Why the name Wild Strength and Health?

Well, back in 2014, I wrote and published a book called Wild Strength. It was a strength training manual based on the physical activities of ancient and modern hunter-gatherers. 

I still train this way today and have managed to retain most of my physical strength going into my second half century on this planet.

But since then my mental health has suffered significantly. I have had several breakdowns and admissions to hospital, I’ve battled alcoholism and continue to experience nightmares and panic attacks. 

In the end, being big and strong didn’t protect me from the clutches of modern life. 

So I went back to the source, the very hunter-gatherer people I studied in the first place. And I realised something.

Our ancestors not only survived the harsh realities of life, they thrived. 

Not only were they physically prepared, they were mentally prepared as well. They developed levels of resilience and fortitude that catapulted them to the most dominant species on the planet. 

I want to know what they knew. And I want to apply what they knew to our modern environment so I can thrive too. 

And I want to bring you along for the wild ride. 

Wild Mental Health

Hunter gatherer people are arguably much healthier than us. 

I say arguably because if you compare their life span to ours, we appear much healthier. But here’s the rub…

When tribespeople avoid serious illness or injury, their life spans are comparable to ours…with one important difference. Their quality of life is much improved, meaning they lead healthier and more active lives into their senior years. 

While we expect to be invalid or infirm towards the end of our lives, they don’t. Their active lifestyles coupled with their mental resilience delays their retirement until the day they die.

In the Wild Strength plan, I covered much of what they do to stay physically healthy. But what about the mental side of the equation? How do their lifestyles support good mind health? I’ve studied the science and crunched the numbers and come up with following reasons. 

1. They focus on the now: Everything they do meets an immediate need. They don’t dwell on the past (depression) or worry about the future (anxiety). Their only interest is what’s important to them now. In other words, they focus on purposeful and meaningful activities.

• They are competent: They have highly developed skillsets that allow them to survive in ever-changing environments. They know what they’re doing and have been doing it since early childhood. They learn by doing, and they learn to fail in order to succeed.

• They have more leisure time: Because they are so good at what they do, they get it done efficiently which allows them more leisure time to pursue hobbies and spend time with family and friends.

• They share: They live in small communities where everyone does their part to help each other through the tough times. Everyone enjoys the spoils. There isn’t a focus on social status or rank (except the king), so they don’t compete against each other for material things.

• They have basic needs: This is closely tied to number 1. They don’t want for anything more than what they need to lead healthy lives. And they know they’re competent enough to get what they need when they need it.

• They are physically fit: Their high levels of physical fitness and strength promote good mental health. And they eat a natural, healthy diet. 

• They don’t abuse substances: Just about every tribe in the world has some form of alcoholic or narcotic potion they occasionally consume. But they don’t abuse the privilege. 

• They worship some form of deity: Things they can’t explain they attribute to their spirits, their gods, or their ancestors. They know what’s in their control and what isn’t. They have customs and rituals that bring them together to celebrate life. 

Over the years, I’ve undergone a lot of therapy. I’ve spent countless hours with psychiatrists and psychologists unpacking all the mental junk in my head. I’ve read dozens of self-help books and listened to motivational gurus until my ears bled. 

And every bit of advice I got happens to mirror one or more of these reasons. Like everything else, nothing is new. We already have the wisdom of our wild past to guide us to better physical and mental health. Let’s share it with the world.

STOP – BREATHE – TALK

I work in local government. You’d think a government organisation would look after their staff. You’d be wrong.

Recently, I accessed the online mental health support my organisation offered (articles, pod casts and videos) and one thing stood out.

All these resources provided advice for people who were only mildly depressed. They were ‘visited by the black dog’ as one website described it.

There was information on mindfulness, meditation, going for short walks in nature and diet tips – all good things for someone who was feeling a little down and needed a pick-me-up.

But there was nothing for people like me who felt so bad, they were ready to walk in front of a truck. It was like the black dog turned into a giant werewolf and threatened to tear my throat out.

I brought this oversight to the attention of my supervisors who looked at me blankly like I’d just told them I ran over my cat. They didn’t know what to do and probably didn’t care. 

Being someone who likes to help people (and who has some experience with mental illness, writing and coaching), I offered to write an article or facilitate a training session on that very subject, but they turned it down. They simply didn’t want to acknowledge there were people in the organisation who were that ill. 

