Making Changes To Focus On Mental Health
- Fall Out Boy’s lead guitarist and backing vocalist Joe Trohman, 38, is departing from the Chicago band to focus on his mental health. The news comes as his mental health has “rapidly deteriorated over the past several years.”
- In order to keep your mental health in check, it's important to be aware of signs which can be subtle that there is something affecting your mind.
- If you are feeling unusually sad or on-edge, know that there are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope. These include talk therapy, medication, and meditation.
We at SurvivorNet know and value taking care of mental health just as much as any other healthcare. We have many resources from experts in the field to help you along your mental health journey and want to stress that there is no reason to ever feel shame.
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"So, the question remains: Will I return to the fold? Absolutely, one-hundred percent. In the meantime, I must recover which means putting myself and my mental health first,” he said, before signing off and thanking his bandmates and family for understanding his “difficult, but necessary,” decision.
a note from Joe: pic.twitter.com/CbK887oWLn
— Fall Out Boy (@falloutboy) January 19, 2023
Trohman’s departure from the band may come as a shock to many, but the musician previously spoke with BuzzFeed News last year about his battle with depression following the release of his memoir None of This Rocks.
His book, which was published on September 13, 2022, gave his fans some insight into his mother’s mental stuggles, as well as his own.
"The challenge was finding the words to describe certain ethereal chemically based feelings and experiences that I had yet to verbalize. But once I found those words, the expression worked as a release to a pressure valve," he told the news outlet.
He revealed he stuggled with depression, anxiety, and mood disorder, but hoped sharing his story would help others “feel less alone in the world."
Mental Health: The Basics
The term mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or change in your physical health can affect mental health. That’s why it’s important to keep tabs on your mental health, which could mean seeking treatment for some. This doesn't necessarily mean traditional therapy because while it may be really helpful (even life-changing) for some, that doesn't mean it's for everyone.
Problems with mood and overall mental well-being can be attributed to several factors. For some people it's genetic, while others may be experiencing a response to some sort of stressor or past trauma.
Learning To Cope With Mental Health Struggles
"I think flexibility is really a core of how to manage it," Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, tells SurvivorNet. "Are your coping strategies that you're using now, are they helpful in the way that they were in the past?"
Dr. Boardman suggests working to recognize any negative thoughts that may be making the process of cancer treatment more difficult, and trying to dismantle those to be more "realistically optimistic."
Related: Responding to Stress: How to Cope With Complex & Changing Emotions
In order to keep your mental health in check, it's important to be aware of signs which can be subtle that there is something affecting your mind. These signs include:
- A change in eating or sleeping habits
- Losing interest in people or usual activities
- Experiencing little or no energy
- Numb and/or hopeless feelings
- Turning to drinking or drugs more than usual
- Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
- Yelling/fighting with loved ones
- Experiencing mood swings
- Intrusive thoughts
- Trouble getting through daily tasks
These symptoms can be wide-ranging and vary a great deal from person to person. Everyone experiences grief differently, for example. However, if you are feeling unusually sad, on-edge, or like you're no longer interested in activities you used to love, know that there are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.
Finding the Right Option for Mental Health Needs
Whether it is a loss of a loved one, or a change in life brought on by a cancer diagnosis, "grief comes in waves," says Dr. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist and Director of Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
"They're grieving the change in their life, the future they had imagined is now different," he told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. Some days can be tougher than others, but Dr. Irwin says talk therapy can be really helpful so it's important to reach out to your doctor, to a therapist, or to support groups in your community if you are struggling.
Dealing With Grief Related to Health Problems
Treatment options for people struggling with mental health really run the gamut. While some people may benefit from seeking the help of a psychologist and getting on medication, others see great improvement by simply implementing some lifestyle changes, such as prioritizing exercise and cutting back on alcohol.
Those struggling should know that they are not alone about one in five American adults has experienced some sort of mental health issue, according to mentalhealth.gov. However, what worked to help someone else cope may not necessarily help you as treatment must be individualized.
To maintain a positive mindset and address mental health struggles you may be having, treatment may include:
- Seeking professional help from a psychiatrist or therapist
- Learning healthy coping skills
- Medication such as antidepressants
- Adding more physical activity to your routine
- Adjusting your sleep schedule
- Connecting with others via support groups
- Mindfulness and meditation
No Reason to Feel Shame
Trohman’s announcement will hopefully help people realize there is no reason to be embarrassed about seeking out mental health tools and taking time to focus on mental health.
There's nothing to be ashamed of and it is important to realize you are not alone. The CDC reports that more than 20% of American adults said they sought out mental health treatment over the past year, according to a 2020 survey. Among those people, 16.5% said they had taken some sort of medication for their mental health and 10.1% said they had received counseling or therapy.
The term mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. There are also certain triggers as stress, traumatic events, or a change in your physical health can all affect mental health.
It's really important to keep tabs on your mental health and, if necessary, seek treatment. This doesn't necessarily mean traditional therapy because while it may be really helpful (even life-changing) for some, that doesn't mean it's for everyone.
Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychologist, told SurvivorNet it's important to be "realistically optimistic" when learning to cope with mental health struggles.
How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term
Problems with mood and overall mental well-being can be attributed to several factors. For some people it's genetic, while others may be experiencing a response to some sort of stressor or past trauma.
"I think flexibility is really a core of how to manage it," Dr. Boardman. "Are your coping strategies that you're using now, are they helpful in the way that they were in the past?"
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.