When dealing with mental health there are so many things that can get in the way and make it so much fucking worse. Maybe you’re having a day where your anxiety has you by the fucking throat and you are 1 more gut punch away from an emotional breakdown and becoming absolutely unhinged. You may know you need to bring it down and reign it in, but how the fuck is that even possible
There may be a stressful period that is marked by change, loss, overwhelming feelings, and underwhelming support. Maybe you begin to feel and behave in ways that seam foreign, even to you. you don’t have the support at home, because nobody there believes in therapy, you don’t have the money to see somebody and you can’t decide if it’s even worth mentioning how off you feel to your doctor.
The barriers that stand between us and relief or balance for our mental health can seem immeasurable, and that’s a good scenario. the shittier scenario is when they seem interchangable and ever evolving in such a way that nothing seems consisent enough for anthying to really be of help.
Some of the most common barriers in maintaining good mental health or balance are stigma, money, time, access to care, and societal pressures.
Mental health conditions are often associated with negative stereotypes, misconceptions, and assumptions that lead to judgment, discrimination, and osterization that can lead to people not seeking out care. This can also influence how someone views their own mental health and create internalized negative attitudes about mental health and their role or blame in the scenrio. This leads to feelings of shame, self-blame, and internalized disguist.
These stigmas are connected to a lack of understanding and knowledge about mental health in general. This can include not knowing or understanding the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions or how to seek help.
Access to care and resources can look different and have multiple factors getting in the way. There can be a shortage of qualified therapists or behavioral speacialists within the geographic limitations or specific areas or populations. The cost of treatment , including therapy and medications, can prohibit many from getting care. This is especuially true for people without insurance or limited financial resources…or as I like to call them half of the fucking country. Other limitations can be seen in the geography of the ares, such as rural areas may have fewer options, facilities, or transportation options.
Another factor is seen with insurance companies and the health care system itself. Mental health services aren’t typically covered adequately by insurance plans which further limits access to care and increases financial strains. The mental health system can also be confusing and overwhelming with long wait times, bureacratic hurdels, and a lack of cordination between multiple providers, making it a stressful experience on top of everything else an individual is facing.
Some of the aforementioned societal pressures include high stress levels, social isolation, discrimination, poverty , and substance use. High levels of stress, feeling disconnected, or lacking meaningful connections , experiences of racsim/oppression/violence and financial instability can all impact mental health. They can also increase the likelihood of relying on using alcohol and other drugs as coping mechanisms and tools to self sooth while increasing ones likelihood of developing a mental health disorder.
Some personal facrtors that prevent people from maintaing their mental health can be seen on a lack of self awareness and an inability to recognize the signs of a problem, or denial or minimization may keep them from acknowledging the problem. Negative self idenity or low self-esteem, self-worth can also make it difficult for someone to seek help. As well as negative opinions , based on past negative experiences, reaching out for help can also make someone reluctant to try again.
Like all things, recognizing and learning about what factors can stack against you and how they are important when exercising self-awarenees and personal accountability in your journey of achieving and maintaining good mental health.
……until next week
herewesayf&@#k!!! 