Reclaiming our mental health
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Reclaiming our mental health
It seems that our resilience is not enough to get us through and having some form of mental health diagnosis has become so common it is now seen as ‘normal’. But the answers as to why mental health issues exist in the first place and what to do about them continues to confound even the most brilliant minds because as soon as new research, theories or models of practice or drugs emerge, a different problem crops up elsewhere. True healing remains on the periphery, and we never seem to quite manage to enjoy ongoing sound health and wellbeing and instead we keep going around in circles looking for answers. Throughout history our track record has been the same: we have given a lot of attention to finding explanations and cures for mental illness but have only managed to scratch the surface. Our pride won’t allow us to humbly admit that we need to dig deeper if true healing is what we are really seeking.
There are many systemic injustices that have a major part to play in terms of people’s mental health which are beyond the scope of one person alone to change. But we can start the ball rolling by taking charge of our own lives because how we know and value ourselves directly corresponds with the quality of our mental health. Counselling can be of great assistance in learning ways to cope with the symptoms and similarly, medication may or may not be an option and if taken, its effects may or may not hold the symptoms of mental illness at bay. However, the bottom line is that these strategies have only provided partial answers and momentary respite from the unrest we can feel inside while globally, rates of ill mental health continue to rise with no end in sight.
If we live shut off from our essence, that inner part of ourselves that we all possess, believing that we are born, live for a certain number of years and then die and that is the end of it, it will seem we are at the mercy of any mental health conditions that arise. Perhaps we may see our poor mental health as a genetic inheritance or as stemming from bullying, abuse and/or violence or bad luck and therefore something that is largely out of our control. As a result, we look outside of ourselves for answers and while we can find lots of promising theories as to why something is happening, ultimately true healing remains elusive.
Is it that we are scared of what we might find if we stop and look more closely at what is going on and what that might mean in terms of our lifestyle? In other words, are we frightened that we might be shown areas of our lives where we need to take more responsibility?
As hard as it is to admit, most of us feel a certain level of comfort in how things are and avoid dealing with change as much as possible. We are often prepared to tweak things a little here and there, but we find the thought of doing a major overhaul quite scary. The anxiety or depression or whatever mental health condition we have may be draining the lifeblood out of us but at least it is familiar. It provides a known script we follow that instructs us how to interact with others and society in general.
Our identity has often become forged around the mental health concern, and we can’t really imagine life without it. It serves a purpose - sometimes it can be used to justify withdrawal and sometimes it can be used to draw others towards us. We say we want to be well, and a part of us genuinely means that at the time, but we also have a sneaky part that doesn’t want things to change too much. It is like this part enjoys the stimulation and attention it receives from its existence - and it likes to protect it’s territory, which makes it hard for the other parts that do want to feel whole and well again to get on with the work that needs to be done.
For some, their ill mental health experiences are ‘just the way it is’ and they have given up as making changes appears too difficult, and without the energy and motivation, life becomes one Groundhog Day after another. We remain at the mercy of those parts of us that love to rule the roost and don’t really care that such a way of living leaves us in a constant state of tension, feeling empty, depleted, and unsettled.
While we might be around others, we feel alone on the inside and along with that sense of isolation comes the feelings of worthlessness, overwhelm, failure and a raft of other negative emotions, such as blame, rage, anger, resentment, judgment, shame and guilt. Unsurprisingly, in these situations, thoughts of suicide commonly arise and can be hard to shake off. It’s a vicious, vitality sucking, ‘stuck on the hamster wheel’ way of living.
"When you are de-spirited because life is not what you desire it to be, in reaction, you wake up in the morning without being able to claim your body as something you want to live your life with - the spirit wants out.
Serge Benhayon Esoteric Teachings & Revelations Volume I, ed 1, p 607
You then either go into abuse and/or shut down and become purely if at times merely functional in a very self-abandoned manner.
This is the start of all ill-mental health issues."
However, there are others who find that their mental un-wellness brings them to a stop moment. They recognise that the quality of their lives has spiralled downwards to a point where they acknowledge that something else is needed and so they willingly look more closely at what is going on and make adjustments accordingly. It does take commitment, however, there is a richer life waiting for those who genuinely want to understand what has led to this point and what can be done about it so that true healing takes place. The underlying elements will be personal for each person due to each of us having our own unique makeup and circumstances, but with the willingness to do an honest stocktake we can learn a lot about ourselves and the state of humanity overall. Greater self-awareness assists us to make wise and loving life choices which in turn directly impacts on the quality of our mental health and wellbeing.
"Through awareness, we develop understanding.
Serge Benhayon Esoteric Teachings & Revelations Volume I, ed 1, p 372
With understanding we develop true sight.
With true sight we will seek to heal and/or correct what is not true.
What is not true will then be revealed in full."
Unless there is a genetic syndrome, we are not born mentally ill, nor is it our natural state. As we have travelled through life, we have lost sight of who we, in our essence, are. We are all born deeply sensitive beings who can feel and sense things in our bodies before anything outwardly happens, but the lessons from this world tell us that our sensitivity is not welcome.
Sensitivity is viewed as a burden and something that leads to overwhelm and pain, yet sensitivity is our essence communicating to us, offering us a depth of understanding that acts as a compass to help us navigate life. When nurtured, it is a real strength that supports the development of increased awareness. Our bodies feel what is being communicated and the messages are subsequently passed onto the brain. When we are attuned to what is happening in our bodies and felt in our essence, our brain receives information from a true source rather than being at the mercy of the external world and its everchanging dictates.
True mental strength comes from whole body mindedness and not from our mind in isolation from the rest of our body. When we dismiss or override the messages from our essence and body, we are depriving ourselves of amazing sources of wisdom and intelligence. Being at the mercy of a part of us that wants to fit in with the expectations of those around us and society in general is bound to leave us feeling unsettled and mentally drained.
Yet there is another part that is gently reminding us that we are not naturally hard, competitive beings and that every movement that is unloving, be that thought, speech or action, harms us. When we are living focused on just our mind alone rather than using all our reference points, i.e., a combination of body, essence and mind working together harmoniously, how can we expect to have sound mental health? Isn’t it time that we got back on track, started to honour our bodies, pay attention to what we feel and sense in our essence, and thereby clear the way for our minds to be in sync with what is being communicated?
There will be challenges along the way as we begin to connect with our bodies and deal with what we are shown. Yet with each step forward we learn more about ourselves and the stronger and clearer we become, and we subsequently feel encouraged to keep going. It doesn’t mean that people stop taking medication (if they are on any) or seeking professional treatment as needed, but rather, it’s about each person gaining a greater clarity about themselves, including their innate worth, the more they take responsibility for the quality of both their inner and outer health. We are then giving ourselves maximum opportunity to reclaim our mental health and wellbeing and to be able to front foot life rather than cringing in the shadows – and when we are living life to the fullest degree possible, we all benefit!
"A true healing will always go to
Serge Benhayon Esoteric Teachings & Revelations Volume II, ed 1, p 321
the energetic root level of the issue."
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