Mental Health is More than Mental

What is Mental Health?

Objectively, throughout history, if you survived an animal attack or a severe injury, or if your behavior was ‘unique’ enough, you could become a Shaman. But if your behavior was not conducive to the tribe at all, or you became dangerous, you could be banished. Or, worse…

If, throughout most of human history, you got depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed by trauma, you went to a Healer or Shaman. Back then, your Shaman probably understands what you are going through, because they have probably had similar experiences. They also have unexpected tools, can tell a meaningful story, provides human connection, offers ceremony and Sacred Space, some community reintegration, authentic acceptance, and hopefully some humor.

They might even make you fast alone for days on the side of a mountain.

Life has been challenging, for a very long time…

What is Mind…?

That is probably one of the oldest questions ever though of and is a central question to the longest living Spiritual traditions that still exist today.

Given that we are talking about Mental Health, let’s say that Mind is a combination of consciousness itself, the mental sequence of cognition, the emotions and sentiments moving through your Heart, and the subjective lens that we all experience as our ‘Self.’

Mind = Consciousness + Cognition + Feelings/Sensations + A Self

What Influences Your Experience of Mind?

Because of how we experience our lives today, I am going to ask you to pretend you are watching someone, ideally a stranger, on a homemade video like YouTube.

As you watch the video or imagine wholeheartedly, what happens to the person when you see them go through some extreme stress? It can be funny or serious, scary, or sexy.

Have fun with your imagination! It is actually good for your Mind.

What happens if your stressed-out YouTube personality suddenly stops sleeping? What is insomnia like after a week, or a month?

If they started using sugar as fuel, what do you see them eating to try and keep going?

Big stress, no sleep, comfort food is now comfort fuel. Now imagine them on way too much caffeine.

This gets tougher…, now imagine them using alcohol to calm down and try to pass out for some rest. There are many other substances that can be used as a snooze button. You only need a snooze button when you are exhausted or overwhelmed.

Although that is a common journey for about 30% of adults at any given time, I am not speaking about this to point out something good or bad. I am not even offering an opinion about those circumstances or choices.

I am, however, inviting you to consider the experience of Mind for each of those scenarios.

Mental Health = Mind – (Stress+Sleep+Diet/Sugar+Caffeine+Alcohol+Overwhelm)

Can you embody and empathize animistically with each of those relative Mental Health states?

What is the subjective experience of each of those examples of burnout like?

Have you experienced any of them yourself?

I am comfortable saying that I have. Which is why I am sharing these perspectives and practices with you.

Mental Health is part of an ‘Unspoken’ Social Agreement.

As long as you live and behave within a certain group of parameters, you are adapting to modern life just fine. If your behavior becomes a burden or danger to others, you will need to be healed, or nowadays treated, or as has always been, you may be banished.

Industrial society faces many challenges, but our impatience with the consequences of how fast things are changing, is at the top of the list – at least for me.

Our present sense of Mental Health seems to be, if you can play along, let’s all et along. If you can’t play along, or simply don’t want to, or profoundly disagree with the way the game is played, you must be crazy.

And that makes sense, if you are in survival mode, fear social embarrassment, and are ok with 30% of your tribe (it’s more like 60%) struggling to adapt to their environment.

I will come back to environmental influences shortly. For now, I am suggesting that the boundaries we have about Mental Health are, to some degree, determined by a society and not the capacity of the person.

The Experience of a Mental Health Journey

Let’s say, objectively, that Mental Health includes successfully adapting to your environment and social compact. On many levels.

I would also suggest that optimal Mental Health includes enough healthy social connection, guidance, and self-directed growth to experience your Autonomy and Self-Respect. Maybe some Self-Love and Compassion for ourselves and our ‘Self’ would add to some more to the optimal aspect.

That looks like a good start.

But all of that is objective. It was meant to be. It is a safe place to start.

