Note to Reader:
To some of the visual and cognitive apparati who may be reading the words of this article, the following idea may strike as completely revolutionary while to others, it may be obvious and boring. However, regardless, of which camp you fall into, I wanted to ask you, actually tell you, and this is going to sound either strange or obvious; Mental health is not a destination. Actualy, it sort of is, but not really.
Don’t read
Well, lets think about something else first. Is physical health stable? No, not really. It is always fluctuating but we notice that we have crossed over to illness as opposed to physical health when things have gotten really worse. How worse? well, that depends on each of us, doesn’t it? I mean some people go to the doctor with a pin prick and others, like me unfortunately, can count on their hands how many times they have seen a doctor. In my personal case, I think it is an irrational anti-doctor sentiment. It may come from growing up with a doctor i.e., my dad and living next to hospital and being surrounded by neighbours who were doctors and many of their kids who also wanted to be doctors or were being forced to become doctors. Do you find my indignation towards doctors healthy? Wait, who would decide whats healthy in this case? Exactly, my point.
Things being healthy or unhealthy is a matter relative to one’s experiences, one’s physical and mental constitution (which itself is always shifting and changing) and what is one trying to achieve. Wouldn’t you say? Perhaps you wouldn’t and perhaps in a few days I wouldn’t either because who am I? and what do I know? For instance, you may be healthy enough to do your 9 to 5 cubilcle job but you may not be healthy enough to run a maraton. Are you? perhaps just not yet but most of us are capable. I believe that because I ran my first and last marathon without training and got her done. Yes, you heard that right and no you don’t have to believe it to enjoy the rest of this article. Wait, but it might be enough to help you hate it. Or, perhaps something in the middle or may be 25% or 75%? you get the point? Life is not black and white, things have middles. No one is really all beautiful and all ugly just like things aren’t all healthy and all unhealthy?
So am I saying that none of this matters and words like healthy and unhealthy are meaningless? Well, I am not that smart to make claims of that magnitude. Who really knows what things mean? I am not that lofy, I leave that to the ancestral spirit of Hegel. I have a much less ambition orientation. Its heterosexual. No, just kidding. Actually, not kidding it is mostly to 95th percentile heterosexual. You see, you just can’t escape it, nothing is ever black or white but things can be largely black or largely white, in other words while the two notions may be related, it doesn’t follow that they can represent opposites sides of the same coin. Wait what where is this coin? and are coins real? Again, not my problem. Hopefully, not yours either.
I am simply interested in health and non-health and all I wanted to pronounce before I got sidetracked by the very track on which I was going (in the way of related thoughts along the path) was this:
1. Mental Health much like much else is on a continuum.
2. Mental health fluctuates along that continuum over time and place.
3. Mental health is made of basic constituents which themselves oscillate.
I can add many more propositions to this set of three, for instance, learning to have good sex requires practice and being super healthy helps with that. However, the last propositions I find irrelevant to my current topic. So, why would I include them? Why? Just because its fun? Well, there you go I included it but not exactly, so back to the three anxioms.
1. Mental Health, much like much(and many) else, is on a continuum.
Sure bud. Whatever you say? Why in the hell would you believe such bull?
Well, all I am saying is only living people have mental health. Ok, and so? I think you are going nuts? Maybe but without disaparaging your nuts, let me just say that I do agree that mental health is something that has to do with living people but when I say it is on a continuum, I mean to state the obvious fact that people/ living human bodies are continously in a flux and so all aspects of these bodies are in a flux and so consequently if mental health is an emergent process of these living human processes then that very process is not constant and hence changes and oscillates. Wuf, that was a mouthful.
What are these changes then? Well, I like your enthusiasm but I am making no claims about the exact details of these changes, all I am saying and attempting to establish is that they are not constant. In other words, they are on a continuum from less healthy to more healthy.
In other words, mental health oscilates and no amount of psychiatric medication, yoga retreats, mindfulness seminars, daily meditation practice, talk therapy, cognitive therapy, behavioural activation, exposure etc will set you right once and for all. Am I busting your balls? No, I leave that sort of intimate activity to yourself. All I am saying that you can never fully “arrive” at mental health. In spiritual terms, enlightenment is something one moves in and out of. In more therapeutic terms, you will need ongoing tune-ups either in the way of your own healing or from assistance from a therapist.
