Maintaining our Mental Health

14 March 2017

Why do we place so much more importance on our body than our mind? For comparison, look at two ways you manage your physical health – a visit to your GP versus working out at the gym. 

You go to a GP to treat a medical problem; you feel symptoms and seek treatment to return to your “normal” state. By contrast, you go to the gym to get fit, build strength and generally make a good life better.

These are two sensible, effective, different approaches to health: one focused on illness, and the other on wellness.

Therapy is unique in that it acts as the psychological equivalent of both the GP and the gym. We go to therapy to treat problems as well as improve an already decent life.

As with dental health, if there’s an issue in your life that’s causing you distress, it’s better to deal with it sooner than later. Over time, minor difficulties can bloom into disasters, so the earlier you go to therapy and engage in introspection, the better off you are in the long run.

So why not make the most of your Mental Health Care Plan Medicare Rebate? Everyone is entitled to 10 sessions per year - with a mental health plan from a GP – which refunds $84 (or more) each visit to see a psychologist near you.

Tags

• health psychology
• psychology