Talking about your (or my) experience of our Minds, and our subjective Mental Health, is very contextual and profoundly environmental. 

What is Self Awareness?

“Self-awareness is the ability to focus on yourself and how your actions, thoughts, or emotions do or don’t align with your internal standards.

Internal self-awareness, represents how clearly we see our own values, passions, aspirations, fit with our environment, reactions (including thoughts, feelings, behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses), and impact on others.

internal self-awareness is associated with higher job and relationship satisfaction, personal and social control, and happiness; it is negatively related to anxiety, stress, and depression.

self-awareness also, means understanding how other people view us,

people who know how others see them are more skilled at showing empathy and taking others’ perspectives.

What is it like to be inside your Mind?

Yes, I am asking you, personally, what is happening ‘up there?’

If I can help bring any benefit to your life, which is kind of my job, we need to talk about what it is like. What is your subjective experience like?

Can you make friends with your Mind?

One of hardest things to do is accept ourselves for who we have learned to become. Notice I did not say who you are…

Wherever you are at right now, you got there honestly, even if you have lied every day of your life.

You have adapted to your environment. Honesty and Radical Self Acceptance are where the ’magic’ of personal transformation and healing to happen. Right now, you are reading or listening to some useful information to support your long-term wellbeing, as well as the well being of everyone you know, and everyone you will ever meet.

Your Mental Health is more than Mental because how you think and feel is made of conditioned and conditioning experiences.

Mental Health is Mostly Environ’Mental’

We adapt to our environment, and our environment teaches us the rules, the boundaries, and how to solve problems. Your culture of origin, your level of wealth or poverty, your access to good food, you opportunities to make social connections, and your childhood all determine how you see the world. And, by default, how you see your self.

Have you ever taken and A.C.E Test?  (A.C.E. – Adverse Childhood Experiences) TAP HERE to learn your score

If your environment is unstable enough, you will create a solid and defensive Self. If your Self does not succeed enough, your Mind will become rigid with fury and terror. Over time, if your environment (family/community) does not offer ways to soften, connect, laugh and cry at the same time, and find solace in shared meaning, your environments Mental Health is questionable if not directly pathological.

In a conversation about a healthy environment, especially a mentally and emotionally healthy environment, what do you think of?

If you were to design a mentally and emotionally healthy community or culture, how that look and work?

Mental Health is Also Biochemical

If you were to look at the symptoms of most severe vitamin deficiencies, many of them are Psychological or Psychiatric in nature. Not enough healthy fats, too much of many toxic chemicals, chronic inflammation, or not enough Oxygen or Nitric Oxide, and your Mind and its many functions begin to falter. There are also genetic and epigenetic reasons that neurotransmitter production, sensitivity, and clearance are insufficient, leading to changes throughout the whole body, but especially the Nervus System and how you experience your Brain/Mind.

We are all aware that our present medical system advocates altering your Brain’s biochemistry as the primary approach to treatment. Given that it is impossible to have a pharmaceutical deficiency, the lack of curiosity about causes and other approaches to care says a lot about the Mental Health of the Environment.

I began this article with the imagery of a person going through obvious, predictable, and destructive biochemistry. Chemistry that our environment is full of, all day every day. You are the only one who can improve your biochemistry, especially with respect to your Mental Health.

It is easy to test many aspects of your biochemistry through a Functional Medicine Doctor (HERE is a link to my clinic website)

Evolution is a team sport…

This is where the ancient Spiritual traditions and Healing systems have a lot to say.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Daoist thought are certain that your adaptability to your environment is step one.

“The outside determines if you live, the inside determines how you live.”

In these traditions, step two is to adapt to your subjective experience – the inside. To make friends with and guide your Mind. This is an invitation to experiencing life as a team sport, especially with aspects of your ‘Self.’

Evolution is all about adaptation, and adapting to your subjective experience begins subjectively. It is a bit crazy making – pardon the pun.

