Mental Health Pt 1: Introduction

Rethinking Mental Health: Status, Stigma, and Self-Awareness

Mental health has become a more socially accepted topic of conversation. For many, the stigma once associated with mental illness has diminished. It’s now common to hear people mention going to therapy as a badge of pride—a way of saying, “I’m working on myself.”

Personally, I wrestle with the balance between quietly doing the work and publicly discussing mental health. There’s a tension between genuinely processing trauma and turning therapy into a social signal that can miss the deeper intent.

Yet, stigma still exists. Some people continue to view themselves as weak or "broken" for not having what they perceive to be a “normal” emotional response to life’s challenges.

What Is Mental Health?

Mental health refers to a person's psychological and emotional well-being. Many people state their life goal is to be “healthy and happy,” which means mental health—whether acknowledged explicitly or not—is often part of that vision.

In psychiatry, two dominant schools of thought exist:

1. Psychoanalysis (Talk Therapy) – exploring how past experiences shape current emotional states.

2. Biological Psychiatry – examining how physiological states affect mental health, including the use of pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals as treatment.

This creates a classic "chicken or egg" question: Does a healthy body lead to a healthy mind—or vice versa?

The Mind in a Holistic Model

In my personal framework of health—mind, body, and spirit—mental health falls under the mind category. It often embodies the feminine archetype of emotional perception. Two people can experience similar life events yet respond in dramatically different ways. That difference is often shaped by expectations and perception.

I’ve seen content and depressed individuals across all socioeconomic and health spectrums: rich and poor, healthy and sick. The core differentiator seems to be perspective. A skilled mental health provider helps patients unpack how they arrived at their worldview—especially if that worldview includes a belief like “I’m not good enough.”

Robert Sapolsky has noted that social comparison is one of the most distressing forces in human psychology—a dynamic only amplified by social media and the constant, anxiety-producing buzz of FOMO (fear of missing out).

Approaches to Treatment

As the mental health field expands, the number of treatment modalities grows. Choosing the right one can save time, money, and emotional energy. Here are a few common options:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A mindfulness-based approach to becoming a passive observer of one’s thoughts and behaviors.

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

• TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

• DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

• Functional Psychiatry: Evaluating the effects of nutrient deficiencies and the gut microbiome on mental health.

• Psychedelic and dissociative therapies: Using plant medicines or newer agents for treatment-resistant conditions.

Each of these is a tool—with potential benefits and secondary effects.

Blurred Lines: Counseling, Psychiatry, and Coaching

Many people don’t understand the difference between psychology and psychiatry. Psychologists and counselors provide talk therapy, while psychiatrists (as physicians) can prescribe medications.

The rise of coaching has also blurred the lines. Unlike licensed therapists, coaches cannot diagnose mental health conditions or offer clinical treatment—though some clients may not know the difference.

Risks and Ethical Concerns

Mental health therapy isn’t without risk. Abigail Shrier’s Bad Therapy highlights some of the dangers, such as:

• Reinforcing maladaptive behaviors

• Giving fixed labels that imply a person cannot change

These approaches can be damaging, especially when they ignore the fundamental truth that things can change with energy and attention—and, conversely, that without such effort, they may deteriorate.

Some people just want answers. If they can find a description for their behavior or personality traits, they can move forward. But often, these individuals are simply seeking validation—someone to say, “What you're feeling is real,” rather than dismissing their concerns.

Unfortunately, the time and emotional energy required for deep listening is uncommon in fast-paced, insurance-driven healthcare models. As a result, many patients are left unheard and more distressed.

A Personal Bias

My own bias aligns with Charlie Munger, who said, “The iron rule of life is everybody struggles, but you have to soldier through. It’s your only option.”

Life doesn’t care how you feel about it—it just is. This isn’t to say planning and reflection don’t matter. But if those steps become a loop without action, growth stalls.

In truth, this is an “and” situation—not “either/or.” If you lean toward planning and introspection, you may need more action. If you're all action, you may need to slow down and reflect.

Final Thoughts

I personally tend to undervalue emotional processing. I don’t spend much time analyzing how I feel about things, and I rarely need detailed assessments. I know this isn’t true for everyone.

Some people need to deeply process and analyze their experiences, and I respect that. That’s why I hope to bring additional voices into this discussion series—to fill in the gaps where my perspective falls short.

Mental health, like physical health, is deeply individual. The goal isn’t to find one answer that works for everyone—but to help each person find the framework that helps them move forward.