The focus of today’s episode of Optimal Living is on Mental Health. This particular topic is close to my heart because of my mom's experience.She suffered her first nervous breakdown when I was about six years old, and lived with depression ever since, walking the rest of her life on a tightrope of “wellness” whose safety net beneath was woven from only the barest of threads.After nearly thirty more years of walking - and repeatedly falling off - that tightrope, my mom’s life of quiet desperation ended in suicide.It was not her first attempt.
How disturbed would you be if someone in your neighbourhood were murdered? How about if there were SIX people killed?According to Statistics Canada, in 2007 there were a total of 3,611 suicides in this country.The number of homicides here that same year was 594. That’s six times the number of suicides as murders.The World Health Organization states that “suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for all ages. Every year, nearly one million people die from suicide.”
And nobody talks about it.
Following my mom’s death, I was stunned to learn about the alarming number of suicides and attempted suicides that occur in this area alone. A recent article in The Record gives some insight into those figures.And without fail, every single time I share my story now, someone else comes forward to admit to their story of struggling with depression, anxiety, or some other form of mental/emotional struggle, whether it be their struggle or that of someone they love. All this is not to say, by any stretch, that every case of mental illness ends in suicide, nor that every suicide is linked to mental illness.But it is a known risk factor, and the numbers themselves are a call to action.
Something must be done. There are solutions.And you are not alone in your struggles.
We have come a long way in our understanding of the fine inner workings of the mind, and although we have much yet to learn, our current understanding about the connection between the mind, body, emotions and spirit needs to be shared more widely and put into regular practice.The integral importance of the foods and nutrients we ingest, of emotional and behavioural therapies and support, and the quality of our relationships with ourselves, with others and with Spirit (even if you consider “spirit” simply as the collective human spirit), cannot be overlooked on the path to true and lasting well-being.I believe that to suggest otherwise to someone who is struggling, with mental health issues in particular, is to do them – and their loved ones – a great disservice.
Now for the good news:there are things that can be done - treatments and approaches above and beyond popping a prescription pill - which can assist and complement one’s path to healing and recovery.On today's show, airing at 1:30pm and 9:00pm on Rogers Cable channel 20, we explore three such approaches toward mental health, including the integral importance of counselling; the surprisingly effective role of dietary nutrients and supplements; and how we can work to reduce the stigma that still pervades about mental health issues.One of my goals is to encourage people to reach out for help in this area as an assertion of their worth and their birthright to seek wellness, rather than it being a source of embarrassment and shame.Today’s guests have also made some special offers available on the Optimal Living website to encourage people to reach out and take another step toward taking charge of their well-being.
Please share this with anyone you know who may be struggling. It may just be the lifeline they need to help pull them to a safe shore.
To your well-being.