Having an objective sense of the terrain of your Mind and your Brain, your culture’s biases, and the imprinting of your childhood experience is essential.

This is always fun to say, but you have to bigger than a Mind to have a Mind.

Once more, you have to be something bigger than a Mind to have a Mind. (Have fun with that).

Whatever is bigger than the Mind is holding in the Mind. Your Mind carries your Self in the same way.

As people come into Self-Awareness, they notice that the Mind is not the Self. They also notice that the Self seems to think this whole existence experience is about them.  It takes a while for the Self to accept it can be anything. It takes a while to make friends with your Self, a Self that may hold on to or create a lot of pain.

Yes, as it turns out, in order to makes friends with your Mind, you first have to makes friends with your Self.

Self Awareness Takes Time

At some point, we become aware of ourselves as adults, mostly living out reactive patterns of behavior.

At some point, we must recognize it is time to respond skillfully instead of reacting. Objectively this sounds easy, subjectively it is like juggling chainsaws while trying to serve your grandmother some tea with a smile.

Identifying with and defending any story stops you from being skillful. The stories that go with why your unconscious choices make sense, by their nature stop you from becoming conscious of your Self and Your Mind. This why everyone needs to make friends.

What if you are not the story…?

What if your story is a defense mechanism?

Your subconscious self will decide when it is time to grow more than protect itself. Instincts often happen before the Mind. When it is time, your instincts and Unconscious Self will take a step back and allow your more conscious Selves to find new ways of adapting and growing. (Yes, I said Selves)

TCM and other comprehensive systems of thought and healing are very effective at helping people become whole and individuated as human beings. The common sense of eating real food, staying fit and taking care of all external aspects of your health, even your relationships is also good advice. Having the adaptability and the inner resources to embrace an inner, personal, subjective, and often challenging existential journey, are essential. A social support system is too. Find a group or a therapist of some kind.

If you are going to begin making friends with your Self and your Mind, you will benefit from some support.

TCM has a very pliable and subjective range of practices that are meant to help any individual assess and understand how and why any of us respond to our outer lives and inner lives in the ways that we do.

Try this…

Here are a few examples of ways that TCM helps us guide ourselves through the subjective experience of our Minds, to make friends there, and become curious about the possibilities.

Please remember, with all things TCM, the context is the most important part. 

Your Three Selves

One way to explore your experience, and the behavior of others is through your Three Selves. (get ready to laugh, especially at yourself). This practice invites you to be playful, and consciously respond to something in three ways.

Imagine you are walking around a corner and you suddenly run into someone that shocks you back into the moment.

Something could go wrong!

A part of you is instinctual – you respond from there, from your guts. What large terrifying animal or small and tricky animal do you need to be in this moment?

A part of you experiences life socially and relationally, bonding and control of distance can determine your survival. Who is the last person you want to bump into right now?

In the moment you imagine bumping into them, drop into your hips and legs. Find your pelvis and the root of your breath. Soften there. Wait until you are ready, in a consciously embodied way, before engaging in the encounter.

What would that feel like right now?

As a social Being, in this moment, what is the most authentic way to respond skillfully to the benefits, risks, and rewards, of that relationship.

Just in case you needed to hear this. Being a crutch is not healthy for either of you.

Bring your attention to your Heart and breathing. Feel into how you communicate.

As a social being, what is the most authentic and skillful way to respond. To communicate with your heart. Even if it will be challenging.

Can you feel that shift of state now?

As an existential being, what truth actually matters right now?

In this moment, do you feel connected and clear with how you can feel both autonomy and discernment with every moment, and with every word.

Each of your three selves is a Mind. A Way of being a Being in the world. A way of adapting to the three most influential environments in your life.

The practice is to stay curious about which of your minds is evaluating each of your Minds…, and why getting clear on the most potent influences in your life will always be the first step to making completely other choices.

Which are completely up to who?

Have fun learning how to learn how to find out.

