04/21/2026
One topic that has been brought up so many times the past couple weeks with my patients and friends……. MENTAL HEALTH.
I have been SO BLESSED that I have never struggled with mental health. Some might say because I have not personally suffered with mental health that I should have no say in this arena….. I STRONGLY disagree.
Sometimes it is good to hear perspective from others who have never been in the thick of it. I have noticed that SOME ….. please understand that I said SOME…. Not all……. some people with mental health get in the sand trap of talking to others and “trauma bonding” about their issues.
There is NOTHING wrong with talking to others about things in common and finding connections that make you feel like you are not alone, but DO NOT make the mistake of this equating into a journey into a healthier yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!
For example if you are overweight and you overeat after a stressful day….. this releases endorphins and makes you FEEL GOOD. Just because you “feel good” doesn’t mean it’s a positive thing …. AT ALL!!!!!!!
Sometimes instead of talking to someone that says “oh gosh yes… I totally get how you feel. I feel the same way. My husband is terrible to me too. The world is an ugly place. Blah blah”
Sometimes instead of above it’s much more effective to talk to someone that will say “why do you keep making poor choices”???? Seems like you are part of the problem. Seems like you need to work on yourself. Etc
Just keep this in mind!!!!
On a similar but separate note…. What are some of the things that you do to maintain a good mental state of being?????
A few of mine are below…..
- go to church regularly and thank God. DO NOT ask God for things…. Ask him for guidance!
- be constantly THANKFUL. It’s ok to talk about how terrible the pollen is but you should be taking 3 times as much about the good stuff such as gosh… I love the longer days. Gosh… this sun feels amazing on my skin. Wow look at how beautiful the bright green leaves are on the trees. Key is 3 times more positivity than negative.
- make time to do things that bring you joy. For me that’s fishing, traveling, playing golf, watching my kids play sports, occasional bourbon tastings with my buddies, reading a good book, date nights, exercising, etc.
- when a negative conversation comes up… find the positive in it and turn it around!
- intimacy with partner …. it’s wild how taboo this topic is!!! This should be a very normal topic for everyone to share. The fact it’s so taboo is a big part of why many marriages have intimacy issues.
What are some of the things that you have personally found very therapeutic for your positive mental health?!?!?! I wanna hear from you guys!