By Dr. James Bender, DCoE psychologist
Dr. James Bender is a former Army
psychologist who deployed to Iraq as the brigade psychologist for the 1st
Cavalry Division 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Hood, Texas. During his
deployment, he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad. He writes
a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on psychological health concerns related to
deployment and being in the military.
When was the last time you had a mental
health checkup? As we near the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, take a few
minutes to assess your mental well-being. Being mentally healthy is not an
all-or-nothing state; there are degrees of mental fitness. Psychologists use
the Global Assessment of Functioning, a scale from 1 to 100, to rate a person’s
overall mental health. This is a useful tool that ties together all aspects of
a person’s life to see how a person is doing from a psychological perspective.
You can do the same for yourself — look at different aspects of your life to
see what parts are giving you satisfaction or stress. You may be able to expand
the areas of your life that are fulfilling (time with friends, hobbies, etc.)
and better manage the areas causing you stress or sadness (stressful job,
friends who bring you down, etc.).
Of course, there are limits to how much
control you have over your situation (most people can’t just quit their job
because it’s stressful), but you may be surprised at your ability to do more of
what’s satisfying and less of what’s associated with stress or negative
emotions. Afterdeployment.org has helpful self-assessments in the areas of
posttraumatic stress, substance abuse, optimism, sleep, social support and many
other areas that may offer insight to potential problems. Here are a few
general questions you can ask yourself to help with your mental health checkup:
■What
makes me happy or gives me fulfillment? Is it drinking/drugs, or hobbies like
working on my motorcycle or working out?
■Do I have a few good friends I can
confide in or ask for help if I need it? Am I socially isolated?
■How am I sleeping? Do I generally get
7-8 hours of good sleep per night? Am I generally well-rested or fatigued
during the day?
■Realistically, how much do I like or
dislike my job? If I really dislike it, what would make me happier at work?
■What specific things give me stress? A
bad relationship, social isolation or family issues?
From time to time, everyone experiences
problems and struggles that can negatively affect our mental health. But you
should be generally fulfilled or happy with life and have certain aspects that
give you pleasure. Largely, people should be happy with their personal
relationships, get enough sleep to get them through the day with little
fatigue, and should definitely not need recreational drugs including alcohol,
to feel better. If you feel you’re coming up short in one or more of these
categories, consider having a checkup with a professional. Providers can help
you identify ways to improve your quality of life, or confirm that the steps
you’re taking to maintain your mental health are paying off.
If you do seek help, you should feel
good knowing that you’re taking positive steps to improve your quality of life,
and your life is definitely worth the effort.
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