This research talks about how doing activities that are meaningful to you can help to change how you think and feel.
Biringer, E., Davidson, L., Sundfør, B., Lier, H. Ø., & Borg, M. (2016). Coping with mental health issues: Subjective experiences of self-help and helpful contextual factors at the start of mental health treatment. Journal of Mental Health, 25(1), 23-27. doi:10.3109/09638237.2015.1078883
In this study, in–depth interviews were conducted with individuals who were referred to a mental health centre. Researchers talked to them about what they experienced as helpful and what they did to help themselves. This study is important in that it included people with lived experience throughout – the questions that were asked in the interview were developed and pilot tested by the “expert-by-experience” panel of a local research network – consisting of 12 co-researchers. Co-researchers with lived experience were also involved in the data collection, data analysis and manuscript writing.
The study was done because what we already know about what works to help people with mental illness is that work and other activities that mean something, could be important things to help people feel better. Also, what people do to help themselves is important to recovery. The problem with these earlier studies was that they were done with people who were already experiencing mental health issues for a long time. But, knowing what helps, and what people do to help themselves and make them feel better should also be asked before any treatment starts and when they are in the early stages.
Ten people who were between 18 to 53 years old agreed to be in the study. Half of them were younger than 30 years. Four were female and six were male. They were asked about what they thought was helpful and what they had done to help themselves in their everyday life.
HELPFUL ACTIVITIES
Everyone said that they thought being active every day and have supportive people and places around them were really important.
HELPFUL PEOPLE AND PLACES
They mentioned spending time with other people, like family and friends, and, of being in places that made them feel good was helpful. Being with others made people forget about their problems, and they also could talk to them about some of their problems and challenges, which was helpful.
LEARNING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
People said that looking for information and getting to know more about their mental health helped them to deal with their problems. They found out about things that could help them to prevent relapse such as a good routine, getting rest, and avoiding too much work and stress. They also thought that regular meals and physical activity helped them to avoid mood swings or symptoms getting worse.
“It is actually quite important … Not running myself completely down … With sleeping and stress and drinking. It is those three things that are important. They dictate in a way fluctuations and mood, which, yeah, which go up and down.”
“I work out a lot…It’s a good way to switch off…You sort of get started…I get rid of a bit of energy.”
Music was also mentioned as something that people could rely on when they felt depressed.
“I have always found peace in music…I make music myself, I sing, I play guitar…I play most instruments. It has been something for me to fall back on.”
Contact with animals was also mentioned as being very helpful and a source of comfort.
“I’ve always felt at ease with animals. They don’t judge you, they don’t answer back…but at the same time they trust you.”
MEDICATION AND SELF MEDICATION
People also talked about their use of alcohol, cannabis or other illegal drugs as a way to erase anxiety and inner tension. They saw this as only temporary relief and talked about how, after a while, things got worse again anyways.
Some people had been prescribed medication, even though they were just beginning treatment. The topic did not come up much in the interviews.
CONCLUSION
Meaningful activities like listening to music, physical, exercise, experiencing nature, being with animals, and work helped with recovery. These activities actually help to change how people think and feel. It is important to focus on these things in the first phases of mental illness because it moves from a focus on the illness or problem to seeing the whole person in his/her life context.
People in this study showed strength and creativity and self-determination in dealing with issues that made them seek help. Most developed coping strategies to do their daily tasks and joined activities or social events to make themselves feel better.
They had hope for recovery and believed in the possibility of changing their lives and ways of thinking. People about to start treatment confirm the main components in recovery – holistic, strengths-based, focus on empowerment and involves hope and meaning in life.
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