Mental Health

Depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders - they are not biased. They effect all ages, genders and races. It's not an easy road to recovery either. Many people never fully get over mental health disorders, they simply learn how to navigate around it so they can enjoy life again.

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It is documented that mental health conditions can be a result of genetic and environmental factors. This could be inherited traits, environmental exposure before birth or brain chemistry. However, we should not accept this. We must still fight out against mental health disorders, as there are many paths and tools that we can use to control it. 

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I'd recommend watching this Ted Talk by Johann Hari, who explains that one of the main contributing factors of depression and anxiety (amongst 9 triggers) is loneliness, it's the sense of community that we loose track off. 

"There are very real biological contributions to depression and anxiety. But if we allow the biology to become the whole picture, as I did for so long, as I would argue our culture has done pretty much most of my life, what we're implicitly saying to people is, and this isn't anyone's intention, but what we're implicitly saying to people is, "Your pain doesn't mean anything. It's just a malfunction. It's like a glitch in a computer program, it's just a wiring problem in your head." But I was only able to start changing my life when I realized your depression is not a malfunction. It's a signal. Your depression is a signal. It's telling you something."

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We need to stop seeing this signal as a sign of weakness and instead acknowledge it, so that we can work on a deeper solution.

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There are many ways of enhancing your mental wellbeing through good nutrition, physical exercises, practicing mindfulness, adding purpose to your life through a career or passion, but one very important factor is community. Try to build a community around you, this doesn't have to be family. Join a club, volunteer somewhere or even create your own community and invite others to join.

This is easier said than done, especially if you're at the start of your journey. If you need someone to help guide you through, we have a range of therapists that can help. We are all unique, so one therapy will not suit everyone. For some an aromatherapy massage that helps you to slow down, assess and let go of negative emotions can help. Whilst for others, talking about your feelings to a counsellor can lift that weight off your shoulders. Whatever you do, don't do this alone. Reach out and ask for help.