There is little doubt that we are facing a mental health crisis in America today; but there seems to be a disagreement on what is causing it and how it should be treated. This is going to be a touchy subject for many people and it WILL touch just about everyone. Perhaps personally if you yourself are struggling with these issues. Perhaps in a secondhand manner if you are watching someone you care for struggle. Or perhaps you, along with so many others, have noticed the increase of mental health issues in this country over the past several years.
Whichever it is for you, I think we can all benefit from a new perspective. We all need a better understanding of the situation so we can help each other and not be so quick to judge OR label. We need to have a right view and be in possession of all the facts and come out with a more balanced view.
In some way or another, everyone struggles with mental health problems. Some have learned to control it better than others, and everyone deals with it in different ways. While this is a subject we could probably talk about for days, I want to hit this in three parts and talk about the main areas within each part that seem to be the biggest elephants in the room.
I am a problem solver. For any problem I face I attack it in three steps:
1. Identify the issue
2. Figure out the solution
3. Create a game plan to accomplish the solution
This is how I am going to address this subject. Because we have a lot to cover and some of it can get pretty deep, this article will come out in two parts to make it easier to read. For this first part we are just going to be talking about step #1.
Identify the Issue
The problem seems pretty obvious: The increase of mental health issue in America and the upcoming generations. While there are many different statistics from several surveys taken throughout the years, and the numbers vary, they all agree that there is a significant increase in mental health conditions in young people over the past decade.
But why is this a problem? Why has it increased and not been resolved? I’m sure everyone has their theories, and if you did a quick search on the internet you could find a bunch of reasons to confirm the opinion of every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
I want to point out some of the main ones I have seen and some of the issues that could be making the problem worse:
Covid Repercussions
It was a stressful time for everyone and the numbers for mental health problems rose drastically. Why?
Human touch and happy interaction, financial stability, physical health, and in-person worship are all things that help keep the mind and soul happy and refreshed; and all of those were under attach during the Covid panic-epidemic.
The brainwashing and political battles tore families and friends apart. Strangers yelled at each other simply for believing something different and making a different choice for themselves. Fear of the virus was pushed on everyone to such an extreme that many were afraid to step foot out of their homes or breathe fresh air for fear of catching it. Fear and worry alone will mess with your mind and send you into a downward spiral.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Then add to that the lack of human interaction and socializing. People were made for people. We help each other, support each other, comfort each other. All of that was taken away during the panic of those days. We were told that we couldn’t see loved ones. We couldn’t hug people. Hugs and physical touch are actually very important for our mental health. Long hugs, lasting 20 seconds or more, are even more therapeutic for the body and mind. The oxytocin release that occurs during an extended hug is a “love hormone” that is able to calm our anxiety and ease our fears.
Work and churches were closed. Many could not work to support themselves and their families. People lost jobs and their businesses they worked so hard to build. The stress of finances today is enough to send anyone into a depression, and that was magnified when so many people were told that their jobs were not essential. We could no longer go to church to worship together, encourage each other and have our souls refreshed. Where doors should have been flung open to a people desperately searching for hope and needing comfort, they were slammed shut and people were told they could not enter.
An experiment was pushed on the people. Anything that goes into our bodies than impact our health for good or bad so we should ALWAYS know what we are doing and what the impacts are. When the Covid shot came out more fear and bullying was pushed on an already fearful and worn out people. We were told we were selfish or stupid if we did not take the shot, but we were not told what was being injected into our bodies. We were told we would not be able to go places or travel if we did not have the shot, but we were not told any of the risks or given evidence to support the benefits. We were told it was for our good, but when people began experiencing side effects (such as heart conditions, paralysis, blood clots, etc), we were told to sit down and shut up.
The LGBTQIA+ push
This movement has really been pushed on us, and our children, to the extreme in the last several years. The push for finding identity in sex or gender puts more pressure on FEELINGS. As feelings change from minute to minute, relying on them to guide us and determine our worth or identity causes more confusion and stress. This goes triple for the young people and children whose minds are still developing.
