Every year throughout May, individuals across the United States celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month. Founded in 1949 by the Mental Health America organization, this movement aims to break the stigma around mental health, advocate for people struggling with mental illness, and provide support and education.
With the rise of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder, mental health plays a vital role in everyday life and contributes to successful addiction recovery. According to pandemic-era studies, nearly half of Americans surveyed reported recent symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder, and 10 percent of respondents felt their mental health needs were not being met.
Destigmatizing mental health in recovery
To promote mental health awareness, we must first break the stigma around it. People often feel unworthy or guilty for seeking help and support.
Feelings and emotions are something we all share. Sometimes we struggle with things and need emotional support. The notion that men do not show feelings and must remain strong and in control creates negative stereotypes of masculinity. Harmful messages like boys do not cry, get over it, and man up reinforce gendered views about what it means to be a man in our society. Boys grow up adopting the behaviors around them to be accepted by their peers or face ridicule. When men are told they should not show emotion or are ridiculed when seeking help, it causes a dissonance between their internal emotions and external behaviors.
Recognizing gaslighting in health care
Women undergo their own version of feeling guilty and ashamed for asking for help, especially regarding their physical and mental health. Significant gender biases exist in health care, often chalking up women's health issues to normal period pain or all in their head, leaving women likely to be misdiagnosed or dismissed.
There is a long-standing belief in parts of the medical community that anytime a woman complains about her health, it is related to hormones or all in her head. Female hysteria was once a common medical diagnosis applied whenever women displayed inappropriate emotions such as anxiety, anger, or sexual desire. These beliefs still echo today. How often does a perimenopausal woman go to her doctor's office to talk about weight gain, only to be told it is related to hormones? Hormones are not making women anxious or upset. Condescending attitudes are.
When women are told they show too much emotion or are not believed when they ask for help, it causes the same dissonance between how they feel inside and how society tells them they should feel.
Mental Health and Substance Use, Together
Our dual diagnosis program treats both at the same time, not separately. Confidential, available 24/7.
How we can help
What can we do to make sure people are heard when they share concerns about their health? First, step back and listen without judgment. Helping people find healing rather than ostracizing them helps them feel more comfortable seeking support. It signals that mental and physical health struggles are not signs of weakness or moral failing. They are reasons to ask for help.
With that shift, people start to find that their feelings are valid, their experiences are real, and they deserve support, empowerment, and self-acceptance. By extending compassion, empathy, open dialogue, and a better understanding of the underlying issues of addiction, we can help people not feel alone.
Breaking the cycle of self-medication
When people undergo severe stress, anxiety, and depression, it is easy to turn to substances to numb the pain. Many opt for self-medication to try to lighten the burden. However, those coping mechanisms only provide temporary relief to a much deeper-rooted issue and can perpetuate the cycle of addiction.
One way to break the cycle of self-medication is to build self-care practices into your daily routine. Effective methods of reducing stress, anxiety, and depression include:
- Regular exercise
- Practicing mindfulness or meditation
- Getting enough sleep
- Eating a well-balanced diet and drinking plenty of water
Incorporating the HALT method
Another effective method is the HALT method. When anxious or stressed, take a mental note of triggering responses. If life feels out of control, stop, reflect, and ask yourself these four questions:
- Am I Hungry?
- Could I be Angry?
- Am I Lonely?
- Or am I Tired?
By running through these options, we can reset and examine why we feel the way we feel. With just a few moments of self-reflection, it is incredible what a little more sleep or eating balanced meals can do for your mental health. Creative hobbies like gardening, cooking, or learning an instrument promote mental well-being. Prioritizing self-care over self-medication is a smaller daily decision that compounds.
Awareness through treatment, support groups, and therapy
One of the most essential alternatives to substance use is seeking medical treatment, therapy, and support groups. By learning how to manage stress, triggers, and cravings, people can get help from professionals and medically trained staff. Through support groups, people are more likely to succeed when a community holds them accountable.
Mental health assessments are an influential tool. With health providers helping identify the unique needs of each person, personalized treatment plans can offer the best chance for sustained recovery.
Addiction treatment services
If you or a loved one need addiction treatment, Positive Recovery is committed to providing comprehensive care that addresses addiction and mental health together. Programs range from medical detox to aftercare. Call us at 713-904-4699 to speak with our admissions team.
A new life in recovery may just be a phone call away.