Coping With Mental Health Struggles
- Actress and mental health advocate Kristen Bell is embracing family, friends, and nature ahead of her 45th birthday, telling fans she just had “the best week of our year” while on vacation in Idaho. We’re delighted to see Bell thriving in life and coping with any mental health struggles that come her way.
- 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.
- 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. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist and Director of Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet, “We all get depressed from time to time, have a sad day, feeling down and blue – that’s part of normal human emotion, part of normal life. “Some of us, when we’re dealing with difficult things such as a diagnosis of cancer, may be sad or down or blue more often. And sometimes it gets to the point where that depression can be a little bit overwhelming, and we help them through therapy, through non-medication interventions.”
- There are many ways to address mental health issues. Options may include meditation, practicing mindfulness, talking with a therapist, joining a support group, and medication, such as antidepressants.
- If you are facing mental health struggles, make an appointment with your doctor or mental health professional today. In the meantime, here is SurvivorNet’s guide of resources to get you started. There is never any shame in asking for help. No one should suffer alone.
To commemorate Bell’s recent getaway, she shared a photo montage on Instagram, accompanied by the song “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen. The compilation of memories offered some insight into her most recent getaway.
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Bell’s sweet vacation received warm comments from fans, with one commenting, “That is pure magic. Beauty hunting at its finest and you don’t have to hunt very hard for it cause it’s right there. It’s right there. Look at that rainbow.”
“Heart shaped pancakes (sorta?)the comfort of friends, and the beautiful trip down the water. Life affirming,” commented another fan.
A third wrote, “Living life like you should be. I need a vacation that look like this!!”
Another commented, “This is what makes life so precious! Family, friends and adventures!”
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We’re delighted to see Bell living it up with her family and friends—and doing so with her husband of 11 years, just weeks before her 45th birthday.
Bell, who will be turning 45 on July 18, recently celebrated Shepard’s 50th birthday on January 2.
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She wrote in heartfelt post, offering photos throughout the years, “Happy birthday to the most affectionate 220-lb man that ever existed. I cannot imagine life without you.
“(The first pic is the first I ever posted on Instagram. The second is from our wedding day).”
In response to the post, Shepard commented, “How dare you make me cry on my big day of turning super old”—making it even more clear how much of a fun-loving, supportive relationship they have.
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Last year, during an episode of Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, according to People, the actor spoke about the “coping mechanisms” he uses for himself and Bell when she’s struggling mentally.
He explained, “Kristen has depression, so hers won’t necessarily be incident driven. It’s not like she has a specific thing. She’ll just have a wave of it. She’ll sleep a lot and there’s nothing I can do or nor do I think I should do.”
Recalling how Bell will “sleep a lot” before coming out of a depressive state, he admits to understanding the “cycle” of her emotions, adding, “she’s gonna organize for a couple days really, really, intensely, and then she’s gonna sleep a lot for a few days, and then it’s gonna be over.”
As for how he helps, he said, “I will gently [be] like, ‘Hey, love. Have you checked in with your psychiatrist lately? I’m not saying you need to do anything.
“‘Just, like, have you checked in with your psychiatrist?’ So that’ll be like one thing I can do. It’s evolved because I used to try to fix it. That’s my nature and I used to try to talk her out of it or tell her what’s good in her life or [create a] gratitude list.”
He concluded, “One thing I’ll still do, and she likes this, and it doesn’t trigger feeling judged about being sad, is let’s go for a walk or let’s go for a hike. Like, just encouraging, let’s go move around.”
Kristen Bell’s Mental Health Journey
Speaking with PEOPLE magazine in an earlier interview, Bell said that it’s important for her to share her mental health journey and challenges.
“The thing that is of the highest priority to me is sharing my personal journey. Because it provides a little bit of authenticity to who I am,” she said.
“Prior to sharing what my struggles were with anxiety and depression, I recognized that my picture publicly was this sort of bubbly actress that probably didn’t have any dark days.”
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Bell credited her husband, Dax Shepard, with helping her come forward with her struggles. Shepard publicly battled drug and alcohol addiction and has been transparent about his sobriety journey.
The actress told People how she was initially scared at the thought of sharing her vulnerable moments, like a mental health struggle. She says she was worried about being judged for it.
Remember, there is no shame when it comes to health struggles, and we love it when public figures like Bell amplify this with their message and conquering the stigma in the process.
Bell, who has used many tools to care for her mental health, including therapy, meditation, and medication, added, “”People need to know there is comfort and resources around them in all shapes and sizes.”
She recounted, “My mom said to me in my early 20s, ‘Don’t ever feel shame in taking an antidepressant because would you ever shame someone who has diabetes for taking their insulin? No, your body needs it.'”
SN & You Presents Mental Health Coping With Emotions
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. 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.
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.
How to Fix Relationships When Depression Hits – A Survivors Guide
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.
Coping With Depression
Dr. Scott Irwin, a psychiatrist and Director of Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, says it’s crucial for patients to talk to their care team about their mental health.
“We all get depressed from time to time, have a sad day, feeling down and blue – that’s part of normal human emotion, part of normal life,” Dr. Irwin explained.
