The truth is, who wouldn’t sooner fix the car or some other mechanical part of our lives? Who ever heard of a ‘mechanical’ stigma? When the car breaks down or needs attention, we might get emotional about it. The inconvenience, cost, all sorts of judgements but mostly we know it has to be done, and so we bite the bullet.
Why Does it Have to be Done?
It’s obvious, isn’t it? Because we’ve come to rely on it – for meeting our needs. We can pick up the kids, get the shopping, get to work to pay for the shopping. Heck, it’s important, right?
There are Breakdowns, and There are BREAKDOWNS!
Wouldn’t it be something if we could have breakdown cover for our minds? I wonder what level of cover we’d choose?
But then we do have breakdown cover available! Just as we can provide preventative maintenance towards our vehicles, we can choose to add preventative care to our mind and body.
The Gym, The Run and The Walk
There may be much reticence about regularly going to the gym, or exercising in general but rarely do you figure someone is sneaking to the gym and covertly going for a walk or run, yet doing the same for our mental health as well is, well, that’s just not cricket!
We complain that governments put more money (still not enough) into physical healthcare than psychological care, but do we demonstrate often enough that we will also do our bit to reduce the ‘burden’?
Accountability Checklist
Smoking cessation, alcohol reduction and weight management are all among leading causes of chronic and acute illness. So these rightly receive much resource and education but we are yet to see anything close to that level of investment to involve ourselves earlier for mental health self-care; this being fundamentally core to mental health illness prevention and management.
What Are we Waiting For?
So why are we not seeking help earlier to not only address what is hurting emotionally and psychologically now, but to prevent occurrence or re-occurrence?
Whose Responsibility is Our Mental Health?
We have to engage a sense of accountability where possible. For some, it is very much a requirement that the state needs to offer to help manage or address but for so many, we ourselves hold the power and the key to unlocking our own emotional pains, and the triggers that set them off.
Maybe you agree, just as important if you don’t! Your views are still super-important and either way, please take just a couple of minutes to respond to my small survey below. If you could share on also, that’d be amazing! (*Remember to hit the SUBMIT Button at the end!)
Wishing you all the very best of health…
Bob Brotchie is a counsellor, life coach and creator of Conscious Living by Design™. He writes for Anglia Counselling, is featured on various other websites and introduces us to many guest writers all covering topics related to mental health and wellbeing.
Bob provides bespoke counselling services to clients in the privacy and comfort of a truly welcoming environment at his Anglia Counselling company office, located near Newmarket in Suffolk, England. Bob also provides professional online counselling, for local, national, and international clients. The therapeutic models offered are bespoke to the client’s needs, especially those in receipt of 'childhood emotional neglect' (CEN), whilst integrating a mindful approach to psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) principles. For clients experiencing trauma and/or phobia, Bob offers EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing).