A Slice of Humble Pie with P2
🥧 A podcast where we curiously explore nutrition, fitness, mindset, sports, wellness, & beyond. ☕️Host @parastoobadie
A Slice of Humble Pie with P2
Mental Health, Part 1
Over a decade ago, a pivotal moment sparked my deep exploration into mental health, uncovering its profound impact on our lives. This episode delves into the nuances of mental health, distinguishing it from mental illness and highlighting its pervasive influence on our daily existence. We unpack the societal and economic burdens of mental disorders, with a focus on cultural challenges within diverse communities. In the sports world, we witness a shift towards embracing athletes' mental health, championing vulnerability over silence.
As we navigate the pandemic's mental health aftermath, this episode resonates with a message of community and empathy, uniting us in transcending life's challenges through understanding and connection.
Website: https://parastoobadie.com/podcast/
Email: asliceofhumblepiewithp2@gmail.com
Instagram: @asliceofhumblepiewithp2
Welcome back to A Slice of Humble Pie. Today is another solo episode. I'm calling it part one on mental health. Mental health has always been important to me. You've probably noticed that. It's come up in basically every podcast episode and it's interwoven in how I think and how I look at the world.
Speaker 1:I remember one time I was doing research for a joint event between the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Human Rights Commission where I was working at the time. In communications I recall reading that the majority of disability claims in Canada were due to mental health. Claims in Canada were due to mental health. This was things like stress, leave, burnout or disorders like anxiety, depression, etc. That memory was from well over a decade ago and I still remember it jarred me. I was sitting there staring at my screen and suddenly a light bulb went off. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? What is anything? I knew that I wanted to participate in this world differently and to try and impact make a positive impact. You know, while I had the privilege to do so, didn't really know how that looked, but that was the intention. So here we are.
Speaker 1:It's impossible to talk about wellness and health without talking about mental health. Everything to do with food and sport has to do with mental health, though, and maybe different aspects of it, and that's why we have varying fields, like sports psychology, there's mental performance and then it's, you know, psychotherapy and psychology, and just the whole field of mental health. Looking at the various stressors stressors like financial, environmental, as well as the variables that make us human those words are really hard to say Variables. Variables, there we go. Okay, some of these would include things like cultural differences, relationship with food, how we manage our stress, and these are very common variables that come up with my clients all of the time. You can't talk about meal prep and macros and caloric intake and exercise schedule intensity without really understanding what a person's going through, especially when it comes to higher performance.
Speaker 1:So the focus for this specific episode is an overview of mental health, identity and mindset. So just a disclaimer, alert I am not a mental health professional, but obviously a huge advocate. So first thing first mental health and mental illness are not the same thing. Mental health refers to the state of mental and emotional well-being, and it's the foundation of emotions, of thinking, of learning, of resilience, of self-esteem, and it's also really fundamental to relationships like with the self, relationship with others, romantic relationships within a family, within a community. So mental health is important for personal emotional well-being and just how we contribute in a society.
Speaker 1:Then there is mental illnesses, otherwise known as mental disorders, and these are diagnosed conditions with a qualified professional, and there are nearly 300 mental disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and obviously this is always growing. There's a whole bunch of other things involved in this, but some of the disorders would include anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, disorder with substance abuse, eating disorders. And it's really important to reiterate that mental disorders do not discriminate. It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, geography, income, social status, race, ethnicity, religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, background or other aspect of cultural identity, like it's possible to have okay or good mental health while diagnosed with a mental health disorder. They're not interchangeable and sometimes we do use them that way and I guess, in media or mainstream, but it's just. I want to reiterate that they're not the same thing. Um, and there's a lot of resources right now like therapies, medication and interventions with food and such to help manage some mental disorders. But, yeah, there's so much more work that needs to be done. It's still in its infancy. There's so much that needs to be done. Access is an issue like covering all of the various layers of humanity, and how we can support better therapy is a whole area that still needs much, much improvement.
Speaker 1:So, according to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year olds. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year olds, and mental health disorders can have a substantial effect in all areas of life, such as school, work, performance, relationships with family and friends and the ability to participate and contribute to community and society. Two of the most common mental disorders, which which are anxiety and depression, cost the global economy one trillion, that's, with a T, one trillion US dollars each year. That's a giant amount. Despite these figures, the global median of government health expenditure that goes to mental health is less than 2% 2% Despite progress in some countries.
