Inadequate concepts…
What does it mean to be mentally healthy? In part 1, we sifted through some common ideas – being happy, not being sick, not having very uncommon experiences – and none of them adequately identified what we’re looking for. What can we do with that?
There’s a basic guideline we can follow. If 1+2 isn’t equaling 3, then there’s something wrong with our measurement methods or our mathematical system. Like the cliché, we’re trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Is our system wrong?
Let’s deconstruct our failed definitions of mental health. ‘Being,’ ‘being,’ ‘having’ – all of the definitions assume that health is a state. You’re healthy, then something happens, then you’re ill. Sounds reasonable. But is that really how it goes? When we’re young, many of us feel invincible, and may believe in our own perfect state. This is, however, a mirage. For starters, our gastrointestinal system is host to a wide diversity of bacteria (e.g. Klymuik et al., 2017) – we’ve even kidnapped one ancient species into each of our cells to perform key chemical processes for us (mitochondria). Furthermore, any parent, or anyone who remembers their childhood well, will recognize that every day comes with ups and downs. Successfully scaling playground-mountains mixed with bumps, bruises, cuts, and scars. Forming fun and meaningful friendships mixed with teasing, embarrassment, and rivalry (perhaps with the same people).
“Life Is Suffering”
The challenges of life do not exactly get easier in adulthood. Will I find work? Does it pay enough to meet my needs? Is my job burning me out? Does it matter to anyone? Can I find someone to share my struggles with? To raise a family with? Can I keep up with friendships? Can I keep up with responsibilities? This list of big challenges goes on and on. Not to mention the day-to-day challenges: I haven’t been sleeping well. I banged into something last week and the pain in my back hasn’t gone away. That idiot cut me off on the road. Why is there so much traffic? Why can’t my family clean up after themselves? The endless onslaught of spam emails. Keeping up with social media without being barreled over by it. The core Buddhist tenet, thousands of years later, remains as resonant as ever: Life Is Suffering.
We are one system
Psychological and medical sciences have come to recognize that mind and body really are just different perspectives on the same thing. For example, two of the best ways to tackle depression are getting full, restful sleep, and getting regular exercise. At the same time, stress and depression are important causative elements in cardiovascular disease through clear biological pathways. With this mounting evidence, it has become common to take a one-direction ‘reductionist’ approach and attribute all psychological effects to the body. No less than the former head of the National Institute of Mental Health, Thomas Insel, MD, pushed for an overall conceptualization of “mental disorders as brain disorders” (see, for instance, Insel and Cuthbert, 2015). Though tempting, this is an unscientific mistake. It is like saying a rainbow is nothing more than light of wavelengths 380-750nm. While true, it misses the majority of what we know of as a rainbow. It would be equally valid to say, “brain disorders are mental disorders,” though that would of course be a mistake too. Mind and body are two faces of the same creature.
In part 3, we will tackle another big assumption, and then put this all together! Stay tuned…