From my experience anyone can suffer from mental health issues. Not just depression and anxiety but also issues such as addictions, social phobias and also psychiatric conditions such as psychosis, bipolar and schizophrenia.
The rise of mental health disorders has risen exponentially over the last few years and sadly teenagers and young adults are also experiencing this. Could it be partly attributed to the increased stress almost everyone is under fuelled by an image focused society to look and ‘be perfect’ surrounds us?
From a nutritional perspective, the brain and the gut health are closely linked. And imbalances in the brain could reflect digestive issues in the gut. Therefore my approach would be to heal the body with nutrients and the ‘fuel’ it requires to support healthy brain function too. We know the neurotransmitters – dopamine, serotonin, GABA are composed of protein and the cells of the brain and body fat. Therefore is one getting sufficient unprocessed protein and fats- two important macronutrients?
So to approach any mental health disorder is a multidisciplinary approach. This entails improving the diet, cutting out foods which are hindering digestion and gut health. Incorporating a fitness regime, group or 1:1 training really helps to keep the body health, strong and also most importantly the MIND!! Last but not least talking therapies and cognitive behavioural support are all recommended. Overthinking is not healthy and the mind should be calm.
‘This mind knows its true identity and its creative point of Divine Self-Expression’ Louise Hay
Additional tips:
- Do not be afraid to reach out. Speak to someone you can trust. Friends and family can help however a qualified practitioner like a counsellor or psychologist would be better suited as they are experienced and non-judgemental. They can even prevent the problem from escalating. Telephone and online support is available 24/7.
- Write down how you are feeling, keep a journal. This can be a reflective exercise too. You may also want to note down any self-care actions you need to make.
- Know your red flags: struggling to sleep, constantly thinking of worse case scenarios, disconnecting from friends, or spending too much time on social media.
Who you gonna call?
”I’m struggling to get out of bed and feel hopeless” >>> CALL A COUNSELLOR
”I don’t feel like I’m fulfilling my true potential” >>> CALL A COACH
”I’m really struggling with my mental health >>> CALL A COUNSELLOR
