How is your mental and emotional health?

Jan 28/14, is Bell Let's Talk Mental health day in Canada

What is mental health? According to the blurb on this link, Canadian Mental Health Association, 

Mental health means striking a balance in all aspects of your life: social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental. Reaching a balance is a learning process. At times, you may tip the balance too much in one direction and have to find your footing again. Your personal balance will be unique, and your challenge will be to stay mentally healthy by keeping that balance.

This would suggest it is an issue to some degree for all humans, after all we all struggle emotionally to some degree. Before you dismiss it and think you can't possibly have any form of a mental health struggle, I would really encourage you to check out this informative link. It may help you understand why you feel the way you do and direct you to a path that could lead to improved health.

Mental health awareness is getting more and more air time all the time and so it should. In our day increasing numbers of people struggle with some form of mental health challenges. Why, well here are a few possibilities, chemical imbalances, all the chemicals in our foods (who knows there impact), the high speed lives many of us live and the accompanying stress, the breakdown of the family and it's many related impacts such as abuse, health issues, etc. and on and on the list could go.

Mental and emotional health for far too long has been something that has not been given its due respect. In general, but also in particular in Christian circles, many still cling to the get over it, get a grip and be happy type mentality.

It strikes me as odd that it is widely understood that repeated physical ailments whether it be ankle sprains or chronic back issue, etc., are ok to seek medical attention for, but one should just be stoic and get over emotional and mental health challenges. While it is acceptable for a Christian to seek medical attention for physical conditions, in some circles it has been frowned on if a Christian seeks professional medical attention for emotional conditions. WHY? Is it because physical conditions are easier to see and diagnose. That for sure is true, but still some Christians openly communicate their expectation is that a person should just get on with it, after all the bible says cast all your anxiety's on God, do not worry, fear not, etc. If we as Christians were expected to live emotionless lives and not to struggle then why were we given so many examples in the bible of people who showed their emotions, including King David and Jesus. I would suggest that while God wants us to lean on him and cast our anxiety's on him, he also expects us to be real and to show our emotions as Jesus did. It can be a process and a journey to experience and dwell in the provisions of God as opposed to a quick fix. We are human after all.

Just as one may be born with physical ailments such as a deformed back, is it not possible that one may also be born with a Chemical Imbalance resulting in bi polar, depression, anxiety, etc? It would certainly seem reasonable.

In my earlier years I too would have held to the just get over it motto. However as I have lived life and experienced the impacts that repeated challenging events have had on my mental and emotional health, I have a new found respect for mental health challenges. Whether you experience them from doing life or from a chemical imbalance, I would encourage you to be real and to seek out the professional help that is available to provide you with the assistance that you need.

If you are out there and you have repeatedly hurt your back, ankle, etc., be it by sport or otherwise, it is in a weakened state and needs help. Similarly if you have experienced tough situations, be it health, relational, job loss, etc., your emotional and mental health may be in a weakened state and you should feel the freedom to express your hurt and seek help.

There are far too many people who have kept silent for too long and in some cases it has resulted in life ending decisions. As Christians, we have not always shown the respect we should to mental health or the love to those who struggle in this area. I believe we can play a much more proactive role in this increasingly common challenge that people face. God expects us to carry each others burdens.

When have we dismissed someone, simply because we didn't think they acted as we thought they should. Perhaps they easily angered, were too sensitive, too emotional, too withdrawn, etc., BUT, did we show them love. Did we take the time to try and understand their story and show empathy? What would Jesus do?

The below is a link to;

Canadian Mental Health Association