What is it?
Mental Illness or Mental health disorders are prevalent in our society in epidemic proportions. A mental illness affects a person’s thinking, emotional state and behaviour and disrupts the person’s ability to work or carry out daily activities and be involved in satisfying relationships. Severity of symptoms may vary from person to person, however symptoms are often consistent amongst the common mental health disorders.
Some people have one episode of mental illness in their lifetime, while others have multiple episodes and periods of good mental health in between. However, they do cause disability which is sometimes severe and not always understood by people who have never experienced a mental illness.
Most commonly known mental health disorders or illnesses are depression, anxiety, stress (inc. PTSD), adjustment disorder, and burnout. Often one or more of these conditions occur concurrently.
Causes of mental illness
We know that psychological stress, childhood trauma, perfectionist personalities, low physical fitness and often sustained/multiple incidence causing adversity can result in mental health illness. High self expectation, and lack of a supportive home/work environments can also result in mental health disorders.
There are so many internal and external factors at play that can lead to mental illness. Unfortunately, these symptoms often aren’t addressed until onset of a condition results.
Contributors to mental illnesses include:
- Personal or family history of mental illness
- Traumatic or stressful life events (e.g. divorce, loss of job)
- Ongoing or past physical, sexual or psychological abuse
- Social disadvantages or discrimination
- Loneliness or inadequate social support
- Alcohol or drug abuse
Who gets it
Mental illness can affect anyone. It is estimated that 30% of the adult population has a recognised psychological disorder. Almost 15% of people aged 16-65 will have an anxiety disorder, and 1 in 10 people will have clinical depression, People who are in chronic pain are four times more likely to experience depression in their lifetime than those who don’t have chronic pain.
With our busy lifestyles, lifestyle pressures, and competitive work environments, burnout rates amongst individuals are also staggeringly high. According to a survey of the American Psychological Association, money, and workplace and family responsibilities are the three major sources of stress and burnout. Levels of stress can vary from person to person depending on a variety of factors such as feelings, a person’s employment status, age, income, and ethnicity. In 2015, it was found that millennials had the highest stress levels of any age group.
Our Programs For Mental Illness
At Beyond Pain we not only aim to treat your mental illness but provide you with the tools to empower yourself on your journey to recovery. This is why our pain management programs are always tailored to suit the individual. The effectiveness of treatments vary between individuals so it only makes sense to design programs with long term goals. All our programs feature:
Goal setting and
enjoyable activities
We believe it is vital that your rehabilitation program is based on what you want to achieve. This way we can help you work towards that. When you don’t have clear goals, you won’t have a clear sense of direction. Once you set your goals, we will help you to achieve them in a manageable way.
Stretch & exercise programs
We will teach you our program and show you how to set the numbers yourself and do them to a level you can manage. This will stop you from push yourself too hard and save you money in the longer term because you will know how to set up a program that works for you. It’s not about pushing, it’s about pacing.
Relaxation
techniques
We will teach you different types of relaxation and mindfulness techniques so that you can use whichever works best for you when you need it. They range from short 30 second techniques to the longer 20 minute techniques, and from visualization techniques to yogic techniques. We also teach you techniques to improve your mood, get you energized, not just to relax you. Our techniques are versatile- they can be performed at home, at work or in the car.
Managing flare-ups & setbacks
We teach you the difference between a flare-up and setback and how best to manage them both. Understanding the difference between them will empower you with the skill to know when you need external help.
Getting a better
night’s sleep
Research tell us that good sleep is very important for health and well-being. If you don’t sleep well, your symptoms tends to be worse the next day. So we will teach you some strategies to get a better nights sleep.
Getting into the
right mindset
If are getting angry, frustrated, depressed and/or anxious, we will teach you a range of strategies to help you. We understand everyone is different, so we will find what will work best for you.
Returning to work / activity in a helpful way
Having structure in your day and a sense of self-worth is vital in life. If you are at a working age, we will discuss what special considerations are required to support you with your work. We will also show you how to get back to enjoyable activities because for metal and physical well-being- it is important to have some fun!
Intimacy and how
to get it back
Often a delicate topic of discussion, but an integral part of life, we will discuss what you can do to help get this back into your life. We understand that everyone is at a different stage of intimacy and we are happy to work around your needs.
Learn how
to be heard
By the end your program, you will have a greater understanding and a sense of control of you condition. You may even save on costly ongoing treatments. Most people find noticeable improvement in their quality of life within the first month of treatment.
We understand
Mental illness affects all aspects of life, it is often invisible and can leave people feeling completely helpless.
Mental illness can cause issues in your personal life, such as change of roles at home and family breakdowns, social life, and work life. It can be isolating and debilitating, and often the sufferers feels lost or helpless.
Physically, it can lead to fatigue, and muscle tension. Mental illness also causes chemical imbalances that may lead to poor sleep and circulatory disorders.
We can help
Beyond Pain is renowned for its unique personalised service, and the ability to achieve successful outcomes within a short time period.
Beyond pain understand the complexity of living with a mental illness. We understand that it’s not easy just to be positive. What we provide is a tailored solution incorporating physical activity with counselling techniques to help you take back control of your condition. It’s not just about sitting and listening – it’s about listen, planning and doing.
Fill out the enquiry form below or connect with us to discuss your mental illness and together we can help.
Have a question? Connect with us
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