It's not always in your head - how psychological distress may have nothing to with your mind.
Sometimes, therapy is not what you need
I have had a few clients who have come to me after feeling that they haven’t made much progress in long-term therapy.
They come to me to try a different approach.
They have worked through a lot of their psychological issues and may have made some progress - but they still feel something is holding them back.
I’ve heard on several occasions of people who have had months or years of psychological input who - once they try a different approach - find their mood finally lifts. For example, a young male who had over 12 months of psychological therapy added some omega 3 into his regime and within a couple of weeks noticed that he felt less irritable, less aggressive and calmer.
Another client had struggled for years with mood - trialled several antidepressants, had therapy, ate ‘well’ - only to find that when she eliminated dairy from her diet - her mood improved, irritability went down completely and she felt much calmer.
A client noticed that a good quality multivitamin improved her ability to cope with stress, helped them to feel less anxious, improved resilience and improved their overall mood.
I’ve had colleagues who have struggled for years with mood issues and had been diagnosed as having bipolar disorder - only to find when they changed their diet, added high-quality multivitamins, omega-three fish oil and started a regular yoga routine - their many years of struggling with mood and anxiety slowly dissipated.
I’ve had a good friend who suffered from insomnia for years - only to find that when she took sugar out of her diet, her sleep issues disappeared.
I’ve had clients with significant psychiatric diagnoses (schizoaffective disorder), who after removing dairy from their diet, found their gut and anxiety issues reduced significantly.
What does all this suggest?
“Not all psychological distress is in your head”
We know that psychological trauma, bullying or events that happened to you as a child can contribute to later-life mental illness (and this is definitely worth exploring). We know that acute and chronic stress can contribute to depressed mood and anxiety - and getting some counselling or therapy to help us during these times can be an absolute lifesaver.
But sometimes, the psychological distress we experience is not due to our past, or the current struggles we may be experiencing in life now - but they may be due to other factors influencing how we feel.
A different treatment approach for mental wellbeing
Changing from a ‘SAD’ (standard Australian or American diet) to a wholefood, plant-based diet improves mood and in some studies has been shown to resolve depression for some people.
Research from the University of Canterbury showed that women who suffered from significant PMS (premenstrual tension) “rated their quality of life as better at the end of three months of treatment”. The ‘treatment’ was multivitamins.
Research on omega-3s has found that omega-three supplement reduces aggression and improves mood.
Research on diets has found that a diet high in trans fatty acid (a manmade fat often found in highly processed foods), or even in high omega 6 oil is associated with increased aggression and poorer mental health outcomes.
Exercise has now been found to be as equally effective in treating depression as an antidepressant.
A diet high in sugar and processed carbohydrates has been found to contribute to poor sleep quality.
Consumption of alcohol increases stress hormones and disrupts sleep - even in small amounts.
Prisoners given a multivitamin and an omega-3 had less incidences of anti-social behaviour.
These studies clearly show that:
Mental illness isn’t all in your head
Many more studies and experiences of individuals will suggest to you that not all mental health issues or experiences of psychological distress need therapy. They may simply need some lifestyle intervention.
Mental well-being, feeling good and living your best life - is not only having a great attitude and good coping skills (because let’s face it - we all experience challenges of all shapes and sizes in life!) It can be from what you eat (and what you don’t eat), whether you are hitting your macro and micronutrient quotas or whether you are moving your body well. It can be from having stable blood sugar levels and participating in other lifestyle factors which may contribute to a body that is functioning well.
Poor mental health may have a physical cause
Socialising, relationships, finding passion, purpose and ‘work’ (be it paid or unpaid) can all contribute to a life well lived. Sorting out past traumas and having coping skills to deal with current ones will help you feel & be your best. These things therapy (counselling) can help you with.
But if you do too much sitting, consume too many highly processed foods, consume regular alcohol or consume foods that you may be having an unknown reaction to (hello gluten and dairy) - you may struggle to feel your best.
If you have gut issues, unstable blood sugar levels, or experience constipation and or diarrhoea regularly - you may find you are not feeling your best.
Even a good diet that doesn’t meet your nutrient needs will impact how you feel.
All these things may be increasing inflammation in your body and therefore in your brain - causing you to feel anxious, irritable, depressed or moody.
Assessing your needs to get the right help
If you are experiencing low mood, feeling troubled and don’t feel that there is a psychological cause for it - or have tried counselling and not found it helpful - it’s worth looking at other areas in your life - understanding that sometimes, psychological distress, anxiety, and depression - have a physical cause. You might want to talk to someone who can help you with what you might be missing in the way of movement, food issues, breathing disorders etc
For example - in the case of PMS - although your distress may be attributed to ‘hormones’ - this doesn’t mean it’s untreatable or needs medication (or ‘hormones’ in the form of a contraceptive pill) to deal with it.
If you are struggling with sleep - adjusting your diet may be what is going to make the biggest difference.
If you are often anxious and irritable - you might find that stabilising your blood sugar levels throughout the day reduces or eliminates these.
If you are experiencing depression you may find that a regular exercise regime eliminates your depression completely.
Try a different focus
So if you feel you have tried ‘everything’ - you might need to keep peeking around the corner to see what you might be missing.
A word of advice:
You only know what you know. It can be incredibly difficult trying to work out what you need from limited knowledge. This is where seeing a specialist - health coach, life coach, or other health practitioner can fill in the gaps for you.
For example - believing that exercise is key and only increasing your exercise - may not be helpful. Too much exercise may actually contribute to more exhaustion and stress if you don’t have these other aspects nailed.
We can get stuck on ‘one thing’ - when actually it is something else completely or many small things that are impacting how we feel.
Helen is a registered nurse, specialising in mental health from a holistic perspective. She is passionate about supporting people to have optimal mental health and well-being.
Based in New Zealand, Helen is available for speaking, education sessions and one-on-one appointments.
Helen Duyvestyn, Registered Nurse, Life Coach
*NB - Therapy is wonderful and works well - but you do need to have a therapist that works well for you. I encourage you to try different therapists if you feel the one you have worked with isn’t helpful.