Breaking Free from Your Mental Health Diagnosis

Mental health care often falls to the bottom of the priority list. We get so swept up in life and daily activities that we forget to take time to check in on ourselves. However, mental disorders often come with physical symptoms such as fatigue and appetite changes, making them hard to ignore for long.

Breaking free from your mental health diagnosis is easier said than done. Many therapists and doctors take the shortcut, prescribing medications to each patient to help mask the symptoms. Very rarely do you find a therapist or physician that actually wants to get to the root cause of your mental health disorder and help you truly break free. However, that is exactly what we aim to do with neurofeedback training at Grey Matters of Carmel. Our mission isn’t just to help you mitigate your symptoms; it’s to help you live a happier, healthier life without your mental health disorder. So, what does breaking free really look like? Let’s talk about it!

Finding Value in Yourself

Far too often, people with mental health disorders are more concerned with the well-being and health of those around them that they forget to find value in themselves. One of the best ways you can break free of your mental health diagnosis during your neurofeedback training is to re-discover the value you have as a person. Take the time to treat yourself with kindness and love. Try to avoid all of the harsh self-criticism you’re accustomed to and learn what triggers you. You should also remember that “no” is a complete sentence and can help you set healthy boundaries that bring value to you.

Taking Care of Your Body

During your neurofeedback training, listening to and caring for your body is one of the most important things you can do. Training can leave you feeling tired and drained, which is entirely normal. However, you shouldn’t continue to run yourself into the ground. Instead, take the time to listen to what your body is telling you it needs. If you need to go to the gym, do so. If you need to shut your eyes and catch up on some sleep, do that. Whatever you do, just take care of your body, and it will, in turn, take care of you.

Learning How to Deal with Stress

There’s no arguing that stress plays a key role in our mental health and often triggers a mental health diagnosis. With neurofeedback, you’ll find that you’re more relaxed, sleeping better, and can handle all of the day’s stress. But, that doesn’t mean your life will be stress-free. That’s why it’s essential to learn, or re-learn, healthy stress coping mechanisms. For example, try journaling or learning a new breathing technique to clear your head whenever you’re stressed.

Setting Realistic Goals

When you first begin your neurofeedback training, you might have some goals you’d like to reach. For some, it’s to wean off their medication. For others, it’s to stop their OCD behaviors. Some even just want more mental clarity and focus. No matter what your goals are, just make sure they’re realistic and achievable. You should not expect to be completely cured after one session, nor should you expect your neurofeedback training to last forever without some sort of follow-up. That’s why we encourage all of our patients to maintain their training well beyond just the initial sessions.

Breaking up the Monotony

Routines are great and often necessary for a productive day. However, it’s also easy to get caught in a rut. If you feel uninspired or drained after the day, you might try and break up the monotony. For example, instead of sitting at your desk during lunch, try eating outside and enjoying some sunshine. You could also break up the day with an afternoon walk, whether it’s around the building or around the block. You can even plan a weekend road trip – anything to get you out of the house and out of your monotonous routine is a great way to regain some mental clarity and break free of your mental health diagnosis.

Come to Us for Help

Receiving a mental health diagnosis does not mean there’s something wrong with you. It just means that your brain has been wired in a way that’s not conducive to a healthy, happy lifestyle. That’s where neurofeedback training from Grey Matters of Carmel comes into play. Depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, and PTSD can all alter the brain waves, often utilizing too much of the wrong one and not enough of the right ones. With our help, your own brain can rewire itself, creating new neural pathways that will clear the brain fog, mitigate your depression and anxiety, and help you emotionally process your PTSD. So if you’re ready to get started and to break free from your mental health diagnosis, it’s time to call us for a consultation at (317) 215-7208.

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