Mental Health Lives On A “Continuum” or “Scale”
The Practitioners and Members of this Global Alliance believe that mental health lives on a “continuum,” or in simpler words, a “scale” that stretches from “Thriving” to “Sinking.” It’s a fluid scale that everyone in the world lives and moves on, at different points in their lives (or even their days, weeks, months, etc.). Challenges that contribute to where one is at on the scale are a result of factors such as: Genetic Predispositions, Life Experiences, Physical Traumas, Environment, and Lifestyle. There are some of us with a greater genetic susceptibility to a disorder(s). That being said, it appears as though regardless of our genetics, the challenges that we will all face throughout our lives, as well as how we treat ourselves, make it so that we are all at risk of slipping into the: “Surviving” and even “Struggling” or “Sinking” portion of the scale. The key is to understand that any of the above factors can manifest all the way to “disorder” and that we must know what feelings and symptoms to look out for throughout our lives – and even be proactive so there is less of a chance for us to develop a disorder.
Below please find profiles of individuals with some of the most common mental health disorders, to see if any of the classic symptoms resonate with you or a loved one. We have also added a page for what we call “The Human Condition” to show how challenges over the course of our lives affect us all. Maybe you haven’t been affected to the “disorder level” or maybe you haven’t ever sought out help leading to a diagnosis, but everyone deals with these similar challenges, which affect our mental health. After the disorder links, you can click to read stories of celebrities and everyday people who have faced similar challenges, themselves. Lastly, we purposely designed this scale to work for any age group. If you or your school or district would like a formal copy of the scale for your classrooms (or would like to hear about other interactive ways we use the scale), please fill out the form on the “#SameHere Schools” page in the “Programs” section by clicking HERE, and sending us a message via the link at the bottom of the page.
If we can all begin to understand that we have control to be proactive about our mental health with various exercises, and can even “rehab” and “heal” ourselves, we will feel more empowered and filled with what we all want most – hope. If we can take care of and rehab our physical health, why can’t we do the same for our mental health? Please view our “STARR” (Stress & Trauma, Active Release & Rewiring) Exercises link below, so that you may learn exercises that can help you heal – whether it’s from “The Human Condition” or any “Disorder” & move from right to left on the scale. In some cases, medications are a necessary part of treatment. In other cases, medications can be effectively used for symptom management. However, in no case is medication alone sufficient, nor should it be considered a cure. Creating a daily routine of STARR Exercises is an essential part of the healing and even thriving process.
Read stories of Celebrities and Everyday Heroes, who have chosen to share some of the common mental health challenges they too have faced:
FERPA, COPPA, HIPPA Compliant
