October 10 marks the World Mental Health day, a campaign by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness about the importance of mental well-being and support through the medical system for mental health conditions. This year has brought mental health issues to the forefront like no other year has. The effects of lockdown are being seen now not only in terms of financial and physical terms, but also in how it has affected the mental health of the young and old alike. Notwithstanding this, seeking mental health support is still seen as a taboo in several parts of the world. It is time we worked together to break this and focus on our mental well-being, just as much as we do on our physical health.
The Importance of Mental Health Support
When you break an arm, you don’t think twice before going to the doctor. In fact, you know that the sooner you go, the better. Seeking support for physical wellbeing is therefore not an issue (except in certain parts of the world where there is no easily accessible or affordable health care). Seeking support for one’s mental wellbeing should be no different.
In this article, you can find links to a number of resources, both online and offline, including books and apps, to help you find the right mental health support that you or a loved one may need.
Breaking the Stigma surround Mental Health
If you suffer from fibromyalgia and/or anxiety, depression or any serious mood changes, good mental health support can be the difference between a life worth living and not. Unfortunately, there is still serious stigma around asking support for your mental health issues in different parts of the world. It is really important that we should focus on improving our lives and not let this stigma get in the way of seeking mental health support. Just keeping calm and carry on will only work if you can first keep calm!
Get Help
We all need mental health support from time and time and this is an undeniable truth. Men in general and people from certain parts of the world do not seek mental health support unless it reaches an extreme stage. There shouldn’t be any stigma when it comes to getting mental health support. If we are to get rid of it, the best way is for each one of us to get help when needed and speak up when we are ready, thereby normalizing mental health support.
Encourage to get help
If you know anyone who needs mental health support, please encourage them to get the appropriate help. Do not judge them for getting psychiatric help or tell them to stay positive. There is such a thing as toxic positivity! Going to a psychologist should not be any different from going to a physiotherapist. Let us make this is a fundamentally accepted part of our communities and destigmatize mental health issues.
The Value of Psychotherapy for Chronic Pain and Anxiety
The first time I saw a therapist was in 2008, just after I got married. I was knee deep in PTSD from an event that had happened seven months prior and my poor husband did his best to support me. The family doctor referred me to a therapist for urgent help and after three weeks of talking and two EMDR sessions, I could finally sleep.
This was a revelation to me. That you could just talk to someone and not just feel better in that moment but start finding ways to improve your situation or solve any problem on your own, perhaps with the right help.
If you suffer from fibromyalgia or anxiety therapy will be of good help to make your life tolerable, to begin with. It cannot cure you, as there is no concept of “curing” when it comes to chronic pain or anxiety. What it does is provide you with the tools and skills required to handle your symptoms. In the month of September, I had close to 8 panic attacks ( which put me in a hospital again). While it might sound like I’m doing bad, I dread to think how I’d be doing without therapy.
Finding the right Therapist
Finding the right therapist is one of the most important things in your journey to mental well-being. There is a great article here – that goes through the ins and outs of this process. Insurance restrictions permitting, my recommendation is to choose a therapist with whom you have a good implicit rapport. It is possible that you may have to go through a few before you get to the right one. It is important to know that you have the right to stop seeing a therapist when it gets too overwhelming. Just consult your doctor first, of course.
Speaking to your family doctor is a good place to start. He or she may have an idea of what kind of help you might need. Your huisarts may also know about what help may be available in your locality.
The Netherlands
If you are living in the Netherlands, you will need a referral from your huisarts (GP/family doctor) to see a psychologist (basis GGZ) or psychiatrist (specialist GGZ, a combination of psychiatrist, who can prescribe medication and psychologist). Based on the referral, this is usually covered in your basis insurance (after your own risk is deducted). It is best to check whether a particular therapist is covered by your insurance company. You can do that by checking their website or simply calling them. Also make sure to check that the therapist is registered with the NIP (the Dutch National Institute for Psychologists). Here are some useful links from the Dutch Government and the GGZ association. If you are feeling severely depressed or suicidal, please call 0800-0113. For an overview of mental health support in Europe and how to get help, please visit Mental Health Europe.
India
If you are living in India, finding mental health support may be slightly more difficult, due to societal taboo and financial considerations. The Live, Love, Laugh Foundation, has a good collection of resources on Mental Health in English and Hindi, including a list of therapist in different states. Aasra has a list of suicide prevention lines that are working in India.
Self Help
Mental Health Resources from WHO
The World Health Organisation has, over the years, developed a number of resources to cope with stress, anxiety and depression. It has also collated the various places you can go to – online and offline – to find and get the mental health support you need. These resources can be found here – WHO Mental Health Resources.
Books
If you think you first want to understand what is going on with you or just try handling it on your own (for any reason), I can recommend two books, whether it be for depression, anxiety or chronic pain. The Anxiety Solution by Chloe Brotheridge and The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression by Kirk D. Strosahl and Patricia J. Robinson. I’d recommend them anyway as they are quite useful even when you have therapy.
Apps
There are a number of apps available (for both iphone and android users) to provide mental health support. Some of them are free, while others are not. If you are unable to get therapy, either due to financial or other considerations, using a reliable app to track your mood, help you breathe properly when you are anxious and use the tools from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to support you in your mental well being. You can find a long list of these apps here. Personally, I have found the Every Mind Matters App from the National Health Service UK (NHS) to be fantastic. When you provide information about how you are feeling and what you are doing to handle your situation(s), it comes up with a simple, sustainable and practical plan to help you improve your mental health.
Mindfulness
If you are not sure about getting mental help, I would recommend doing a course on Mindfulness Based Stressed Reduction course (MBRS) instead, to begin with. Mindfulness is the act of being mindful of the present moment, in all its glory. It teaches you to not lament about the past or worry about the future but to focus on the very thing that is happening in the present moment – good or bad – and face it with grace and poise. The breathing and meditation techniques that
Mindfulness teaches are very helpful to both prevent and handle a panic attack. I’ve been having an anxiety episode for the past three days and every time I gasp for air as though I am going to die of shortness of breath, I remind myself to bring my focus back to the current breath – the breath of this moment – than what is going to happen to my breath in the next second. I would whole heartedly recommend my Mindfulness teacher, Bernadette, who is simply fantastic! Or you could also try Inside Timer, which is a great app (though some parts of it require a subscription).
I cannot believe that I am writing all this in the middle of an extremely bad anxiety episode (where I am literally twisting with panic and shortness of breath), with the full belief that better times will come. With time, I will be better and so will you. Sometimes, there is no better healer than time. In the meantime, we could all do with some good mental health support.
I am a burned out international lawyer & mother with Fibromyalgia and anxiety, trying to re-discover my identity.
