Image by Old Shoe Woman via Flickr
Probably when you have thought about psychiatry in the past, before this blog, you weren’t thinking about self-care.
What do you think of psychiatry? Would any of you shout out a word, can I have a word, give me a word, any word that shoots to the front of your thoughts?
Psychiatry has changed.
There is a progression of how we view mental health now vs. even thirty years ago.
Back in the day, things went along the lines of poisonous medicines, close the window because sunshine is unhealthy for you, surgery without anesthesia, maggots… drilling holes in people’s heads to let evil spirits out and offering cigarettes to calm the nerves – or cigars as I wonder if any of u would argue.
Truth be told, I’m still learning about psychiatry. I imagine I will be forever, because I think it is a science that flattens the universe and is unhinged from Time. I don’t know how big or involved that is, but I’m thinking more than my sum of years can master.
For now, we understand that there is interplay between biological, psychological, and social issues that make us who we are. We call this the Biopsychosocial Model. Pretty cool word – biopsychosocial. It hit me last night when I was working over these thoughts that self-care can also be organized, framed, conceptualized and all that to help it make more sense to us.
What is self-care? Self-care is a philosophy that everything starts and ends with Me. And that Me is all of me. My biological, psychological and social self.
Self-Care is teaming up with our biology. So where do behaviors and emotions come from? This to me is one of the most challenging questions to answer from a cultural and moral level. Can you tall me your gestalt? Where do our emotions and behaviors come from? What do they mean about who we are?
Self-Care is Empowerment and not victimization. This is part of our “psychological” selves. No one is responsible for our emotions but “Me.”
Self-Care is knowing our Essence. This is part of our “social” selves. Our Essence is what we find after we get sick, after we change in every way but one, it is our identity, who or what we are.
To understand our essence, knowing our connections helps:
Connection:
- God/Love
- People
- knowledge
When we get sick, our identity, who or what we are – our essence might feel threatened. Some people call this our “soul” instead of essence. I found it interesting to think of the soul or essence as part of our “social” selves but it is and it helps me bring it all together better. My soul is created for connections. With you in fact. And my soul has been more connected to the rest of me since you came.
Self-Care is Freedom. This is another part of our “social” selves. You may remember that phrase, “To love someone, you have to let them go.” Freedom brings connection. Lovely, no?
Now get out our butter knife and let’s smear all this together in a sandwich. That is who we are. Without dividers. That is important if we plan on getting friendly with ourselves.
Self-Care Tip #211 – Whatever is tripping you up when you go, blend it in with the rest of you and things will get more friendly (smoother.)
Related Articles
- Bring Your Separate Selves Together – Personal Journey (friendtoyourself.com)
- Emotions – The Sixth Sense and Moralizing Self-Care (friendtoyourself.com)
- Using The Force – I Am An Emotions Jedi Diagnosing In Those Who Function “Fine” (friendtoyourself.com)
- Choose Differently. You Are Not A Victim. (friendtoyourself.com)
- Self-Care Is About More Than “Me” (friendtoyourself.com)
- Doctoring the Mind (psychologytoday.com)