One ^Simple Idea

My promise: that from a remarkably ~simple~ idea about ~how~ our minds ~work~ and our ~commitment~ to ~try~ we can ~work~ our ~way~ to a ~more~ ~happy~ and ~healthy~ ~mind~.  However, the trouble we face about healing our ~own~ ~mind~ is that we ~never~ ~know~ ~how~ ~sick~ or ~healthy~ our ~mind~ is.  And we cannot ~know~ ~how~ ~sick~ or ~healthy~ our ~mind~ was until after we have ~found~ healing significantly.  The trouble with helping others to ~heal~ their ~mind~ is that healing ultimately must ~come~ from within. 

Those are the ~dual~ obstacles: to ~heal~ our ~own~ ~mind~ and to ~help~ others.  We cannot even ~see~ the inner struggle of others and at ~BEST~ we can only ~see~ a distorted view of our ~own~ struggle; for that is ~how~ the ~mind~ ~works~. 

If anything, that is ~why~ mental ~health~ is a hard ~problem~.  To the extent we can ~overcome~ that, we can ~manage~ our ~own~ struggle ~better~ and even be healed.  To the extent we do not, we may ~never~ reach sufficient ~awareness~ to ^Know the extent of the problems that ~make~ us hostage to ~needless~ suffering. 

When we persistently ~lack~ ~awareness~ about our ~own~ mental health, it is called anosognosia.  For instance, we ~list~ this ~lack~ in ~connection~ with schizophrenia, bipolar, post-traumatic stress, stroke or traumatic brain injury. 

Besides anosognosia, some of us have been ~hurt~, have endured trauma or, have had a lapse or flood of ~memories~.  We may have suffered from a ~lack~ or ~loss~ of ~community~ or ~family~ support.  We may have ~become~ ~avoidant~ regarding ~life~ in some ~respect~ or in general. 

For some of this ~needless~ suffering, we may ~receive~ a diagnosis.  However, none of us ~need~ a diagnosis to have distorted thoughts, feelings and actions.  These distortions are inevitable and a major theme of The Book of ^MESH is that distortions are not intrinsically bad either!  However, the ~needless~ suffering from these distortions is bad.  I claim that anosognosia and lesser distortions are a feature of our ~mind~ and not an intrinsic issue.  The issue is only that we suffer needlessly and cause others around us to suffer needlessly. 

Any suffering, regardless of the size of the distortions in our ~mind~, does not mean we deserved it yet it does mean we ~need~ to ~heal~ to ~discern~ it.  For that healing I have coined the acronym MESH which stands for Mental-Emotional-Self Healing or Mental-Emotional-Self ^Help. 

Many distortions obscure the bulk of themselves from view like an iceberg, and so we may ~find~ they have unexpected power to ~stay~.  As such they may arbitrarily threaten or ~help~ us on our journey.  A few of them are even ~more~ hidden or dangerous.  Like a ship that travels unknowingly through shallow ~water~.  Though we rarely ~take~ ~direct~ ~notice~ of a distortion in ourselves as such, we may experience them as we struggle against ourselves, others and our world. 

We can ~still~ have ~hope~ when we have the crush of looming suffering in mental illnesses (diagnosed, undiagnosed or misdiagnosed) or ~when~ we ~feel~ the bumpy ride of other pain and suffering.  We can ~still~ have ~hope~ whether our distortions are seen or unseen by ourselves or by ~help~ of others.  We may ^Always ^Find ^Hope. 

So, it is my firm ~hope~ that we may all ~find~ healing and a degree of inoculation against the unnecessary struggles.  I ^Hope ~together~ we can ~reduce~ ~needless~ suffering.  And I ^Hope we may ~gain~ a ~better~ appreciation of ~how~ much we all suffer from and maximize our suffering in ~respect~ to our distortions and that of ~one-another~ needlessly.  For that is a ~point~ I ~gain~ over and over in my journey to ~write~ The Book of ^MESH. 

With that ~purpose~ in ~mind~, here is what I will do for us.  I ~share~ and ~establish~ a ~model~ of our ~mind~ as that of a few basic building blocks.  I ~give~ or reference some handy tools to use some of which I have used to ~develop~ this very book.  I ~show~ some concepts that are descriptions of common distortions, some concepts that ~work~ to ~adjust~ our ~own~ distortions, some concepts that are evidence of healing and even some concepts that may ^Help others or our ~relation~ with them. 

A little about the style of The Book of ^MESH.  In ~truth~ it is my ~intent~ that I do not ~offer~ proof of the ~model~ I ~give~ except to ~show~ its possibilities.  I ~avoid~ any ~aim~ to prove these models and concepts on paper here.  We can easily ~recognize~ that models and concepts are ~always~ at least partially wrong because they are not the real thing and sometimes like distortions (and this book) the ways in which they are wrong (in the literal ~sense~) ~serve~ a ~good~ ~purpose~ (by their metaphorical power to ^Inspire).  I ~find~ that ~what~ may ~matter~ ~more~ is whether they can ~provide~ ~insight~ into a monolithic or ~complex~ struggle and that is for each of us to ~decide~ ~individually~.  Proof of these ideas is a discussion for another ~kind~ of book entirely.  The ~model~ and its concepts ^Magnify ~how~ a ~mind~ may appear from within itself without getting ~lost~ in the ~complexity~ and large ~variety~ that we may ~find~ or ~judge~ to ~be~ ~healthy~ or ^SICK. 

Although it could be argued that in some ~respect~ The Book of ^MESH promotes a certain ~kind~ of ~mind~, I ~believe~ the principles here are fair ~enough~ to ~accept~ any ~variety~ of ~mind~ with all its boldly exquisite ~talent~ or its delicate ~beauty~.  If I have done my job ~well~ to ~write~ The Book of ^MESH in ~accord~ to its ~purpose~ then those ~who~ ~study~ it will realize that our ~own~ ~mind~ and that of others ~works~ or is ~perfect~ yet we have ample room to ^Improve too.  That untapped potential will ~wait~ for us: to ^Heal ourselves, to ^Help others and to ^Heal our world in the most remarkable ~way~. 

Now it is your ~turn~.  Shall we begin?