Speaker 1:People struggling with mental health often experience severe human rights violations, discrimination and stigma. So there's already a shame associated to mental health, and I mean that's improving or maybe it might not work, but there's still a collective shame and within that existing shame and stigma, there's even more barriers Like I already mentioned, access. And then there's acceptance and then, as well as misogyny, within toxic masculinity. So where, like men are often told to be strong and don't share your emotions, man up, don't ask for help, and that's very unfortunate because it leads to, like, a high number of issues and really high levels of suicide and it's just fucked up and that's not okay. And not talking about things isn't, isn't, it's not a sign of strength.
Speaker 1:We're contributing to severe struggle and on top of that, even within it, not even on top, just within it integrated into all of this we have, you know, immigrant culture, black, indigenous, people of color, people of various backgrounds that have experienced severe intergenerational trauma, environmental trauma, whatever other experience that naturally just impacts everything else. So it's just the layers, it's the layers of being a human being. And then, to bring it back to sports, there is stigma and barriers within the sport world. So everything I just said applies, and then also the culture of sport and how you're really, really tough and having vulnerabilities or asking for help or somehow not being seen as tough is a bad thing. And then there's also issues where, like the organizational structure of a team or or just like, whether it's grassroots or professional, like from the top down, doesn't really create a safe environment in the first place for mental health to be prioritized, which is a problem when you have to perform at high levels.
Speaker 1:So I know we've been progressing and obviously, if you've been following along with my podcast, I already had a couple professionals talk about mental health and I'm going to be having more and more and I'm extremely thankful that I have the privilege to have these chats on this forum. But there's more to do and I want to reiterate please seek help. You don't have to be crazy or at rock bottom to get support for your mental health. You are a human being. That's enough. That's the criteria. Okay, let's breathe for a second. My focus and my outlet for my anxiety has always been sports. It's given structure to my time, purpose to my day and an opportunity to challenge myself.
Speaker 1:We now know the massive link between exercise and mental health. So exercise reduces adrenaline and cortisol and helps stimulate endorphins and to increase mood and reduce pain. But exercise also isn't a cure-all for all mental health disorders and this perspective in itself is a problem. Sometimes it's quite dismissive, sometimes it's out of our hands where you may be eating quote-unquote well and exercising. It's not a you problem, it's an issue that you need help with. Not a you problem, it's an issue that you need help with.
Speaker 1:So there may be many athletes like that are super fit and they may still be struggling with eating disorders, burnout, depression, anxiety or whatever other disorder or issue they were already dealing with while trying to perform. And I actually said the word super fit in air quotes just now, because, also, what does that mean in what context? Is it the aesthetics, the leanness, is it the explosive power? Is it the strength? Like what are we talking about? What's the sport? That's also the problem the universal definitions of what an athlete is or what they're supposed to look like.
Speaker 1:So talking about mental health is very important, especially in weight-based sports like powerlifting or martial arts, where there are weight classes as well as things like dance, gymnastics or basically any other sport where aesthetics are also heavily prioritized. And this is true for men and women, like I mentioned, it doesn't discriminate, and there are plenty of men that also suffer from eating disorders or have body dysmorphia, and we have actually done everyone a disservice by continuing to perpetuate that it's just. It's just women. So just to summarize that that point when I went off tangent is even though exercise could be helpful for improving mental health, obviously please move, please exercise it could also be a kryptonite and contributing to poor mental health or perpetuating the disorder. So that's like too much of a good thing.
Speaker 1:Like anything, in its dose can become a problem, and with exercise it can sometimes cross over to being a lot. It can become part of who we are, and we may see some of that shown in movies and and and various media forms like stereotypes like the jock, um, and my question is how? Like? I honestly haven't seen this, so if anyone has, please just share a note and let me know. But how many times have we seen the stereotype of the jock just being a jock? But when have we seen that the jock is portrayed as someone who's maybe multilingual, is gifted in arithmetics and has a pet gerbil Like? Why is it always a dumb jock that is a misogynist or whatever? So back to the athletic identity. Athletic identity is how an individual perceives themselves or wants to be perceived by other people, and so athletic identity can be developed through skills and it helps improve confidence and just participation in the sport, and so at first this may be a really good thing, right, because it improves connection, that social interaction, and it may really really help with motivation and the discipline to show up for training sessions, do things like the meal prep and the chalk talks and showing up rep after rep after rep.
Speaker 1:But but what if you're retiring from your sport? What if there's a serious injury? What if it's just time to move on to the next chapter? Like, how do you manage that? Obviously, all type of change comes with its own challenges and sometimes it's not. You know, I would imagine anything that has meant so much to us, like most of us that have, has meant so much to us, like most of us that have, you know, the good mental health will, will you know, experience that sense of loss and be trying to transition from a chapter changing.
