Ten
years ago the subject of mental illness entered my life. Before
then, I didn’t know much about mental illness. Like so many others,
I took the brain for granted. There’s an unspoken alienation in
our society when it comes to mental illness. There is also a stigma
that comes from false information and media misrepresentations.
The
last ten years has been a journey that a mother takes when her child
develops “certain symptoms,” and she wants to do everything in her
power to make things right in that child’s world. I had a lot to
learn.
The
most important thing I learned—and it took a lot of trial and
error—is that to be of any value in helping my loved one, I had to
do a lot of letting go of my control issues, which most parents have
when it comes to their children. It’s amazing how receptive people
are when you show true acceptance and genuine concern for their
well-being instead of your own agenda. When I volunteered to
facilitate support groups for family members at NAMI (National
Alliance on Mental Illness) Anchorage, I often expressed to parents:
“This experience is a test of your unconditional love.”
No
matter what modality of healing is incorporated, whether holistic or
standard medical or a combination, the most important element is
letting your loved one know that you love them no matter what. Don’t
expect immediate miracles. Take it one day at a time. Celebrate
each day, knowing how far you have come and how much you have learned.
Finding people to talk to and sharing your experiences will also help.
The World Health Organization (WHO) did a study years ago on
mental illness in third world countries. The results showed a higher
recovery rate than those in developed countries. Their success
was due to family involvement and community support systems.
I
read so many research articles that claim that mental illness is a
permanent disability, but I kept searching until I found that it
isn’t always the case, that recovery is possible. I sure felt
better when I focused on a recovery philosophy! Being hopeful and
positive was so much better than resignation.
In
2001, I visited The Brain Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute in
Washington, D.C. I was most impressed with a room-sized, see-through
plastic model of the brain, which showed neurotransmitters, neurons,
and synapses at work.
The
brain is the most complex organ in the human body. The wiring of the
brain is more complicated than any electrical circuit or computer
chip. There is constant interaction of both chemical and
electrical signals within our brain. Each nerve cell has communication
links to thousands of others, and any one cell is simultaneously a
part of many different signaling circuits. Tracing all the connections
of even one cell is a task too complex to imagine, and the human brain
contains 100 billion such cells.
On
a typical day our brain sends and receives trillions of messages.
As long as this input is balanced, everything runs along in a normal
fashion. Four brain chemicals—serotonin, catecholamine, GABA and
endorphins—are essential for mental health. Some of us may
have a genetic predisposition and lack these chemicals. However,
the modern mainstream diet is deficient in the amino acids that are
needed for our brains to make these neurotransmitters, so proper diet
is important for our brains to function properly. When stress
levels become more than a person can handle, certain brain chemicals (serotonin,
noradrenalin and dopamine) begin to malfunction. Thus, medications,
diet, and lifestyle changes need to be considered. It is also
important to seek professional help with any brain issue.
It
is good to acknowledge that we should not categorize personality
traits. Some people are shy, not social phobics. Some people
are neat, not obsessive-compulsive. Some people are energetic,
not manic. Some people are loners, not depressed. These
traits often ebb and flow as a person grows within his or her
self-identity. We don’t need a medical label, drug treatments,
or to be shunned by others. I’ve learned that everyone is
subject to changes in complex brain chemistry that can cause a range
of emotions and moods. We can learn how to release negative ones
and have more positive experiences by making better choices with
respect to taking care of ourselves.
In
the stressful times in which we live in, it has become more important
for us to educate ourselves on how to maintain a healthy brain.
We may be able to offset some of the triggers that cause mental
illness when we become more aware and educated. As parents, spouses,
friends or neighbor, we can all help in recovery and replace the
stigma of mental illness with love and understanding. We may
become a community.
Yvonne
Evans, recipient of the SOA 2004 Stars of Gold Volunteer Award, is
the event planner for the 2009 Alaska Mental Health Recovery Education
Conference to be held in May. Contact: yvonneevans@live.com
