Mental health is often thought of as a “buzz word” in modern life. It’s an easy term to throw around when you’re talking about wellness and life in general. However, mental health is actually a tangible thing that everyone needs to take care of. Just like your physical health, your mental health is a vital part of your body’s processes. Your mind won’t work right if you have an untreated mental illness. And even without illness, there are things that can diminish your decision-making and emotional state. Stress can actually manifest with both emotional and physical consequences.
When you first get to treatment, you’ll be evaluated for a mental health disorder. Many people experience anxiety or depression and use drugs or alcohol to drown those feelings. Many people who get sober and treat these issues live full and happy lives.
What is Mentally Healthy?
In recovery, you learn that it’s essential to take care of your body as well as your brain. There’s no test or way to measure mental health. People can have poor mental health even without a mental illness.
When you were using drugs or drinking, you weren’t acting in a way that was healthy for your mind or spirit. Substances sent you into a vicious cycle. Yet you kept doing them until you couldn’t anymore. That’s not healthy at all. Substances change the way you think and contribute to poor decisions.
People with mental health disorders can also be more mentally healthy than somebody without one. For example, a person with anxiety who takes their medications and practices breathing exercises are creating better mental health for themselves. They may be calmer or at peace than somebody else who is temporarily feeling anxiety due to a life situation.
Striving to be mentally healthy means you’re taking care of your mind and spirit. You’re doing what you can to feel good about yourself, taking care of yourself, and you’re not putting substances into your body to feel good.
Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Mental health is about striving for happiness or contentment. It means you’re not doing things that are self-destructive and make you feel bad.
If you have a mental illness, taking your medication and attending therapy is an integral part of striving for wellness.
Taking care of your mental health also means doing your best to cope with stress healthily. Self-care, such as exercise, meditation, and breathing techniques, can help you along the way. Sometimes you’ll also have to let go of unhealthy behaviors, such as manipulating others when you’re upset or starting arguments when you don’t get your way.
Learning more about yourself will help you begin practicing better ways to deal with stress and negative emotions. The most important part of staying mentally healthy is to continue staying sober, no matter what happens! And that is the top thing that will keep you mentally fit.
Getting Help for Addiction
Are you or somebody you love addicted to drugs or alcohol? Recovery is possible and a safe, empathetic detox environment can help you get started. Get the help you need to reclaim your life. Contact us at 1-800-970-8774. All calls are 100% confidential, and we are happy to answer any questions you have.