THE PERFECT STORM PART III: Supporting Mental Wellness
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and includes the opinion of the author. Information is not meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any illness or disease. It is simply information found through experience and research. Always follow the directives of a licensed health professional. Neither Anita Bastian or the publisher of the information takes any responsibility for actions readers take in regards to how they use or perceive the information. Readers are encouraged to do their own research.
Great mental health therapists are so needed in our society today. The number of people with mental health issues is skyrocketing. According to 2021 statistics, 1 in 5 people are dealing with mental illness, 50% of chronic mental illness starts before age 14, and 75% starts by age 24. There are around 10 million people with a diagnosed mental health disorder. (Mental Health Foundation Statistics.)
From The Perfect Storm I discussed previously in Part I (physical toxin stress) and Part II (emotional toxin stress), we now move forward today to talk about the storm’s impact on our mental health and some tools that can be considered to support individuals with mental wellness challenges. If you need to catch up, you can click here to read The Perfect Storm: Part I – Physical Toxins and Part II – Emotional Toxins.
Since I am clearly not a mental health therapist, I will not be speaking to these issues from that perspective. Rather I will be offering reasons to support individuals with mental health issues in a wholistic approach that encompasses carefully chosen licensed mental health therapy, along with the benefit of additional support that honors them as a whole person. I do not believe we can separate our mental health from our physical and spiritual wellness. All are intertwined in our being.
In the work I do with clients and from my own personal experience, I know how struggles with anxiety, depression, and memory issues can arise at various times in life. I have found that people who struggle with reoccurring anxiousness, feelings of prolonged depression, or memory loss often also struggle from multiple physical toxins like mycotoxins from mold, parasitic infections, bacterial imbalances, heavy metals, and chemical toxicity. The foods we consume, the water we drink, and the air we breathe is teaming with toxins that accumulate, wreaking havoc on our brain and body’s ability to function optimally.
Many may not know this but the brain has a detoxification system too. It’s called the glymphatic system. God knew we would face toxins and need a method to get them out. By supporting the body’s innate detox ability, we are supporting our brain function. Depending on the type of toxins and where the toxins end up in the brain, they can create a variety of different brain-based struggles.
I too used to battle with bouts of intense anxiety, panic attacks, episodes of brain fog, and difficulty concentrating myself. I know very well what intense anxiety feels like. It closes in on the chest like a vise-grip making it difficult to breath and speak. It makes the heart race, and blood pressure to soar. I would experience this when in a group of people or at random times for no apparent reason. It made it extremely difficult to relax and think clearly. I addressed the physical toxins that were affecting me by doing a wellness program that supported my body’s natural detoxification system at the cellular level in removing toxins and supporting my ability to produce the cellular energy needed to meet the demands of the day.
I also learned and regularly implemented various emotional support tools like HeartMath® heart-focused breathing techniques, as well as faith-based tools like devotion and meditation to support myself. It was empowering to have tools that I could use any time and anywhere to help me manage my emotions. It took discipline and perseverance but over time, as the load of physical toxins were removed from my body and the emotional support tools were used, I gradually had less bouts of anxiety and decreased intensity levels of anxiety. My memory was better and I could think with greater clarity. By removing the physical stressors from my system, my brain and body were more able to flow through life without the struggles I previously had. Sure, I still feel anxious at times just like everyone does. But nothing that stops me in my tracks. Nothing that I can’t readily move through.
By supporting the body’s innate ability to detox stressors, many people have been helped. There are countless stories of people just like me that addressed the physical toxins and began to have less emotional and mental health struggles. It is a great option to consider for anyone who has struggled to feel mentally well and think with greater clarity.
If there are people out there who struggle with ongoing mental wellness issues, perhaps it is time to look at other avenues of support in addition to seeking the right mental health therapist. Additional supports that wholistically address physical toxins and support emotional regulation can make all the difference. We are a whole being - mind, body, and spirit. A wholistic approach may be what moves the needle to a greater place of balance and mental wellness for you or a loved one. Isn’t it time to take back the control of your health? Take the first easy step and learn more today. Connect for your Free Discovery Call.