child under four??  They are NEEDY!!  Their actual developmental tasks are to ask you for so many things that they can trust you’ll give them, but also to reject everything you offer to help them with to let you know that THEY CAN DO IT.

 

Amy’s job here was to learn that she is a good mom even though her child doesn’t always listen – everyone on Amy’s social media feed had the job of learning that social media is not real life – we saw Amy’s highlight reel, not her roller coaster.  We can make adjustments (eventually she will sleep without us) and we can avoid (I don’t have to see Amy’s kids’ photo as facts).  

 

Thankfully for Amy, she said “no” even though it was hard, allowed herself to express her frustrations with a good friend, had a good night’s sleep, and then was able to wake up refreshed and reframe that photo.  She was able to see her child in a new light – a kid who knew how to get her needs met!!  She allowed herself to experience her raw, unedited emotions (like all moms, she’s working on not judging herself).  Even though she was judging herself, she knew she had a support system that wouldn’t judge her – and she used it.  

 

How can you freely express your emotions?  What emotions do you have that are boxed up?  If it’s something you can vent to a friend safely, do it.  If not, what do you do?  Can you journal?  Can you cry? Can you go to a rage room or a kickboxing class?  Can you paint/draw/color?  How are you taking care of yourself? Can you ask yourself - is your inability to say “no” or a sense of perfectionism interfering with your ability to feel content, being able to relax, or have a positive self image?

Some great ways to relax include breathing, releasing physical tension (progressive muscle relaxation, getting a massage, yoga), writing your thoughts down (journaling), making a gratitude list, visualizing (or visiting) a calm, safe place, or listening to your preferred type of music. How else do you like to relax?

 

The number one most important component of emotional wellness is asking for help.  Sometimes this means calling a friend or family member, sometimes it means contacting a therapist. We all need help. We all have emotions.  We all need someone.  How are you noticing your strengths and improving your own self image?  Find an affirmation that fits the way you’d like to feel about yourself - affirmations follow the logic that we can speak things into existence.  What would you like to speak into existence?