Mental Repercussions: No one likes being told there is something wrong with them. Even the most rebellious among us can admit that they want some small acceptance of themselves from the people around. We are constantly telling people we want to be loved and accepted for who we are, but the LGBTQ community is constantly pushing to change who and what you are if you are a little bit different or if you don’t fit this perfect standard they have created in their minds for what each type of person should be. Those digs hurt, and before we know it we begin to believe it. Something is wrong with me. I am a mistake. I have to change everything about me to like myself and to be liked and accepted.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:13-16
Physical Repercussions: The physical changes that come from the transgender movement are just as dangerous as the mental ones. Pumping hormones into our bodies that they were never meant to have, messing with the chemical makeup of the body and brain. Regardless of what you believe, a woman’s body was not meant to take all the testosterone that men have. The same goes for men and estrogen.
When you play with the chemical makeup you can cause a whole host of problems to the body. And not just the visible parts. And imbalance of hormones can cause mild to serious health side effects, such as diabetes, weight issues, thyroid problems, lack of sleep, appetite changes, anxiety, and depression.
The Treatment
The Push for Medication: Whenever the go to is medication without considering other options or trying to figure out the source of the problem, we should always be on guard. I have seen medication thrown out for even one episode of anxiety or a short period of stress or depression, for making it through difficult patches of hormones, or just life in general. While medication is necessary in some cases, it needs to be taken AND given with caution and the user should be made aware of other options and all the risks and side effects involved so that they can make a well informed decision. Medication should not be pressed on them or shown to be the only option. Many take medication, not realizing that it could actually have mental health side effects or, at the very least, masking the symptoms and not allowing you to address the actual problem.
Medication can be a good thing. . .when presented with all the facts and used with caution.
The Coddling: Instead of pushing people to fight against the pull of mental health issues, we are encouraged to coddle them and let them consume and control us. When we feel too sad or depressed to get out of bed or do simple everyday chores, instead of pushing ourselves to take that first step and then the next to move about our day, we are told to just give in and ignore all our responsibilities to focus on our mental health.
When we don’t enjoy our job or FEEL happiness or fulfillment, we are told to just move on and find what makes us happy instead of encouraging us to try changing our perspective and do what we have to do to. If we don’t find fulfillment or happiness in our work we sink deeper into ourselves and dwell on everything we don’t like, ignoring how we can be the change others need. The focus becomes ourselves instead of looking outward and we just drag ourselves through, making everything feel like a grind.
While it is not wrong to seek employment doing something we enjoy and to be happy in our work. . .and we don’t need to stay in a place that is sucking the life out of our mind and body. . .we should first make sure:
1. We know what is causing those feelings. Is it truly a job that is not for us, or is our perspective and attitude the problem. If I let it, my mind and body would tell me constantly that any job where I wasn’t sitting under a tree writing all day is too draining on me. There are days I don’t want to work and feel very frustrated with everything, but that is the case with everything. Feelings come and go and we shouldn’t be relying on them to tell us what we should do.
2. Do our circumstances allow for moving around? If you are just starting out into the working world it is not bad to try different things and figure out what you really enjoy, where your skills lie, and what you think you should be focusing on. Though, commitment and endurance are qualities that should also be fostered at the same time. It’s when we get older, have more responsibilities (bills, a family, etc.) that we need to move priorities around and place other things above what we WANT for a time.
Because of the coddling it receives, more and more people are claiming mental health issues as an excuse to not work or follow through on commitments or responsibilities. People are afraid to push against it so claiming mental health is giving people an “out” for things that they don’t want to do or have no desire to change.
While it is not wrong to have days where we don’t want to get out of bed or we feel too sad to do some things (and we don’t need to feel guilty for having human emotions), it should not be a habit.
The goal should be to improve ourselves and our lives, not live in misery because our minds and bodies tell us to. If we are honest with ourselves, it is actually easier to hang on to our suffering and dwell in our despair. In a way it is more comfortable than living in the light. Sometimes we like to suffer because letting go of it means letting go of something more. Control? Pride? Hopes and dreams? Perhaps it means trusting in a God that you don’t want to, or actually admitting and accepting that He has different plans for your life than you wanted? Or believing in a God period?
It can be scary. . .letting go of what holds you captive, even if we desperately want to be free. It takes time and work, two words we really don’t like. But letting go of the thorns is well worth it in the end.
Watch for Part 2, where we will talk about different ways to let go of the thorns and help adjust your perspective.
chelseabarlow.com 