When I talk to my clients about wellness, it generally revolves around their water intake. It's kind of my thing. Headache? You may be dehydrated. Joint pain? Make sure you're drinking enough water. Tummy trouble? Yup. Water. IYKYK. But what happens if it's not water? Today I want to focus on mental wellness and the stigma that surrounds asking for additional help as well as the belief that we must "do it all" and do it well in order to be successful.
This is the part where I pop in my disclaimer. I am not a licensed mental health professional nor a medical professional and nothing I say should be taken as such. If you are in a mental health crisis, please call 911. You are loved and valid and deserve to be here!
Ok now that the legalities are out of the way, May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it is vital that we spotlight and destigmatize mental illness and brain disorders. More than ever, people are living with a host of conditions including those who may never have experienced them before as we moved through a global pandemic, civil and political unrest and whatever personal things they may be navigating. It is ok to not be ok sometimes. I am here to offer some holistic options to help maintain our mental and spiritual wellness and work hand in hand with whatever mental health and medical care you may be utilizing to help you live your best life. Some may work for some, not all will work for all, but hopefully we can connect the body, mind and soul and continue living our best lives.
There is this incredible stigma that continues to surround brain disorders and mental health as a whole that somehow the fact that your body is not producing enough of certain chemicals or too much of another, or we feel sad/mad/angry, that we are somehow weak or less than. Hogwash!! If your bestie has a physical disease, would you tell them to "just get some sunshine, that will cure it."? Absolutely not! We would encourage them to get the proper medical care and support them on their journey. We should be doing the same with mental health and spiritual wellness. It is all connected, friends.
I have clients that come to me as a complimentary service to their mental health care. We do reiki, chakra balancing and sometimes they just get to spew what they need to get out of their system in a safe space, but the bottom line is, massage and energy release dopamine and other happy stuff that our body produces. When utilized alongside medical intervention and therapy, holistic care is and can be integral to our mental wellness. (This is where I want to reiterate, once again, my professional disclaimer, that I am not a mental health nor medical professional and nothing I say should be taken as such. It's super important to know that.) The way that our body, mind and soul works together as a whole is incredibly fascinating. Things in our spiritual realm can cause dis-ease in our bodies and vice versa.
Clients come in regularly because their neck/back/hip/shoulder/etc.. hurts. They have headaches, stomachaches, overall malaise and a lot of time, those aches and pains can be directly related to a situation, trauma or stressor. I will sometimes ask questions and offer options and suggestions if certain areas are alerting during an energy session. If we pay attention to our bodies, they can absolutely give us clues to our mental wellness and help professionals put a plan together for you to move through all of the things.
Something I am very open about, even with my clients, are my personal brain disorders and my journey to whole health. I live with a host of brain disorders that defined me and controlled my life for many years. It wasn't until much later in life that I took control of my overall wellness and sought help. There was a series of mental health diagnoses and I was placed on several different medications to help my quality of life.
"But Chrys, I thought you were not a fan of Western Medicine?"
You are absolutely correct, and I did not enjoy being on those medications but I AM a fan of giving individuals the tools to live their lives in the best way possible. I chose to work with a therapist and with a lot of hard work and cognitive therapies, I was able to find ways that worked for me to wean off of all of those medications and am able to moderate most of my conditions with meditation, journaling, and mindfulness. PLEASE NOTE: being unmedicated is not an option for everyone and I am so very blessed to have the support and tools to handle most of my conditions holistically.
Did you catch that word? Most? This is the portion where I get to be vulnerable with you in an effort to reduce stigma and encourage you to consider every aspect of your wellness. The past two years have been a personal roller coaster of change, loss and even positive stressors (purchasing a home and car, adopting a doggo, moving my business, etc.). Did you know that positive stress can affect your body and mental wellness??? I was dealing with some pretty heavy depression, anxiety and just over all unbalanced and unaligned. My ADHD had also manifested heavily leading me to struggle with basic things like getting homework and housework done and forgetting day to day appointments and tasks. Throughout all of this, I put on some weight that has impacted my physical health. It became apparent that I was no longer able to manage my ADHD on my own and began researching my options. I have been doing a lot of medical testing to rule out major health issues and have begun a new medication for focus along with implementing some new routines in my life.
I have zero hesitation in sharing any of this with you because it is important that we recognize all avenues of care. Health care is health care. Whether you choose to come see me or another holistic provider or your medical doctor or whatever combination of care works best for you, the only thing that matters is that you are able to live your best life. Without judgement. Without stigma. It is ok to ask for help. We all deserve the compassion and opportunity to live our best lives.
I would love to talk to you about how reiki, massage or a combination of techniques and coaching can help you achieve a balance with your body, mind and soul.
If you need assistance in reaching out for mental health care, please do not hesitate to contact me at the office and I will do what I can to put you in touch with the proper care and validate your needs.
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
If you are in immediate danger please call 911 immediately. You are important and loved!
211 - Can offer resource options if your are in need.
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