“Some of us, when we’re dealing with difficult things such as a diagnosis of cancer, may be sad or down or blue more often. And sometimes it gets to the point where that depression can be a little bit overwhelming, and we help them through therapy, through non-medication interventions.”
There are many ways to address mental health issues as a cancer survivor. Options may include:
- Meditation
- Practicing mindfulness
- Talking with a therapist
- Joining a support group
- Medication, such as antidepressants
Medication
When doctors and patients together decide that medication is necessary, it’s important that doctors choose wisely.
“I often try to choose medications with the lowest side effect profile,” Dr. Irwin said. “If patients are getting hormonal therapy, there’s particular antidepressants that we can’t use because they may lower the effectiveness of that hormonal therapy and so we choose antidepressants that don’t impact the cancer care.”
This shows how important it is to have communication between everyone you’re seeing, so they can be on the same page about your treatment and options.
Dealing With Grief Related to Health Problems
Another way doctors can tailor mental health medications for their patients is through genetic testing.
Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says genetic testing through companies like Genomind can help doctors understand how likely it is a patient may respond to different types of psychiatric medications.
“Doing the genetic testing has absolutely transformed the landscape of psycho-pharmacology,” Dr. Plutchik told SurvivorNet. “It’s something that I highly recommend for anybody who is taking medication, whether they are being treated for cancer, or not.”
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Dr. Plutchik also explained that genetic testing can be specifically helpful for cancer patients because it may help avoid trial and error when it comes to choosing a mental health medication that does not interfere with their cancer treatment.
“So, a person who is dealing with this and may have to go on chemotherapy has already enough on their plate that they don’t really want to start dealing with trial and error with medications,” she said. “So, it gives me information about which medications are likely to work without having problematic side effects, and it also gives information about interactions between any of the psych medications that we choose and the chemotherapy agents that they may be taking.”
Support Groups
Whether you’re coping with an illness, an emotional problem, or life transition, a support group can be a place where people in the same boat, or a similar situation, can come together.
But maybe you’re a little unsure or skeptical about joining a group. What will it be like? Are you expected to share your story?
Dr. Amy McNally, gynecologic oncologist with Minnesota Oncology, tries to reassure her patients that chances are, they’ll derive some benefit.
“I think in a support group you’re going to find women who are in similar situations but yet can share their unique stories,” she says.
“Just being there is worth it. You don’t have to share a thing. You can just sit and listen, or you can be part of the conversation and offer your thoughts. And it can be different every time you go, it’s your choice as to how or whether to participate and what you decide to get out of the group.”
McNally thinks it can be helpful and comforting to be around people who know what you’ve been through, or are going through, and that in and of itself is reason enough to try it out.
Therapy
“People that are struggling with coping with the experience, coping with body image should reach out to their doctors, find a therapist in the community,” says Dr. Irwin.
A patient navigator or social worker can also help connect you with a mental health professional that you can talk to to help process your emotions.
“It’s about meeting the individual patient where they are and their feelings, how they’ve always dealt with their body image, what the body image changes mean now in their lives and their relationships, and how they can move forward given the new reality,” Dr. Irwin said.
Mindfulness
Jon Kabat Zinn, founder of the eight-week stress-reduction program, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a course that has entered the mainstream of health care, scientific study, and public policy, describes mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgmentally.”
Mindfulness is often suggested for cancer patients to reduce high levels of anxiety and distress associated with diagnosis, treatment, and anticipation of possible disease recurrence.
Both the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Society of Integrative Oncology recommend meditation as part of a multidisciplinary approach to reduce stress, depression, and mood disturbance, and to improve the quality of life in cancer patients. But the question remains: does it really work? We think it does.
5 tips for practicing mindfulness:
- Choose one daily activity to practice mindfully (e.g. eating your lunch, brushing your teeth or taking a shower). During this activity notice your breath and activity of your mind for a few moments.
- Take a pause throughout your day. During your day, find a moment to stop and take 5 deep breaths with your eyes closed.
- Kindly acknowledge a moment you’re experiencing a difficulty, by putting your hand on your heart and saying, “Feel my pain. How can I be kind to myself in this moment?”
- Get curious about your emotions. Experiment with welcoming your emotions as they come, instead of pushing them away.
- Become aware when you’re in a rush. Ask yourself, “Do I really need to hurry?”
Meditation
Regularly meditating allows people to start to become more aware of the emotions in the physical body and the thoughts running through the mind, to acknowledge their thoughts as they arise, and then gently let them go.
Shannon Masur, a colon cancer and Lynch Syndrome survivor, describes this as “when a thought comes in, to feel it, feel the fear, but let it go after a few seconds.”
All of this is said to result in an overall reduction in stress and anxiety in the body. It may also help patients to control problems such as pain, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, feeling sick and high blood pressure.
For help getting started with meditation, here’s a guided session to try.
WATCH: A Guided Meditation for the SurvivorNet Community
Overall, don’t forget to prioritize your mental health if you’re facing cancer. You might feel like your mind is the least of your worries while fighting the disease, but it’s important to know just how big of an impact your mental well-being can have on your health as a whole.
“Actually, there’s data that if you have extra stress or depression that you may not recover or you have a higher risk or recurrence,” Dr. Irwin said. “So… in treating the depression, we’re actually impacting the cancer care outcomes.”
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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