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Have you ever had a day, a month, or, heck, maybe even a whole year or YEARS that really tested your resolve? A time that really pushed you mentally, physically, socially, spiritually to the edge? Maybe your sleep was troubled and you ate what you could when you could. Perhaps you forgot to call and text your family and friends back despite thinking of it a few times a day. Or you re-scheduled that dentist appointment for the fourth time because there just aren’t enough hours in the day. You were just going, going, going until BOOM – you crashed. That was my year this past year. It started when my father-in-law passed away after a decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis. Soon after, I got pregnant with my first child, then quickly realized that my “morning” sickness would be all-day, everyday sickness, making basic daily life tasks […]

In the behavioral and mental health space, we talk often about the biopsychosocial (BPS) model that was developed in the 70’s by psychiatrist Dr. George Engel. As we move in to 2023, some might reference the BPS model when talking about whole person care, a phrase that is firmly taking hold in healthcare overall. Our healthcare systems are acknowledging that there are elements beyond the physical domain that need to be taken care of if we are going to see improvements in a person’s overall health and well-being. However, we all seem to still be working on incorporating one more component of truly whole person care, and that is spirituality. In 1996, quite some time after Dr. George Engel wrote about this new BPS framework, a group of clinicians (Wright, Watson, & Bell, 1996) emphasized the importance of beliefs and of making meaning around illness and health, […]

Can you think of a person in your social circle who makes you laugh easily, helps you feel heard and understood, and feels energizing to be around? Relationships, and relational health, are instrumental in our mental well-being. As part of our Mental Health Awareness Month series, which we kicked off last week (https://bit.ly/3VzZslH), we will be exploring mental wellbeing from a biopsychosocial-spiritual framework. Last week, we focused on awareness and recognition of some psychological symptoms of mental distress and avenues for support. This week we are diving into our social health, or relationships. Having supportive social connections is associated with better mental health, higher self-esteem, better recovery from illness and disease, and a longer lifespan. The longest standing relationship we will have in our lifetime is usually with our romantic partner, but if we are lucky, we experience extremely fulfilling relationships in all walks of life: parenthood, […]

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it cannot be denied that mental health has become a focal point of many broader discussions in our state and country over the last few years. There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the state of mental health in North Carolina and beyond. According to Mental Health America, approximately 1 in 5 adults in our state are experiencing a mental illness. Mental illness used to be surrounded by significant stigma, as something that people had a tough time understanding. There was a misconception that mental health concerns or illness could happen to “others” but not you or your family. For better or worse, this lack of understanding is becoming a thing of the past. For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a myriad of issues and mental health was certainly one of them. Isolation, fear of sickness, actual […]

While the month of May flew by, the idea of mental health awareness, is here to stay. Now more than ever, Americans are talking about their mental health in a way that is forcing the conversation around the unnecessary stigma of seeking support. No longer in the shadows of healthcare, mental health is slowly gaining parity in terms of the conception of when and how people can seek support. Prevention is no longer just for our physical health, but it should be for our mental health as well. This month’s blog entries focused on the development of a young adult who benefitted from systemic changes in our healthcare system that provided him access to preventive mental health services. The Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation has brought these words to life in this cartoon sketch of Alex. Let’s all take a minute to envision a life where […]