Influence can save the Global health system

High Performance Coach Sebastien Locteau Connemarathon Elverys conference

 Mental health is influenced by our social environment, biological make up and our emotional self-build. Three factors which can negatively impact our mental health if not, identified, recognised and acted on.

Our social environment determines our mental fitness. The most discussed is poverty environment which challenges our mental performances, having an impact on our physical abilities, performing mental tasks, and learning cognitive skills. In a difficult social set-up, perception, sensation, ideas and intuition are challenged.  Self-esteem is also affected by feeling loved, family break up and losses but also by physical illness and or different types of abuse. Personal confidence also depends on how our social surrounding such as community activities. Relationship is another concrete example.  Acquiring knowledge and understanding through tough experiences avoiding a social drift regardless of our biological make up.

Researchers tried in vain to link “genes” to psychosis. John Read research about the human factor rather than a chemical or electrical influence is most interesting. “We are inflecting this ourselves”. Certain illnesses are linked to chemical imbalance but can be overcome with understanding of the cause. Brain Injuries, nutrition deficiency, heredity can be dealt without standard routines of drugs prescription. Nobel prize winner Eric Kandel believes “All mental processes are brain processes, and therefore all disorders of mental functioning are biological diseases”. While you can be predisposed to certain mental illness this is different than mental disorders or disabilities. We probably are treating problems before finding the causes and even less trying to prevent them.

Humans are unique and can alter their own make up simply by identifying feelings, understanding and solving issues by communicating. Physical, exercise activities, smoking, diet are all part of our physical health influencing our social and biological make up. But expressing emotions and acknowledging them influence who we want to be, and our biological make up and improve it. With education and guidance, we can take ownership of our personality regardless of an unequal portion of social, biological or mental percentage influencing what we are or believe to be than who we can become. Being healthy does not mean to become a top performer, instead meditation, relaxation, sleep, resting and yoga among others.

Race Director Ray O'Connor showing leadership Forest Marathon 2017

Is a triangle slightly out of shape non-visible is still a triangle? Different perception, conception of what defines a triangle can be compared to mental health. Too many specialists in areas which shaped our health systems and society. We need a strategy for a better mental health delivery, in an overloaded and resource-less global health systems. Are we trying to keep a structure, too rigid, shaped like a triangle which is not really one? Feeding the system with money without understanding the causes. Prescribing our way through hoping for the best until a new generation solve the issue. Well humans are not born perfect and if we starting from the roots and explaining to the future generation that it’s ok to not be perfect, to learn the names of their feelings, to express them in all societies regardless of their background ideology and religion we would make a major progress within the next decades and save millions. Educating general practitioners, health professionals and communities. This appears simple but influence is the most powerful tool humans possess. Influence has affected the history of the world from progress to destruction. Leaders have the most influence on making those changes from local to national to global.

Sebastien Locteau

Published for Psychology and Mental Health, Beyond Nature and Nurture, University of Liverpool 19/07/2017