Month: January 2021

Four Keys to Mental Health Recovery

Posted by dayat on in Uncategorized

Mental illnesses can be crippling and demoralizing. One can find endless advice on maintaining one’s mental health and on recognizing a mental illness, but today I would like to distill the critical factors for mental health recovery into four succinct points. The four most critical factors in mental health recovery are: housing, employment, stabilization of medication and symptom interference, and the development of a social network.

Housing is one of the most basic human needs, regardless of whether one has a mental illness or is considered entirely healthy. When one reviews the statistics, the rate of homeless individuals who suffer from an untreated mental illness is positively alarming. What is even worse is if these individuals cannot afford basic shelter, there is little hope that they are receiving proper medications, meaning a continual downward spiral is about to take place. Obtaining stable housing is likely the most important factor for mental healthcare consumers on the road to recovery.

Now it is time to explore what practitioners and consumers alike can do to obtain housing. For mental health practitioners, one must focus upon finding affordable or government subsidized housing for the mental healthcare consumer, ideally in a situation which removes them from their immediate environment (as it is prone to lead to relapses or continued substance abuses, etc.). Most major cities have government subsidized low-income apartment complexes that you can look into for such consumers. For the mental healthcare receiver, one must recognize that housing is critical to almost every function in life and seeking out housing in a shelter is far better than winding up on the streets. Also, an address will be required to find employment and to receive social security insurance payments if the qualifications for such payments are met, thus making housing crucial to mental health recovery.

Once one finds housing, employment is essential on the road to empowerment and self-sustainability. One point is critical however: do not take on too much too fast. It is OK to re-enter the workforce slowly. Take a part time position, adjust to that, and if you feel you are ready after a month or two, take on a full-time position. This is also a great time to go back to school if you have been looking into that. Anything with a technical skill will put you in much better standing so lean towards that if you can.

For mental healthcare practitioners interested in enrolling their consumers in higher education as part of their treatment plans, a great place to guide them is into computer courses dealing with Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL, C++, Java, C#, or Python programming. Such jobs are in huge demand, have good salaries, and can even be done remotely from home in many situations.

With employment comes concern of money management. If an individual with a mental illness cannot responsible manage their money, a family member or treatment center fund should be given control of the individual’s funding. Now this is a very touchy subject so if a mental health consumer is in fact relinquishing control of funding to insure no purchase of illegal substances occurs, one must insure the controlling program is reputable, in good standing, and competently managed.

Medication and symptom stabilization is the third of the four keys to mental health recovery. The proper ratio of medications can take time and does alter one’s chemical and hormonal balances, thus can be a rather painful process, but it is worth the battle. So many breakdowns are due to mental health consumers going off their medications or improper medication balances, which is a travesty considering the avoidability of said occurrences. Take the time to find the right combination, this will allow for stabilization of symptom interference levels, which will then contribute to one’s ability to maintain adequate employment therein ability to afford appropriate housing and independence.

The fourth and final key to mental health recovery is building a strong, proactive social network. Isolation and alienation are very common among those with a mental illness who have experienced a severe psychotic break. One must seek out a supportive network, be it consisting of family, friends, or other individuals on the road to recovery from their own mental illness. The American Clubhouse model for mental healthcare facilities is great for finding an active social network. While some consumers complain that such groups solely sit around and talk, over time this talking will turn into productive, employment oriented endeavors. One must, however, remove themselves from any social network that could contribute to a relapse of the original mental condition.

Housing, employment, stabilization, and social network development are the critical keys to mental health recovery. Housing drives employment, employment makes housing affordable. Employment allows for the ability to afford proper medications, which leads to stabilization. Stabilization consequently aids employment, thus making housing an even greater reality. All of this is dependent upon the loving support of a social network. These are the keys to mental health recove

Exercise, Physical Activity and Mental Health

Posted by dayat on in Uncategorized

Exercise and physical activity play a crucial role in both maintaining one’s mental health condition and in recovering from a mental illness. Breaking research indicates that exercise actually produces a chemical that stimulates the growth of brain cells, thus allowing for recovery from sever substance abuse disorders. Furthermore, physical activity and mental health recovery coincide in fostering a social network and encouraging self-reflection, both of which are crucial on the path to mental health recovery.

The human mind evolved in an environment which required it to travel over twelve miles daily. And no, that drive to work in the morning does not count…but that would make things easier, no? This evolution was due to survival instincts when humans migrated from the jungles into the flatlands. Humans also developed an adrenaline reaction which both encouraged movement and triggered immediate learning reactions; as Doctor Carl Clark from the Mental Health Center of Denver once stated, when early man saw that saber-tooth tiger charging out of the brambles, the neurons must have been firing pretty fast to teach them to stay away from the bushes next time…that is assuming their get away was fast enough to allow for a next time!

This adrenaline rush encouraging learning has become neutralized by the flow of activities in modern western societies, wherein the normal individual is seemingly on a constant, albeit generally unnoticed, adrenaline rush. Consequently, stress levels have continuously been on the rise, consequently decreasing the rate at which an individual learns when in a compromising situation, thus decreasing mental wellness levels.

Physical activity is a huge aid to mental health in the fact that exercise allows for a stress outlet, thus decreasing day-to-day stress, while creating functional adrenaline for the mind. In reality, physical activity is important for mental health due to its role in creating Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF), which is a key factor in the creation of brain cells. The myth of the old days is past; you know the one, where once your brain cells are gone they are gone. Well such is not the case, physical activity and exercise can increase BDNF levels and allow the re-growth of brain cells, consequently making physical activity immensely important for mental illness recovery.

Exercise and mental health further coincide in regards to the alarming statistic that people with mental illnesses, on average, die 20 years sooner than mentally healthy individuals. While there are many factors that go into this involved in substance abuse risk factors, two considerations that one would be remiss to ignore is the fact that those suffering from mental illnesses have a tendency to stagnate and become physically inactive. This has resulted in a large percentage of mental health consumers being considered overweight, which can ultimately result in adult onset diabetes. Diabetes is very dangerous in sedentary individuals who, in a depressant state, care little about taking care of themselves, for such a medical ailment can result in numerous health related issues, some of which can be very serious.

Physical activity and mental illness recovery are highly correlated. In some of the most successful recovery-based treatment facilities one will find strong proponents of mental health consumers engaging in physical activity. These activities also subsidize the development and formation of a support network populated by individuals interested in similar hobbies. Furthermore, exercise can often be a form of active meditation, and as practitioners of Dialectic Behavioral Treatment (DBT) can profess, meditation, including meditation absent any religious connotations (whether it be active or seated), drives self-reflection which is crucial to mental health recovery; for more information on the importance of self-reflection, you can access my article on Spirituality and Hope in Mental Health.

Stay physically active, exercise and mental wellness are highly correlated. Exercise is one of the best ways to prevent the development of serious mental illnesses, and is also one of the most effective treatment plans. Stay active, stay healthy, stay happy.

For more research on mental health, behavioral disorders, substance abuse, psychographics, childhood mental illnesses, childhood resiliency, adolescent mental illnesses, and adult recovery, access MHCD’s Research and Evaluation’s publication page [http://www.outcomesmhcd.com/pubs/publications.htm].