Written by: Krista Clarke, Graduate Student/Dietetic Intern Appalachian State University Class of 2022

May is Mental Health Awareness month, and we’re here to acknowledge ALL types of mental health, no matter where you may be in your journey. Mental health awareness finally seems to be gaining the attention it deserves, but there is still so much stigma around mental health, its manifestations, who “should” receive treatment, and so much more. So, let’s break it down. Have you ever found yourself saying “but my issues aren’t that bad” or “it’s not that serious so I don’t need help from a professional” or something similar? The truth is, pain is pain. No matter how you got there, there is nothing wrong in asking for help or needing someone to provide guidance to navigate the chaos, no matter how “small” it may seem. Because let’s be real, life can be SO hard at times for anyone!

Why is there so much stigma and how can you navigate it?

Well, stigma exists for many reasons. Maybe someone grew up in a household where they were told to control or hide their emotions. Maybe mental health was an off-limits topic or perceived as a weakness. Maybe when you think of mental health you even picture a specific type of person: a specific race and/or socioeconomic status, a specific gender and/or sexual orientation, a specific age group, or maybe even specific mental health conditions or traumatic experiences that may be perceived as more serious than others.

Believe it or not, all of the above scenarios can actually be trauma in itself! Being in pain and wanting help but thinking you don’t deserve it, is trauma. Neglecting and repressing feelings or certain memories based on preconceived beliefs of weakness, being told your feelings are invalid, etc. is trauma. I promise, all of your feelings are valid and you deserve help no matter where you believe you fall on the mental health spectrum. In fact, acknowledging pain and seeking help takes a lot of strength. Whether you’re going through a breakup, grieving a loss, trying to move on from a traumatic incident, or going through a difficult time in life in general, you deserve mental health help.

Why is it important to receive help?

In order to be the person we envision, whether it be as an individual, as a partner or parent, a friend, a leader, we all need to refill our own cup before we can do anything at our best potential. If your cup continues to empty without being refilled, you will eventually have nowhere to take from. This empty cup may feel like heaviness, soreness, fatigue, brain fog, feelings of chaos, and so much more. Unresolved trauma and/or repressed feelings can also be stored physically in your body. Let’s explore this in more detail. The concept that feelings, emotions, memories, etc. are simply solved through talking and/or only impact your mental health is outdated. These actually impact your physical body as well. Mental health plays a major role in the way your nervous system responds to perceived threats (and life in general), and vice versa.

Mental health manifestations can be reflected in the nervous system and body in a plethora of ways, and are experienced differently by everyone. Some manifestations include: brain fog, mental/emotional fatigue, physical fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, pain and tightness in the body (yes, this can be due to mental health manifestations rather than the traditional belief that pain/tightness is only due to physical illness, injury, etc.), obsessive thoughts, feelings of chaos, mood swings, hormonal imbalances, going into fight or flight mode easily and/or often, going into “zombie” mode or feeling numb, lack of interest in activities you typically enjoy, stress, digestive upset (your gut and brain are connected via the gut-brain axis and can impact one another), feelings of hopelessness, extreme highs with extreme lows, and others. The bottom line is that there are all sorts of ways mental health can manifest in your body, and that’s part of why navigating mental health can be so difficult. This is also why, no matter the root cause, it’s so important to seek help and support in your journey! Our bodies are so complex and unique, and they’ll go to great lengths to protect us and keep us alive, but being in survival mode is not a supportive place to be for prolonged periods of time. In fact, it can cause a lot of harm in the long run.

As you can see, mental health has whole-body impacts in a variety of ways. Everyone is unique and has different manifestations, and that’s part of what makes us human! You don’t have to fit into a certain mold and you definitely shouldn’t feel shame in seeking support. Your body is your home and all of your experiences are valid. You deserve to be met with compassion through a lens without judgment.

If you’re interested in learning more about mental health and trauma and the way these manifestations present themselves in your physical body, I highly recommend reading the book “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk. This knowledge and awareness can be
utterly life-changing!