Speaker 1:But what if it's just more than like oh, you know, I'm sad, I'm no longer blank athlete. It can really become a problem when the athletic identity kind of takes over. So what am I if I'm not an athlete? Like, how else do you see yourself? How else do you define yourself? What else do you have? Like, what's your contribution to the world? Like, what are your likes, your dislikes, your creative outlets? What are your values like? What are you in relationships? What do you enjoy doing? So what am I if I'm not an athlete? And this may very well lead to an identity crisis.
Speaker 1:So, if you relate to what I just shared, know that you're not alone and there are resources to help, and some of these may be like to start right away on your own is participating in other sports, maybe getting a mentor, maybe becoming a coach and contributing to the sport in another way. Or if it's just getting like you know, it's just, it's a lot. It's getting that professional support from a qualified practitioner. And and I want to also point out I know I keep reiterating athletic identity, but I I also sort of mean this as like identifying in one dimension in general. So if you're not really relating to when I talk about athletic identity, just sort of know that I also mean it from the other way around that maybe your identities I'm not good enough to be an athlete or you identify with whatever label. So what I'm saying is fuck the one dimensional label. We're complex human beings, live your best life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so from the time I was young, I wanted to be known as an athlete. Was young I wanted to be known as an athlete and wasn't exactly like. It didn't come naturally. And then, when I was in varsity and then I graduated, I didn't really know what to do with the time that I got accustomed to and what I mean is like the early mornings and the late night, trainings, the study hall, the bus trips, the community I was leaving behind. And now, like it's been a few years, but I like transitioned sports, I guess, from two decades in rugby as an athlete and a coach and dabbled in a bunch of stuff in between.
Speaker 1:But I would say that I I like fully identified as a rugger. And what am I and who am I without rugby? Honestly, I don't know Cause, I still miss it terribly, but I'm also human and can't be everywhere doing everything simultaneously. There was a really big shock to my system. Um, I didn't necessarily want to. It wasn't like I just wanted to give up rugby. But you can't, you can't be everywhere at once and I really want to perform at my best, which is why I really threw myself into Muay Thai, because A yeah, I'm a fitness professional, it's literally my industry, because I was also craving that environment and camaraderie, like I come from team sports, so my gym and the combat community are very important to me, professionally and personally.
Speaker 1:I want to become better as an athlete and a coach and it requires improving my mindset and gaining more tools. I've personally worked with sports psychologists, psychotherapists and counselors and I've read and listened to dozens of books and podcasts and videos. I have a lot of self-awareness Still working on it, you know, always a work in progress, forever, forever, never, never. But I have a lot of self awareness and I have a lot of experiences to pull from and I still struggle. It's not just about willpower. Yes, it takes tenacity, perseverance, grit, determination. Yes, it's like various character attributes, but some people may have all of that and they still also feel pressure to perform and they may or may not have all of that and they can still, uh like, spin into depression if they don't achieve a certain goal. Like it's not just about willpower. So, honestly, I could keep going.
Speaker 1:There's so much more to talk about and, like I mentioned, that's why I called this episode part one of mental health. We'll talk about all of the themes in more detail with other professionals and to sort of wrap this up, to introduce the next few is just overall. We're human and we have mental health challenges. Some of us may struggle with mental disorders and need medication or therapy. There is absolutely no shame in that, and we can all work to improve our mindset.
Speaker 1:Thoughts and feelings impact how we act and these actions were based on these actions. Hold on, let me say that again. Thoughts and feelings impact how we act and the actions that we take influence our behaviors and, ultimately, our performance, in a multitude of ways. This is like a giant perpetual loop, because everything's kind of layered on each other on top of existing issues, on top of existing experiences from past traumas, from past injuries, from unchallenged beliefs. And improving mindset is a skill. So, just like we can learn how to do a lunge or how to ride a bike, we can learn how to show up, focus, visualize, meditate and perform focus, visualize, meditate and perform.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying it's that easy, I'm just saying it's a skill. I'm right there with you with how hard some of this is and I'm constantly struggling with the narratives to ask for help and to contribute to the conversation as well. But here we are. So in the next couple of episodes episodes we'll be chatting with a mental performance coach for high performers and then also, uh, facing adversity with a para olympian. These are awesome chats. Stay tuned and please, please, keep talking about mental health. Fuck the stigma, especially now, after going through a worldwide pandemic that needs its own episode Like. The impact on mental health and the burnout rate is astronomical and I'm so sorry if you're going through it. Just please know you're not alone, you're enough and you matter.
