Mental Health Information: Things you Should Know

The Scope of Mental Illness and Trauma

  • Global prevalence: Over 970 million people worldwide live with a mental health condition. Depression and anxiety are the most common.
  • Trauma exposure: Around 70% of adults globally have experienced at least one traumatic event. About 6% develop PTSD.
  • Treatment gaps: Many people do not receive adequate care. Barriers include stigma, cost, lack of access, and cultural mistrust of systems.

Therapy: Duration, Types, and What Works

  • How long therapy lasts: It varies widely. Short-term therapies like CBT or EMDR could last 12–20 sessions. Long-term therapy (psychodynamic, trauma recovery) can span years.
  • Being in therapy for years: This is not uncommon, especially for complex trauma, CPTSD, or personality disorders. Healing is nonlinear.
  • Best therapy? There’s no universal “best.” Effective trauma therapies include:
    • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
    • Prolonged Exposure Therapy
    • Trauma-Focused CBT
    • Somatic therapies (e.g., Sensorimotor Psychotherapy)
    • Grief counseling and complicated grief therapy
    • Mindfulness
    • DBT Dialectic Behavioral Therapy

Medications: Why They Work Differently, and Their Evolution

  • Why meds affect people differently:
    • Genetics (enzyme metabolism)
    • Age, sex, other medications
    • Inflammation, trauma history, and even cultural factors
  • Best medications? There’s no one-size-fits-all. SSRIs, SNRIs, atypical antipsychotics, and newer options like esketamine or Exxua are showing promise.
  • History: Psychiatric meds began in the 1950s with lithium and chlorpromazine. They revolutionized care and led to deinstitutionalization.
  • Future: Psychedelics (psilocybin, MDMA), ketamine, and personalized medicine (genetic testing, neuroplasticity-based treatments) are reshaping the field.

Natural and Holistic Approaches

  • Evidence-based alternatives:
    • Mindfulness, CBT, DBT, art & music therapy, gratitude journaling
    • Supplements like omega-3s, SAM-e, lavender, St. John’s Wort (with caution)
  • These can complement or, for some, replace medication—but always with guidance.

Side Effects and Long-Term Impact of Medications

  • Common side effects: Fatigue, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and emotional blunting.
  • Long-term risks: Tardive dyskinesia (with antipsychotics), liver strain, cognitive dulling, dependency (especially with benzodiazepines).

Emotional Support and Communication

  • Why do people try to fix instead of listen:
    • Discomfort with vulnerability
    • Desire to control or help
    • Projection of their own unresolved pain
  • How to ask for support effectively:
    • Be explicit: “I don’t need advice—I just need to be heard.”
    • Use emotion language: “I feel overwhelmed and just want someone to sit with me.”
    • Validate their effort: “Thank you for listening. That helped.”

When Support Is Missing

  • What to do when people aren’t supportive:
    • Identify what type of support you need (emotional, practical, informational)
    • Seek community: support groups, online forums, peer advocates
    • Build your own support system through aligned values and shared experiences

Starting Over with a New Therapist

  • Why it’s hard:
    • Grief, vulnerability, fear of retelling trauma
    • Loss of trust or safety
    • Emotional exhaustion from past experiences
  • Reframe: Starting over can be a deepening, not a reset. You carry your insights forward. You don’t have to tell everything at once.

How This Shapes The Luna Projects

Our mission is not just to inform it’s to humanize. To say: “You are not alone. Your healing matters. Your story deserves space.” You’re building a platform that reflects the complexity of mental health, the diversity of healing paths, and the power of creative advocacy.