What if your symptoms are not mental illness?

What if what we know as ‘mental illness’ is actually a symptom of disconnection….and reconnection is the cure? It’s something to consider.

As technology has evolved and life has become fast paced, it is increasingly hard to be grounded and connected. We push down the wounds we collect on our way through life, we hide behind addictions and self -imposed scaffolding, and keep busy so we don’t have to acknowledge our internal programming.
Our brains do have the capacity to be reprogrammed, this is called neuroplasticity- meaning our mind can literally change.
Our brain doesn’t know the difference between reality and perception, and if we perceive a threat we will have a physiological response, even if in reality there is no danger. The physiological response can manifest as symptoms of mental illness- and coupled with inflammation from poor diet and gut health, poor sleep, lack of fresh air and exercise, the symptoms can be really severe.

The symptoms themselves are not an illness, rather a warning sign that something is amiss.

I am going to repeat this as it’s important.

Over decades of research, psychiatrists have failed to demonstrate that people with common psychiatric diagnoses have a biochemical imbalance in the brain. And this makes sense- as how would psychiatrists have any idea that someone has a chemical imbalance.

Blood levels of serotonin for example, don’t reflect brain levels. So, any idea that mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance is simply a hypothesis. There is no consistent evidence that there is any biochemical abnormality in people diagnosed as depressed and this fact spans across all symptoms of mental illness.

So if not a chemical imbalance, what may produce symptoms that can be packaged together in a neat diagnosis?

We have a dysfunctional food environment, often eating food when we have no idea where it comes from. Also, bad childhood experiences can wire pathways that create anxious responses, depression, panic, or mania. But instead of looking at these factors first, we are labelled with a disorder- a broken brain!
Optimal wellness is a mix of gut health, attention and examination of thoughts, care of the body, and acknowledgment of our soul. Our body has amazing healing capacity when these four factors are supported and nourished.

We can all be self-healers, we don’t need a pill or someone else to fix us. In fact, we aren’t broken at all.

To heal we need to reconnect with ourselves, our food, our earth, and others and further along we will explore how to reconnect.

I am here with you and ready to support you on your journey.

This is only the beginning where you ask yourself important questions, such as:

• Is there a possibility you carry childhood trauma?

• Are you inflamed?

• Are you nourishing your mind?

• Are you disconnected from nature, others and yourself

• Do you have good sleep hygiene?

• Do you move your body enough?

• Is your gut healthy?

If you haven’t considered these questions, now is the time.

There is a high possibility that if you answer no to even one of these questions, you are not supporting the health of your mind. The good news is this can be remediated with a little time and effort- and it’s well worth it. I can speak from personal experience, once you invest the time into your mental wellbeing, things improve on so many levels.

Healing is possible and the power is within you.

Click on the button below to get started with the first module; nourish.