But it needs to be acknowledged and addressed, not just for local government but for everyone. So I’ve decided to publish it here. If you’re significantly mentally ill and are planning suicide, there are  things you can do now that will bring you back from the edge of the cliff.

The first thing you should do is STOP what you’re doing and go lay down. If you’re already lying down, stay there. If you’re at work, go home. Tell the boss you’re ill. Go to a place of safety – you need the solace. Stay there for as long as it takes for the feelings of suicide to wane (and they will).

Next you need to BREATHE. Control your breathing. Breathe in for 5 seconds, pause for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds. Repeat. You don’t have to be a guru to master this. Just do it. It will help to get your heart rate down and calm your mind, especially if you can feel a panic attack coming on.  

And finally, TALK to someone. Ring a family member, a friend or help line. Don’t bother with your doctor or counsellor now – they’ll make you wait. You need to speak with someone who will hear you out and empathise with your situation. 

These three techniques will act as release valves on a pressure cooker ready to explode, that pressure cooker being you. They require nothing more than direct, immediate action. You are not in a position to negotiate. It’s either do these things or die. 

Once you’re out of the red zone and feeling better, it’s time for the next step, the 3 T’s. I’ll cover them in a future post. Stay well.

The 3 T’s

In an emergency where there are multiple casualties, first aiders will triage patients. Triaging patients involves categorising them into primary, secondary and tertiary groups based on the severity of their injuries. Those in the primary group get immediate attention, while the others are stabilized and wait their turn.

To meet your mental health needs, it’s a good idea to use a similar method. Once you regain your composure and step back from the cliff, you need to adopt the 3 T’s to triage your self care.

The 3 T’s are Time out, Treatment and Therapy. You need to adopt each one in that specific order. So let’s cover the basics of what’s involved in each one and what you should and shouldn’t do.

Time out

If you’re feeling significantly unwell, you need to take some time out. This means taking some leave, ditching work and in some cases, booking yourself into hospital for a month or two to destress and separate your mind from your train wreck life. 

It’s not the time to just have a holiday. You have some serious issues to deal with and they won’t go away just because you’re lying on a beach in Bali. And writing yourself off with drugs and alcohol will give you only temporary relief and make you feel worse in the long run.

On the flip side, staying at home and doing nothing won’t work either. You can distract your mind for only so long and you’re not good company for your family and friends. And if you live alone, you’re vulnerable to slipping back down the slope to suicide. You can’t stay idle for too long. You need to get to your doctor.

Treatment

Spill your guts to the doctor. Tell them everything. Get from them all the treatment they can give you, and this means medications. Anti-depressants, anti-anxiety meds, sleeping tablets, you name it. Now’s not the time to be precious about what you’re putting in your body.

Take it from me, modern medications work. They have minimal side effects, they’re not addictive and they give you a stable baseline to build on. Forget about herbal remedies and over the counter pills at this stage, you’re too sick to get anything from them.

Therapy

Get a referral to a psychiatrist and book the earliest appointment. And while you’re at it, visit a psychologist too. A psychiatrist will diagnose your symptoms, listen to your story and form a longer term medication plan. 

A psychologist will also hear your story and work out ways for you to manage the ongoing symptoms of your diagnosed illnesses. They can’t prescribe medications, but they can help ride the rollercoaster with techniques and methods of thinking that can help.

A word of warning – any doctor who wants to hypnotize you, rebirth you or exorcise your demons is a kook. Run the other way as fast as you can. Do your homework and find reputable professionals with legitimate qualifications who use recognised methods backed by solid scientific research.

Now is definitely not the time to trust your frail mental health to Aunty Helen who reads tea leaves, shines lights through crystals and realigns your chakras to make you all better. Alternative medicines and spiritual healings do not cure Cancer, do not prevent aging and definitely do not heal mental illness. 

The 3 T’s will help you pause to get some clarity, seek out professional help and correct the chemical imbalances in your brain making you sick. But this is only the beginning of your road to recovery. It will all be uphill from here for a while. Take it one step and one minute at a time.

You can’t do it by yourself. Rely on the support of family and friends if you have them. Rely on therapy sessions and support groups if you don’t. You are not alone, in fact you’re less alone than you think. Reach out for help, take your meds and hunker down. You’ve got this. I’m cheering you on!