How Mental Health Affects Happiness

This post is part of the “OBSTACLEs to Love and Happiness” Series.

Lasting happiness and peace come from connecting with God, ourselves, and others.¹ However, there is a physical — chemical and biological — side to happiness that is very significant.

Research shows that our long-term happiness generally is about 40% in our thoughts, 50% in our body, and 10% in our circumstances. ²

How Does our Body Affect our Mental Health?

Without getting very scientific, our hormone levels, nutrient levels, and brain function all affect how we feel. When the body is off in one of these areas our brain’s happy chemicals (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) may be lacking in production or in the effectiveness of how they are used. This may be caused by genetics or environmental factors.

Nutrition and hormone levels have a lot to do with mood. Low iron or magnesium have been shown to cause a person to feel depressed and have memory trouble.³ An overactive thyroid can cause a person to feel anxious. Depression is a symptom of an underactive thyroid.⁴ Low levels of estrogen⁵ in women or testosterone⁶ in men can also cause mood changes such as depression and irritability.

A lack of food or proper nutrient-dense food can result in depression and other mental illnesses.⁷ Even a lack of healthy bacteria in our gut is believed to impact on our mood.⁸

What Can We Do For Our Mental Health?

There is a lot we can do to improve our mental health. As with anything, I say council with the Lord, pray for His help, and take action. Talking to doctors is very important and I would also suggest doing your own research. When I do research it gives me an idea of what to talk to my doctor about. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

I highly recommend Dr. Daniel Amen’s book Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. He has done thousands of brain scans on patients and has seen the direct correlation between certain disorders and certain parts of the brain. Besides a wealth of knowledge on how the brain works and different disorders, Dr. Amen addresses the importance of nutrition and lifestyle in the book.

Reading that book opened my mind to using prescription medications because Dr. Amen clearly explains the impact imbalances in the brain have and the real deficit some brains have without medication.

Reyna I. Aburto said, “Our brains may suffer because of stressor staggering fatigue,which can sometimes be improved through adjustments in diet, sleep, and exercise. Other times, therapy or medication under the direction of trained professionals may also be needed.”⁹

Different Solutions to Physical-Related Unhappiness

Eat Well and Take Supplements

Some supplements that are reported to help brain function include multi-vitamins¹⁰, Omega 3 Fatty-Acids¹¹, and Probiotics¹².

Dr. Amen recommends getting vitamin, cholesterol, and hormone levels checked with lab tests and then getting those numbers in the optimal range. Recently, I went to the doctor and got the lab tests available.

I was surprised to find that although I was within the normal range in most areas according to my doctor, I was below the optimal levels Dr.Amen recommends. I raised my iron levels with a liquid iron supplement called Floradix and I have more energy and clarity of thought.

Sleep

Sleep and mental health are closely related. If a person is already genetically prone to mental illness a lack of sleep can aggravate the condition.¹³ Our brains clean themselves with fluid when we sleep.¹⁴ If we can’t get a good night’s sleep on our own, it might be worth the health benefits to take a supplement such as melatonin or see a doctor and do research on the issue.

Exercise

Exercise produces feel-good chemicals in the brain. It also improves our ability to sleep and handle stress.¹⁵

Improve Hormone Levels

Hormones are very important to the functions of the body and your mood.¹⁶ Doctors and endocrinologists can assist here. I also recommend doing personal research on practices and supplements for healthy hormones. I have a friend that drinks a non-prescription hormone-balancing-liquid daily.

Take Nootropics/Neurotransmitter Supplements

Nootropics are natural or synthetic substances that can be taken to improve mental performance. This can be done as an alternative to prescription medications or in combination with prescriptions as long as they don’t interfere with each other.

Medical News Today suggests, “Before trying a supplement, ask a healthcare provider. Supplements can interact with medications and may be otherwise unsafe, especially for people with certain health conditions. Health conditions that result from an imbalance of neurotransmitters often require treatment from a professional. See a doctor regularly to discuss physical and mental health concerns.”¹⁷

Take Prescription Medications

In a lot of people, certain areas of the brain are underactive or overactive. Despite positive thinking or a healthy lifestyle, they may not significantly change that. Medication or supplements can level the playing field and help their brains function optimally.

In my opinion (I am not a doctor), I think it is time to get some medication when:

You can’t feel happy at least 80% of the time no matter what you try.
Your mental/emotional health inhibits your ability to fulfill your responsibilities or function in daily tasks.¹⁸
Your mental health damages or lessens your relationships with others.

I also like the reasons listed in this article- 35 Reasons People Take Medication For Their Mental Health by Arianna Rebolini.

Mental Health is Important for Happiness and Connecting with Others

If you can’t feel happy most of the time, it is going to be very hard to connect with God, your true-self, and others because:

Mental Illness creates a need to attend to oneself more than normal in order to self-soothe.
As the saying goes, “You can’t draw water from an empty well .” But, the well is low the majority of the time.
When a person is in survival-mode most of the time (focused on getting by) they do not have time or energy for relationships and personal progress. But, these are the things that bring true joy.

As I said in “How to Be Happy”, when we have faith, hope, and love (for God, ourselves and others) the result is a rich social and cultural life, purpose, adventure, stimulation, attachment, identity, belonging, and continually increasing light of Christ in our lives. Don’t let your chemical and biological ailments hold you back from all that.

To Sum It All Up

50% of our happiness depends on our physical bodies.
Hormones, nutrients, and brain function affect our mood.
Pray for help, do research, and seek professional help.
Some common solutions include: eat well, take nutritional supplements, sleep well, exercise, improve hormone levels, take neurotransmitter supplements, and take prescription medications.
Mental Health is important for connecting with others- the main source of lasting happiness.

Next week I will share more about prescription psychiatric medications and my own recent mental health journey.

References

“How to be Happy” by Amy Noel
Happiness: it’s not just your genes, stupid! By Jasper Bergink
10 Nutritional Deficiencies That May Cause Depression By Therese Borchard
How moods and emotions can be affected by your thyroid By Dr. Mark Vanderpump
What Are the Symptoms of Low Estrogen in Women and How Are They Treated? By Healthline.com
12 Signs of Low Testosterone By Healthline
Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses by T. S. Sathyanarayana Rao, M. R. Asha, B. N. Ramesh, and K. S. Jagannatha Rao
Can Probiotics Help Reduce Anxiety? By Marlynn Wei M.D., J.D.
Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me!
Top 10 evidence-based supplements for anxiety
How Omega-3 Fish Oil Affects Your Brain and Mental Health
Can Probiotics Help Reduce Anxiety? By Marlynn Wei M.D., J.D.
Sleep and mental health By Harvard Health Publishing
Brains Sweep Themselves Clean Of Toxins During Sleep by John Hamilton
Benefits of Exercise by ULifeline
Your Health and Hormones by Endocrine Society
What are neurotransmitters? By Medical News Today
How does mental illness interfere with work performance? By Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation