Prevention is Better Than Cure

We brush our teeth because we don't want cavities. We service our cars before they break down. But when it comes to our mental health, many of us follow a different rule: we wait until something feels wrong enough to do something about it.

We tell ourselves, “It's just a stressful week” or “I'll feel better once this deadline is over”. We keep going until exhaustion becomes normal, irritability becomes our default, or something we once enjoyed starts feeling like another task. 

So, what would it look like to approach mental health differently? 

Mental health exists on a continuum. We can experience periods of good wellbeing, stress, emotional difficulty, recovery and everything in between. This is where preventive mental healthcare comes in.

It means taking steps to maintain psychological wellbeing before difficulties become overwhelming or significantly interfere with our lives. It doesn't mean preventing every difficult emotion or making sure we feel positive all the time. It means paying attention to our mental health before it reaches a point where we have no choice but to. In other words, mental healthcare doesn't always have to be repair, sometimes it can be maintenance.

But how do you maintain something you can't see?

This is where self-awareness becomes important. Think about how quickly we notice changes in our physical health. Our mental health can have signals too, but they are often easier to dismiss:-

• Maybe you're usually someone who enjoys meeting friends, but you've been cancelling plans for weeks

• Maybe you normally sleep reasonably well, but you've been waking up exhausted every morning

• Maybe you're still completing your work, but everything feels like an enormous effort

• Maybe you've become unusually irritable, or stopped doing things you normally enjoy

None of these automatically mean that something is “wrong” with you. But they can be worth noticing. Preventive care begins with knowing your own baseline well enough to recognize when something has changed.

But one of the biggest barriers to taking care of our mental health is the idea that we have to reach a certain level of suffering before we're allowed to seek support.

“Other people have it worse”

“I'm still functioning”

“It's not serious”

“I'll manage”

True self care comes much before all this. It is not something you just do on a Sunday. It is the small habits. Sometimes it is going to bed on time. Sometimes it is eating properly, taking a walk, saying no, making time for people who matter, having an uncomfortable conversation, or allowing yourself a few moments of transition from one activity to another. 

But preventive mental healthcare is also shaped by our relationships, workplaces, families, communities and circumstances. Think about the difference between having people around you and feeling connected to people. Reaching out can feel so difficult because of the meaning we assign to it. It may look like our defeat. Embarrassment and disgust may hold our legs. But what is important to remember, that taking those steps towards safe support early on can help prevent crisis. 

Make self care part of everyday!

Disclaimer: This blog post is meant for awareness/entertainment purposes only. It is not medical advice and one must refrain from self-diagnosing. It is in no way a substitute for therapy with a mental health professional and it is not meant to be clinical. To consult with a psychotherapist on our team, you can contact us on fettle.counselling@gmail.com.