My entire career as a clinical psychologist has been devoted to helping people find better mental health.
I’ve tackled this issue in several different settings and in a number of different ways.
While employed in a public psychiatric hospital for over 24 years, I worked directly with thousands of patients struggling with mental illnesses, offering therapies and coping strategies to relieve their distress and discomfort.
As an educator in a large state university, I trained hundreds of future psychologists to show them how to advance mental health care as they move into their own careers as skilled helpers, researchers and teachers.
As a mental health advocate and administrator, I’ve talked with policy makers and legislators to promote new laws and programs to improve mental health services, funding, and access to care.
Through volunteer leadership roles in state and national professional organizations, I’ve worked to educate the public about mental health and to advance the science and practice of psychology.
As a blogger in these pages and through various social media platforms, I’ve shared information and resources about mental health, while also featuring the “Stories of Hope” of those who have lived experience with life-altering mental illnesses.
Through all these experiences, now spanning over 35 years, it’s crystal clear to me that we all would like to find better mental health.
But how do you “find” mental health? What does that mean? I can think of at least five important components you need to “find” in your overall search for better mental health. Here they are.
Finding information
For most things in life, we are often relatively uninformed or unaware about something until we need to deal with it personally. Most people have little knowledge about mental health, mental illness, and resources for learning more about these issues. A couple of great go-to sites for this kind of information are NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and Mental Health America.
Finding treatment
As you become more aware of possible mental health concerns you are facing, you may reach a point where you decide to seek treatment to help relieve your distress. This is easier said than done! I’ve outlined several common barriers to mental health treatment, including cost/lack of insurance, not wanting to be labeled as having a mental illness, concerns about confidentiality and so on. But there are practical strategies to overcome these barriers and to help you find a skilled therapist to get a professional opinion and recommendations for effective treatment options.
Finding support
As you begin to actively engage in treatment, it’s also critical to expand your support system. There are many benefits of support groups as well as numerous resources to help educate your friends and family about your mental health concerns. Also, learn more about the amazing benefits from working with peer supporters, folks who have also struggled with similar issues and who now share their lessons learned.
Finding your voice
At some point in your mental health journey, you may reach a point where you would like to share your story and reach out to help others. I’ve found some excellent resources to guide you through the decision to share your mental health story. Also, there are many great ways to express your voice through mental health advocacy, both from the comfort of your home and in public settings.
Finding hope
Ultimately, the quest to “find” better mental health is also about finding hope for a happier future, contentment, peace of mind, and personal fulfillment. That’s a tall order and more of a lifelong journey than a quick destination. But I have talked with many people who have found abundant hope and greater happiness in their quest for better mental health. It’s something you can find too.
Here’s a question: What things have helped you most in your journey to “find” better mental health?Please leave a comment. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend. Thanks!