You Don't Have to Climb Mental Health Mountains Alone

Everyone has and needs to care for their mental health. Using the biopsychosocial framework,2 your psychological (mental) health is interwoven with your biological (physical), and social health. Due to your specific genetics, life experiences, and coping skills, the ways that you are able to care of your mental health or respond to a crisis may look vastly different from someone else.

You are unique, important, and deserving of support and care in all facets of your life. This includes your mental health. You may ignore your mental health or feel like you should be able to "just get over it." But consider the analogy of having diabetes.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, it means your body is not able to make or use insulin, which can lead to serious health risks. If this were the case, would you try to shame your pancreas to make more insulin? Or would you reach out for support and treatment to help you learn about what's happening to your body and how you can improve your health functioning?

Trying to shame or guilt yourself out of getting support for your mental health is the same as if you tried to do so for your physical or social health. There are supports to help you care for yourself.

Consider life as a journey in which you are faced with all types of terrain. In this analogy, mountains represent times of challenge that strain your mental health.

You might be able to climb the mountain without any training, equipment, or support, however your journey will likely be slower, harder, and leave you drained or scarred.

Instead, if you could prepare in advance, you could talk with a therapist about adding tools to your climbing equipment (e.g. coping strategies like deep breathing and mindfulness) or how to plan the safest route (e.g. using evidence-based therapies). You could find the right team to help you climb and support you along the way (e.g. family, friends, clinicians). You could consider having thoughtful conversations with those individuals about how they can best support you (e.g. the clinical might help prescribe medication, the faith leader might help ground you spiritually, your best friend could help when you need to remember happy moments from the past or the future goals you are working towards).

The way in which you will climb the mountain will be unique to you. Utilizing your support team and building your coping toolbox can help you identify the route and climbing pace that is most realistic and healthy for you.

You are a complex and layered human being. Think about the areas of your health you may be neglecting or pushing down. Your mental health is something that you need to take care of in the same way you care for your physical health and/or the other people in your life. Remember, you don't have to climb mental health mountains alone.

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