Will it Ever Get Better?
if you’ve been struggling with one thing or the other for multiple months/years, you’re most likely tired of hearing the phrase “everything will be okay.” platitudes like “take rest, do something you enjoy, go on a trip, pick up a new hobby” often feel empty and unhelpful.
when will things start to improve? so much time has passed, yet the struggle persists. will it ever get better? these doubts and uncertainties are valid and contant, it’s hard to get that full-time job or that juicy freelance gig, it feels like everything is tearing apart..
what follows applies to conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and may not be entirely helpful for severe disorders like schizophrenia. with that said, let’s discuss neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity
”No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” - Heraclitus
It’s evident that people change as they acquire new experiences, but did you know that your brain physically changes when it encounters new types of information?
If you’re a dancer, learning a few new moves won’t change your brain as much as learning to swim would. It’s not about new information; it’s about new types of information.
Living in a new environment, learning a new language or skill, even having new types of conversations or thoughts – all these will form countless new neural connections in your brain.
This suggests that we must break our daily routines, step out of our comfort zones, and do something drastically different. Unfortunately, almost every mental illness comes with an inability to function correctly. Some feel exhausted, some afraid, and others are fighting their own demons.
If we need to get out of our comfort zones, but our mental illness won’t let us, how will our brains change? How will our situations ever improve?
The Treatment
Things like proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise are known to improve mental health, but as mentioned earlier, severely dysfunctional individuals may not be able to engage in any of those activities.
This is why the journey to recovery starts with a visit to a psychiatrist. They will analyze your state and recommend an appropriate treatment, which may include medication, therapy, or both. If one approach doesn’t work, they’ll keep trying different medications. Remember, if a medicine doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you; our brains are complex, and different things work for different people.
Hang in there and keep trying until you find the right fit. You might also want to consult multiple psychiatrists and therapists to reduce the chances of human error.
What’s the Treatment For?
We learned in school how vitamins and minerals are essential for our bodies to function properly. Just like our bodies, our brains rely on various chemicals, and they won’t function correctly if their quantities are outside of a healthy range.
For example, the process to build chemicals called serotonin (responsible for stable mood and sleep) and dopamine (gives you motivation to do things) requires vitamin B6 and other nutrients. With a lack of vitamin B6, no matter what you do, your mood won’t improve, and you won’t have the motivation to work. Do you see how important these chemicals are?
Apart from these chemicals, there’s also a psychological aspect to your mental health – your thoughts. If the way you think is flawed, no amount of nutrition can help you live well. Luckily, different types of therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Trauma-focused Therapy, can gradually help you understand your psyche and change how you think.
Both of these aspects, chemical and psychological, combined or individually, may fix your issues completely, leave a few crumbs, or only take you halfway there. I don’t have statistics to make any claims, but what I do know is that you should see treatment as a way to become more functional, not as a guaranteed cure.
From there, use whatever functionality you’ve regained to do the things you need to improve your brain further. Remember neuroplasticity? You can change your brain by acquiring new types of information. Yes, do that.
I’ll end this with a list of things that might help you, but the entire point of this article is to answer “will it ever get better?” And we have an answer: it can.
- Less internet scrolling, learning new things
- Proper sleep, exercise, nutrition
- Self-compassion, mindfulness
- Interacting with better people
- Medication
- Cleaning up your living space
- Having a pet
- Taking cold showers
Good luck!