Mental health is about finding that certain balance

Mental Health is an area of our lives that we tend to neglect, and yet it is so important, as it impacts all aspects of our health. On a day to day basis it is best to have a balance, and whatever that balance is can be determined by looking at what negatively impacts you. Speaking to a licensed therapist can help you better determine what kind of a balance you need in your life Read the article for more advice about finding this balance.

My work consists of helping people create and accept change in their lives, and it’s incredibly rewarding. For these reasons, when the opportunity to write this column presented itself, I jumped on board.

Those of us engaged in this field generally prefer the term “mental health” or “mental wellness” to “mental illness.” Mental health is about balance: finding a happy, healthy, middle ground in psychological, emotional and physical functioning. Mental health is also about having the flexibility to handle whatever comes your way in life, and most importantly, mental health is about hope.

People often ask me, “How do I know if what I’m doing is weird and I need help?” My standard answer is that if something is negatively affecting your life in one or more realms, such as work, school, or relationships, you may want to talk to a professional. Everyone has trouble in life. Tires go flat, jobs are lost, loved ones die. As humans we experience a wide range of thoughts and feelings. Mental wellness is being able to experience all of life and to cope with it in a way that allows you to continue moving forward. If, however, your grief, depression, substance use, delusions or fears are affecting your ability to work, care for your family, pay your bills, go grocery shopping or generally live your life, then it’s time to speak with a licensed professionaal.

 Another question I’m frequently asked is, “What’s ‘normal’?” That question is much more complicated. It helps to think of “normal” as “average.”  There is a certain range of behaviors and feelings that fall within what’s considered clinically normal, and then there is a range of behaviors and feelings that falls outside what is clinically normal. Having these established criteria is how we are able to use the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual published by the American Psychological Association to diagnose and code the problems that people are having. This is not a one-size-fits-all system as some might believe, which is why the expertise of a professional counselor is valuable. The word “normal” has lately become taboo as people fear being squeezed into neat boxes that neglect to pay tribute to their personal complexity. But it is possible to recognize that something is abnormal and still honor the uniqueness of every individual, and those of us who work in mental health strive for that balance.

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