The Mind/Body Connection

“Please don't ignore me”...The Mind/Body Connection

Do you remember the last time you had a bad cold? Or perhaps it was the stomach flu? When was the last time you had a terrible headache...perhaps you get migraine or cluster headaches all the time? 

Take a moment to think about what you have learned over the years, since you were a child, about how you can take care of yourself to feel better. As a child, if you told your mom or dad that you didn't feel well, did they take your temperature? And, if you had temperature, you may have been told something like, “oh, honey, you really are NOT well. You need to stay in bed and I will take care of you”. Do you remember feeling a warm sense of relief, knowing that not only did you NOT have to go to school that day, but you would also be able to stay in bed while being pampered all....day....long. 

Pampering would include a menu that would look something like this:

8 a.m. Medicine for your symptoms, with a tall glass of water

8:30 a.m. Back to sleep

11 a.m. Wake up

11:05 a.m. Juice and jello snack

12 noon Take your temperature again, then more medicine

Afternoon Spend the afternoon having lots of rest, liquids, perhaps some chicken soup, medicine as required, rest some more.

By the end of the day, lots of your family and friends were either calling or sending electronic messages of concern, offering to bring more liquids or snacks to you...just to help make you feel better :)

As you grew, these self care strategies to overcome these maladies likely continued, with perhaps more sleep, less phone calls, and Mom going off to work while you stayed home to doctor yourself up.

Sound familiar???

So, now I ask these questions: 

What do you do when you are having panic attacks, and you don't know

why, nor how to control them?

What do you do if you are so sad that you can't stop crying, unable to concentrate, have difficulties remembering recent events, are not 

eating or are eating too much, have headaches and/or stomach aches, 

prefer to spend time alone so as not to burden others, and choose to

sleep all day?

What happens when you spend almost all of your awake time working, 

while feeling stressed and exhausted, unmotivated, increasingly 

helpless, hopeless, resentful and cynical?

Do any of these situations apply to you? If you say “yes” to any of the above scenarios, then you may be living with anxiety, depression, or job burnout. And there are so many reasons which have contributed towards your feeling this way. Perhaps you have been spending most of your life moving forward on what seems like an endless road, or a “treadmill”, and you have become, or are  becoming exhausted. 

Did you survive an accident, and since then feel like life has never been the same? Perhaps there were events in your life, since childhood, that have contributed to how you cope, or don't cope, with life's ups and downs. Could it be possible that your relationships are unhealthy? Or, maybe you have become so busy that there is no time left for just YOU!!!

Living in our western, democratic society, most of us are all consumed by the quest towards materialistic gain. In addition, we grow up with expectations from our families and society that compound what we come to believe we “have to” achieve in order to fit in and/or be accepted. The multiple layers of expectations we live with can contribute to our mental health. If they are realistic expectations, our mental health can be healthy. If they are unrealistic, our mental health can be compromised.

But, we keep on moving. We keep up with what is expected of us, as Canadian citizens, parents, students, employees, co-workers, volunteers, partners, family members, children/teens, friends, homeowners/rent payers, tax and bill payers, etc. The multiple roles we continue to uphold can become overwhelming!!!

So, remember the beginning of this blog? The care we afford ourselves when we feel physically sick? Here is the question I would like to ask:

What is the difference between care of our physical health and mental health? Can we move through life with one and not the other? If we can give ourselves permission to go to a doctor, or stay in bed and “doctor” ourselves when we are not feeling physically well, why can't we do what we need to look after our mental health, as well?

The stigma connected to mental health continues to stop many of us from seeking the help we need. But if approximately 25% of all Canadians are living with some form of mental health disorder*, isn't it time we start paying attention to our mental health as well?

*I believe the reality of this statistic should be higher, as this number represents those Canadians “known” to be living with a mental health disorder. What about those who continue to suffer in silence due to stigma, fear, and/or shame in disclosing a mental health challenge?

So, I close with making the following recommendation: if you are living with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, post traumatic stress, family or relationship challenges, social problems, are feeling overwhelmed at work, are not sleeping, or other mental health issues not listed, take some time to take care of yourself. Similar to your physical health, pay attention to your mental health. Your body needs you: both physically AND mentally.

...and

...Call me for a FREE 15 minute consultation so that we can talk about how you are feeling, and how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness Based Therapy, and Social Work can help you begin your journey towards healing. 

Here's how to contact me:

Telephone: 416-913-3080 ext. 302

Email:  alyson.pancer@gmail.com

Website: www.continuumwellness.ca (open “Services” tab for more information about me).