Mental Wellness: Our Brain Health
Spring is a time of hope. Renewal. New beginnings.
Even Mets fans think there’s a chance.
Dads love Spring. Getting out of the house. Playing catch. Tuning up the bikes. Gardening. Or just horsing around in the yard with Rover and the kids.
Warm sunshine. Vibrant colors. A symphony of birds. Making everyone feel energized. Invigorated. Revitalized.
Fortified enough to take on those New Year’s resolutions. That succumbed so quickly in the darkness of winter. The change of seasons is a better motivator than some random date on a calendar. Perhaps us Dads should lobby for these annual declarations to kick off in April. When success is much more likely.
And instead of obsessing about physical fitness this year, let’s tackle our emotional fitness. For once.
Ok…good idea. If only Dads knew how.
Assessments
Assessing our physical condition is easy. Step on the scale. Run a few miles. Play some hoops. We’ll know right away how much work is necessary.
Determining our mental wellness is a mystery. Especially for Dads. With little background on the topic. And such a harsh social stigma. Making these issues taboo for sideline conversations. Or weekend cookouts.
The markers, however, are familiar. Stress. Anxiety. Constant worry. About work. The kids. Our marriage. Fears about our finances. Uneasiness about the future. Disrupting our sleep. Preventing our mind from taking a rest.
Dads are aces at hiding these symptoms in public. Yet, we can’t hide the outbursts of anger at home. Passive aggressiveness with colleagues. Raging at other drivers. Cursing up a storm. Perpetually cynical attitudes. Or pessimism about what’s to come.
Too often, we turn to our self-medication of choice. A favorite elixir. To numb the pain. And take the edge off. Boozing. Gambling. Porn. Substance abuse. And worse.
Yep. These are the signs. The signals that our emotional well-being needs attention. And now is as good a time as any. To pay attention.
We can start by looking under the hood.
The Brain Science
Brain chemistry is a major factor in one’s mental health and wellness. Since Dads might not be up to speed on the latest neuroscience, here’s a refresher.
The human brain is composed mostly of neurons. The Cerebrum (thinking, memory, speech), Cerebellum (balance, coordination) and Brain Stem (cardiac, respiratory functions) initiate electrical impulses. Instructions passed from neuron to neuron throughout the body.
Suspended in a fluid bath, our grey matter conducts this electrical back and forth with chemistry. And the primary chemical messengers are neurotransmitters. Communications runners. Distributing orders from our brain via the nervous system.
Some neurotransmitters ignite or amplify a message of action. Others inhibit a dispatch from continuing further along. And each of the major neurotransmitters is associated with a specific function:
· Adrenaline: Fight or Flight — Produced in exciting or stressful situations. Increases heart rate and blood flow, leading to physical boosts, heightened awareness, or fear. Too much adrenaline produces high blood pressure and other heart conditions.
· Dopamine: Pleasure — Part of the body’s reward system. Excitement, happiness, and motivation. Addictions form by repeated attempts to create dopamine releases.
· Endorphins: Euphoria — The body’s natural pain reliever. Activated during exercise and sex. Reduces pain and appetite, as well as generating “feel good” sensations.
· Serotonin: Mood — Helps sleep cycle and digestive system regulation. Imbalances can be associated with despondency and depression.
· Norepinephrine: Concentration — Moderates attention, alertness, and focus. Improper levels can be the source of ADHD.
· Glutamate: Memory — Involved in learning and retention. Regulates development and creativity. Gaps are connected with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s.
· GABA: Calming — Regulates anxiety, irritability, nervousness. Promotes relaxation. Most common inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Thus, functioning neurotransmitters and brain chemistry equilibrium impacts our actions, behaviors, and attitudes. Our mental well-being.
Don’t Be Shy
As is the case with our physical health, there’s no silver bullet for emotional fitness.
Typically, individuals are struggling with an underlying ailment, compounded by a self-inflicted addiction. So, the first step is to determine the source of the problem.
While there are more self-diagnostics available today, a Clinician — either a licensed Therapist or a Psychologist (MD) — is the ideal expert to make an assessment. They can determine if the principal disorder is due to an imbalance in chemical transmitters or some emotional obstacle. Trauma. Loss. Lingering anguish from one’s past.
While pinpointing the exact source is challenging, treatment protocols have excellent records of success. Individual and Group Therapy. Prescription drugs. Accountability partners. Recovery Coaches. A process no different than the team of Orthopedists, Surgeons, and PTs required to treat an injury.
Of course, Dads are notoriously reluctant to seek medical help. A pride thing. Or the rub-some-dirt-in-it mantra. Keeping us from visiting a doctor. When we should.
One can’t rub dirt in a mental illness. And ignorance is not a strategy. Yet one we prefer to employ. Which is why so many Dads head to AA or Rehab as a last resort. When the problem has become so acute, so disruptive, that relationships are broken. Bank accounts emptied. Bridges burned. Then, and only then, do we concede that our efforts at self-control are fruitless.
Hey Dads, let’s not wait. There’s no need to be embarrassed. Or ashamed. If we can’t sleep. Or relax. If we’re filled with angst. Emptiness. A sense of hopelessness. If we drink or gamble too much. Then concoct excuses. It’s time for assistance. Time to swallow our pride and figure out what’s wrong.
Do some research. Educate ourselves. Ask around. We’ll be surprised how many other Dads are wrestling with the same infirmities. Don’t be shy about asking for help. (Try here or here).
Dads are big on fitness. And Spring is an ideal opportunity to address our health. Physical and emotional. So, let’s be first. And show others the way.
Go, Dads. Go.