Tools

There isn't always a clear explanation for mental health issues, you know? Sometimes they seem to just happen, without warning, like an earthquake or a flash flood. A lot of mental health work / wellness practice / proactive healthcare, then, concerns the matter of learning how to recognize these happenings, and to better-manage them if and when they occur.

If you haven't already, you'll probably hear the "tools" metaphor as you explore the world of mental health further; i.e., mental health work is akin to the process of expanding one's collection of tools. After all, as one acquires and gains mastery of a variety of tools, one's ability to fix, build, and demolish things concurrently increases. Generally speaking, then, a person is better-equipped to handle their relationship with themselves, and the world at large, if they have a wealth of inner resources.

Remember, though, that even expert repairmen occasionally encounter a job that's really difficult. World-class athletes train exhaustively, but sometimes, despite their efforts, they tear a hamstring or pull a muscle.

None of us is invulnerable in this life. We control very little of our worlds, and of ourselves, even. Sometimes, yes, shit happens. Sometimes there's a panic attack out of the blue, or inexplicable despair strikes, or an old, long-forgotten hurt arises to torture us, or we get fired, or someone we love dies,  or we find that we're "sweating the small stuff," etc. We humans are too complicated and too fragile to not be knocked on our ass by life from time to time -- maybe even for a string of time.

The tools and inner resources which we cultivate, then, while not rendering us impervious, can help us through even the worst times. You know, even the most well-built machine needs repairing on occasion. Sometimes a house gets ruined by a flood and needs to be rebuilt. In either case, it's helpful to know how to use tools, because that way, the machine can be fixed, and the house can be rebuilt. Less tangible tools -- our inner resources, if you will -- can work to our advantage in the same way: they can help us get back up, regain perspective, learn, and keep moving forward.