Now is that good news or bad news? The way I see it, it is both and which one it is, depends on how we look at it. There you go, that is the core of cognitive and rational approach to mental health. “Nothing is so but thinking makes it so” or some such wise saying, right. So it is good news because it means you are in charge of your mental health and you can bring yourself back closer to it when you find yourself a bit too far away but by the same token it is bad news because you got to bring yourself back closer to being mentally healthy when you find yourself going nuts. This time I am refering to the fruit not the human appendage. Actually, I am not, I am refering to not feeling well, i.e., feeling nutty, going nuts, feeling crazy, mad, upset, depressed, enraged, anxious and like a fool etc.
2. Mental Health Fluctuates Along a Continuum Over Time and Place
Picture this: You wake up one day feeling like a rockstar. You’re focused, energized, and have the mental clarity of a Zen master. By mid-afternoon, however, after a misplaced coffee order and an overly candid email from your boss, you’re questioning your very existence. Welcome to the reality of fluctuating mental health!
Mental health, much like the weather, has its sunny days, its storms, and sometimes, its inexplicable haze. It’s never stagnant, and why would it be? Life isn’t a sitcom rerun where everything resets to status quo at the end of the episode. It’s more like a streaming series—full of twists, turns, and the occasional cliffhanger.
Think about how your mental health changes depending on the context. Maybe you feel zen-like calm during your yoga class but turn into an existential mess in the parking lot when someone steals your spot. Or perhaps you’re thriving at work but struggling to keep your cool during a family dinner that resembles a soap opera more than a meal.
The point is, mental health is situational and ever-changing. It’s not some static trophy you win and display on your metaphorical shelf. Instead, it’s a living, breathing part of you, ebbing and flowing with the tides of your experiences, environment, and even how much sleep you got last night.
So, what’s the takeaway? Recognizing that mental health fluctuates can be both comforting and challenging. On one hand, it’s a relief to know that feeling off doesn’t mean you’re “broken.” On the other hand, it requires adaptability and effort to stay balanced when the winds of life shift. But hey, that’s part of being human.
3. Mental Health is Made of Basic Constituents That Oscillate
Now, let’s talk about the nuts and bolts—those building blocks of mental health that are themselves constantly in motion. Think of them as the “ingredients” in the recipe of your mental well-being. These ingredients include emotional regulation, physical health, relationships, purpose, and a dash of humor (because seriously, how else are we surviving?).
Each of these constituents has its own rhythm and range. For example:
- Emotional Regulation: Some days, you’re an emotional ninja, deflecting stress with the grace of a martial artist. Other days, one slightly snarky text can send you spiraling into a melodrama worthy of Shakespeare.
- Physical Health: Ever notice how a bad night’s sleep can make even the smallest inconvenience feel like the apocalypse? Yeah, your body and mind are besties—they impact each other constantly.
- Relationships: Whether you’re basking in the glow of connection or stewing in the funk of a misunderstanding, your social ties play a huge role in your mental state.
- Purpose and Meaning: When you feel aligned with your values, you’re unstoppable. When you’re binge-watching 12 hours of a true-crime series and questioning all your life choices? Not so much.
The oscillation of these components is what makes mental health dynamic. One element might be thriving while another needs attention. It’s like spinning plates—you can’t keep them all perfectly balanced all the time, but with practice, you get better at it.
Mental Health: A Lifelong Journey
So, what’s the verdict? Is mental health a journey or a destination? It’s both—and neither. It’s an ongoing process, a series of pit stops along the road, not a final destination you “arrive” at. Sure, you can have moments of clarity, balance, and joy, but they’re part of a bigger picture that’s always evolving.
The good news? You’re the driver. You can navigate, recalibrate, and choose the scenic route when the highway gets too overwhelming. The bad news? Well, the responsibility of steering can feel daunting. But hey, with the right tools—whether that’s therapy, mindfulness, or a supportive community—you can handle the curves ahead.
In the words of a wise (and possibly fictional) philosopher, “Mental health isn’t about reaching the mountaintop; it’s about learning to dance in the valley.” So, lace up those metaphorical hiking boots, pack your humor, and embrace the adventure of it all. After all, life’s not black and white—it’s a kaleidoscope, and your mental health is just one of its ever-changing patterns.
The writer is a mental health therapist and a qualifying registered psychotherapist in Ontario, Canada.