It is worth noting that, in Chinese thought, these Minds, and Selves are not thought of as literal substrates of Being. Each aspect of cognition, each unique emotion, each innate drive within your character, your conflict style, your ancestral homework and treasure chest you receive from your Ancestors. Even your Acupuncture Meridians can be understood to be adaptive components of a whole Self, and a pliable Mind.

Just like with the Three Selves exercise and practice above, here are several other models to learn from and practice. Now, instead of imagining bumping into someone on the street, let’s consider these as tools to navigate the rest of your life.

The following examples will be discussed in detail in future articles, or taught in depth in a course called Embodied Psychotherapy, Spiritual Recapitulation, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Cognition has four or five major functional components and steps, depending if you are using Western Neurology, or TCM Psychology (Qing Zhi Bing). Any time you are stuck looping, or have writers block, you can observe how you are processing your thoughts, and then choose the most effective aspect of cognition for what you are engaged in.

The Classic Seven Emotions of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are a template for exploring the spectrum of all possible emotion. Instead of trying to discover which emotion is the worst, or most damaging, you are invited to look into all of your emotions about the most impactful experiences of your life. You are also invited to feel how each of the classic emotions is involved in your Mood and Disposition. And finally, how to listen into each of your tissues, organs, and internal systems for latent emotional ‘stowaways’ that might be whispering in your dreams.

Every Mind is made of many Minds. Every Mind is also made of a series of moving forces, motivations, volitions, and tendencies that work in the background to direct your Mind and Self throughout the journey of your life. TCM encourages a conscious relationship with your Five Wills, so that you can learn to steer and then rely on each of them when needed. The Five Wills are your Spirit (Shen), Capacity to Interact (Yi), Ethereal Soul (Hun), Corporeal Soul (P’o), and Willingness (Zhi). If you can train them, then you can rely on them when they are the most needed.

If you feel a need to resolve Ancestral Trauma, receive Ancestral Gifts, sort out your dreams, explore parts of your personality, your type of intelligence, emotional sensitivity or bluntness, and sense of fate and destiny, you can connect with your Hun or Ethereal Soul. Your Hun exist ‘behind your Mind, Heart, and dreams.

Just like a Mind can hold a Self, your Hun holds your Spirit, which holds your Mind, which holds your Self, which holds and experiences pain.

Your Hun, or Three Hun, if you are using this relationship therapeutically, can offer a subjective exercise to explore other Minds that maintain your Mental Health. By paying attention to how you manifest certain attributes, you can call on deeper aspects of your Mind and Self to help build aspects of your character and relationality that may have been suppressed or ignored earlier in life.

Your Hun brings into being the structure of your Character, your emotional range and sensitivity. If those aspects of you were blunted or contorted in your childhood, it is now you choice or opportunity to use Hun as another kind of parent or Elder to guide you in another way. A more open way, a more fulfilling way, and a more completing way. Perhaps even a more authentic way.

There are several more models of exploration and healing, such as your P’o or Corporeal Souls and Ancestral Grudges, and the Meridian system, which is really three distinct systems. There is your 6 layers of Boundary Meridians, your 12 Embodiment and Relational Meridians, and your 8 Extraordinary Meridians, which mediate ancestral imprinting and cultural conditioning.

From a TCM perspective, all of these influences are like voices in a choir. Stress, sugar, insomnia, Selves, Cognitive bias, emotional load and sensitivity, inner forces of Will, Souls, Spirits, and maybe even some Ghosts all mix together and sing their many songs. This song is always in the background, filling the space of Mind, defining the Self, somewhere beneath the ‘status’ of anyone’s Mental Health.

If you are interested in becoming the guiding conductor of all of the voices in your choir, or in your head, I am teaching a course next Spring. It is called Embodied Psychotherapy, Spiritual Recapitulation, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

This course is usually taught to third year students of Traditional Chinese medicine. It is not very complicated and is accessible to people with no clinical or TCM experience.