Healthcare seems more confusing by the day. There are more options, personalisation, and promises of cure-alls. And yet, within mental health and wellness, there’s a growing recognition that no single intervention can solve everything. Each option is merely a tool offering unique benefits and limitations. The problem arises when people elevate one of these tools to a quasi-religious status simply because it works for them. This seems to be the case with many social media gurus.

The Toolbox Metaphor in Mental Health

When approaching mental health, various techniques and methods are available: psychotherapy, physical exercise, meditation and mindfulness, among others. These interventions have been clinically shown to provide benefits. And yet, they may only be effective for certain people or under specific conditions. Here’s a breakdown:

• Psychotherapy: Approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are backed by decades of research. CBT helps by challenging irrational beliefs and restructuring thought patterns¹. Meanwhile, ACT, which draws on Stoic principles, focuses on accepting discomfort and acting in line with core values². However, despite its effectiveness, therapy does not work for everyone nor solve all emotional challenges.

• Exercise: Physical activity is well-documented to improve mood and reduce anxiety. It triggers endorphin release and lowers stress hormones like cortisol, making it a powerful tool for emotion regulation. However, it’s not a panacea. Exercise can support mental health, but it will not address underlying psychological issues that require more profound interventions³.

• Meditation and Mindfulness: These practices teach present-moment awareness and emotional regulation. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. Yet, for some people, meditation and mindfulness can be frustrating or ineffective⁴. This is particularly true when deeper mental health issues are at play.

• Stoicism: Stoicism offers timeless wisdom. Concepts like the dichotomy of control help people focus on their actions and reactions rather than external events. This philosophy has influenced modern therapies like CBT, but it’s not a catch-all solution⁵. Stoicism works well for building resilience, but it may not address the full spectrum of human emotions or mental health disorders that require clinical treatment⁶.

The Danger of Turning Tools into Religions

Our instinct is to believe that if something worked for us, it must work for others. This is where the religion metaphor comes into play. People sometimes elevate tools like meditation, therapy, or exercise to a level of unquestioned belief. Gurus will claim they hold the key to all wellness problems. This tendency can be misleading and, in some cases, harmful.

Using therapy as an example—it is often romanticised to the point where people expect it to solve everything. In reality, therapy is a process that takes time and may not work for everyone. The success of therapy depends on factors like the therapist-client relationship, the method used, and individual commitment.

Why Flexibility Matters for Mental Health

One of the central tenets of modern psychology is individualism. Different people respond to different treatments, and healthcare should adapt accordingly.

• Holistic Approaches: A mix of interventions, from physical to psychological and philosophical, often yields the best outcomes. Research supports the use of combined approaches for addressing complex conditions like anxiety and depression^{7 8 9 10}.
  
• Psychological Flexibility: This term, often used in ACT, emphasises accepting emotions rather than avoiding them and committing to value-based actions. In a broader sense, healthcare should adopt this mindset by remaining open to various tools rather than sticking rigidly to one ideal solution.

TLDR;

No single tool, whether it’s Stoicism, therapy, or exercise, is a miracle cure. The best way to approach individualised healthcare is to view these interventions as pieces of a puzzle, each addressing a different aspect of well-being. Some tools will resonate more with some individuals, but diversity in approach is crucial. Instead of turning a tool into a one-size-fits-all solution, respecting the complexity of wellness and mental health is essential.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3584580 ↩︎
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3635495 ↩︎
3. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-02583-3 ↩︎
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190 ↩︎
5. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/365-ways-to-be-more-stoic/202301/why-stoicism-is-more-relevant-than-you-might-think ↩︎
6. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-022-00563-w ↩︎
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181112/ ↩︎
8. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811221104058?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.1 ↩︎
9. https://www.stoicismai.com/resources/practical-stoicism/stoicism-in-modern-therapy ↩︎
10. https://abholistic.com/the-benefits-of-holistic-mental-health-approaches/ ↩︎

[NB. All images created using MidJourney]