May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In honor of the occasion, here is a chockful of resources to improve your mental health.
But should you sink your attention to this article?
Let's find out. See if any of the following describes you:
-You tend to fret throughout the day. Since there's no shortage of reasons fueling this near-constant habit, you trudge through life with a rotating menu of concerns, insecurities, and worries. An anxiety-free existence feels like a foreign concept.
-Your relationship with food is, shall we say, layered. For example, when stressed out, you seek sweet stuff like ice cream, donuts, desserts, or chips and salsa. If you feel you've overstuffed yourself—and you're definitely keeping this fact on the down low—you've been known to intentionally throw up.
-Your energy level is pretty low. You feel as though you have lost the desire to do anything because things that used to give you pleasure now feel blah. You don't have much hope that the future will get any better.
-So that you can relax and sleep after a long day, you must ___. (Fill in the blank with an activity you can't do without. Examples: "Down a glass of wine or two," "Take a sleeping pill," "Play video games," "Check how your stocks performed.”)
I can add more examples to this brief list. Maybe you feel constrained to staying in the periphery whenever you attend a gathering, eager to escape notice. Maybe you live with an unspoken expectation that others will abandon you at some point. Perhaps the slightest provocation thrusts you into an angry outburst. Or the opposite: you're so afraid of conflicts that you'd keep the peace at all costs—including by swallowing your feelings.
If any portion of the above scenarios resonates, this article is for you.
Mental health is a universal need for us all. It's not just the purview of those with a clinical diagnosis like Bipolar Disorder or PTSD. Truth is, our mental health affects how we live on a daily basis because it's the reason we think, feel, and behave the way we do.
However, not everyone is aware of this fact. Some—if not most—operate out of anxiety, trauma, or depression without fully realizing how life doesn't have to be lived this way.
Is there hope? Absolutely. We can all aim toward emotional healing, regardless of the severity of the diagnosis or lack thereof. Unless the Lord pronounces Nahum 3:19 about you, "Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal," you can work toward improving your mental health.
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The way there, however, is tricky. There are a few reasons why people don't typically prioritize their own mental health.
Who has time to slow down and do deep breathing exercises or go on a leisurely stroll when life demands that we keep going? Take the necessity of holding down a job, for instance. Today's sky-high cost of living makes everyone more tied to their jobs than ever. Some have had to work two or even three jobs just to make ends meet.
Public acceptance of working from home doesn't help matters either because it makes overextending ourselves easier than ever.
Sports, shopping, social media, entertainment—living in the 21st century means so many options constantly compete for our attention. This array of alternatives means we can cycle through distraction after distraction instead of focusing on healing our emotional pain.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, also known as Prince William and Kate Middleton, adopted mental health as one of their charities. Is it too naïve to hope their worldwide popularity could eliminate the stigma surrounding the topic?
Probably. Those struggling with mental illness are still looked down on. The stigma against mental illness is still pervasive in many cultures.
Where do I even begin?
If you've lived with the same condition for a long time or if you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of change, you may feel unsure about where to begin. How can change happen? Where can change begin?
This uncertainty is one reason this article exists. Keep reading for a slew of resources that will aid in your mental health journey.
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If you're new at advocating for your mental health, I recommend dipping your toe by giving podcasts a try. This low-risk investment is not only time-saving—you can listen to an episode or more while doing chores or driving around town—but will also introduce you to a wealth of testimonials, tips, and useful techniques.
For free!
Breathe The Stress Less Podcast offers scientific, Scripture-backed methods of restoring calm.
Faith Over Fear helps you review the areas in life where fear might have seized control.
Therapy & Theology answers questions you might have regarding two of my favorite topics: therapy and spirituality.
Untangling Life is by an author who promises to clear your head from the chaos in our world.
Christian Natural Health teaches you how to prioritize health through natural means.
Sparkle Speak presents speakers with personal experience with the Christian faith.
It's natural to draw a blank when overwhelming stress or fear envelops you. If you find yourself in such a situation, feel free to pray a prayer someone else has crafted. Below are three such prayers, but in a shortened form. Clicking on the titles will take you to the articles from which these prayers were taken.
"Father God, thank You that You want us to cast our cares upon You. Thank You that there is nowhere I can go that you are not there with me. Thank You for having a hold of my life, even as I feel like everything is crumbling around me." Taken from A Prayer for When You're Overwhelmed and Stressed.
"Holy Spirit, remind me to cry out to God when I am scared instead of looking to other things or people to try to distract myself from the worry." Taken from A Prayer for the Anxious Heart.
"Lord, help me grow by seeing you in my moments of anxiety. Lead my heart to places in your Word that I can pray aloud over myself when these feelings come." Taken from A Prayer to Cling to Jesus in the Midst of Anxiety.
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God's Word is the only stable force in the face of our constantly changing world. Unlike electronic devices with batteries that will eventually degrade, the Word will never lose its power. That's why reading the Bible in the midst of emotional turmoil is a safe haven you can always resort to.
Want to increase your impact while doing so? Read Bible verses repeatedly and loudly. Listening to yourself spouting off life—since God's Word is "full of the Spirit and life" (John 6:63)—counteracts the negative words others, or even you, have spoken against yourself. After all, words can torment our soul and break it into pieces (Job 19:2).
I recommend scouring the Bible for verses that speak to your specific scenario. Until then, you can use the following list as a launching pad.
On trauma:
"He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged." Isaiah 42:3 (NLT)
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, [God is] doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? [He is] making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
On fear and anxiety:
"When I lie down, I will not be afraid; when I lie down, my sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:24
"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 (NKJV)
"[I] let the peace of God rule in [my] heart." Colossians 3:15
"You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me." Psalm 139:5
On hopelessness, helplessness, or depression:
"I am never really alone, because the Father is with me." John 16:32 (ERV)
"Why are you in despair, my soul? And why are you restless within me? Wait for God, for I will again praise Him for the help of His presence, my God." Psalm 42:11 (NASB)
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed." (Psalm 34:18, NLT)
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I'm a Christian, but I'm also a clinical psychologist. The importance of both was why I sought to be trained in psychology and theology. Since earning my doctorate degree and establishing my practice, I've witnessed the power of psychotherapy in helping people from all walks of life secure emotional healing.
However, if you've been taught that Christians aren't supposed to turn to psychology for help, I respect your belief—and I invite you to read why I believe the opposite.
But if you believe partnering with a therapist is okay, the moment you start searching for a candidate, you'll soon discover the breadth of available options. First off, the therapists themselves may have a Master's degree (such as MSW, LCSW, or MFT), which takes about two years of graduate school to complete, and/or a doctoral degree (PhD, EdD, PsyD), which is awarded after 4-6 years of graduate school.
Your therapist may be licensed or in the process of accruing hours toward licensure. If he or she belongs to the latter category, the person may charge you less, but also is less experienced.
There are many (many!) different modalities therapists offer. This article summarizes the major categories, but keep reading for a handful of the popular ones:
Let me leave you with the best modality of all: Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy. If this assessment sounds biased, that's because it is.
I arrived at this conclusion after switching my practice from another modality, which, despite its staying power in pop culture, had low efficacy to affect actual change. Once I discovered the power of IFS to treat emotional maladies, I sought all three levels of formal IFS training before obtaining certification in the model.
Whether you should see a therapist is a question best discussed between you and God.
May this year's Mental Health Awareness Month spur you on to strengthen your mental health like never before.
So be it!
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