I like the list you made for yourself!!! Everyone needs that list.

Thank you for sharing the ACT and I will check out that book.

I believe it is quite an advanced field involving neuroscience and human emotions. Hard to diagnose, treat, and measure. Not enough scientific research has been done in this field, and far from coming up with any solution. I guess we normally do not pay enough attention to our mental well-being. But, I always feel managing emotions and stabilizing our feelings is a great place to start.

Well, ancients managed to find damn good heuristics without all our knowledge and science. And we entire have a country proud of their universities, you know, ivy league branding and stuff, and they can't even take over the baton, just reprinting old books.

[I mean the mental firmware to not get broken. When it is really broken, I feel often it might be hard to climb out without a dedicated help of a _psychiatrist_.]

I believe research related to mental health is lagging. While ancient therapies may have been effective in the past, we're now living in a completely different age, and coping strategies and treatments need to advance accordingly. It can be very challenging to fix things when they are truly broken. That's why starting with mental well-being is crucial for taking control of it and building resilience. Don't wait until things are truely broken.

Well, I'd argue that fundamental things changed at all. On the contrary, humans got rid of their usual stressors like death, hunger or sickness. So maintaining mental health should be _easier_.

The new things of 21th century might me discipline of dealing with unnatural abundance of pleasure/information/change/people, but simple countermeasures already pop into my head without too much thinking, like abstaining from read news or social media.

Or learning to ignore the cultural values spread by random people around. Homo sapiens are known for unconscious masochism by accepting harmful values and proudly battling them :-) I moved to Southern Europe, and I find it funny that people here are more joyful and content despite they earn less $$$ than citizens of depressed hardworking superpowers. Of course, they may have their own problems, but even on the subconscious level their facial expressions or postures perceived as noticeably relaxed.

I agree, fundamental things haven't changed much. However, cultural and social factors significantly impact our mental health. There is research available on these social factors if you Google it. The US, with its advanced economy, science, and technology, being an immigrant country, has benefited from life sciences and medical advancements. Despite this, we grapple with a society that is more complex than most. For instance, a less family-oriented culture and individuals with more mobility mean we receive less support. While support is a crucial factor in counseling treatment. This leads me to think that learning coping strategies through many single one-session counseling sessions might be more useful and practical than opting for a long-term treatment plan that delves into the past to explore correlations :)

Yeah, I've been there too in the past. Two-thirds of the population in the U.S. have never used counseling before, and mental well-being often gets neglected. Maybe consider giving it a try in 2024? That's where Option 1 can be an excellent introductory experience for first-time users.

Nah, I've done marriage counseling before. It can help change perspective/mindset, but doesn't change reality. There are always choices, but sometimes the best choice is to just trudge on since all the choices come with a price.

Absolutely. Counseling services are very expensive. Changing my perspective/mindset to regulate my emotions is exactly what I used it for. I have been in those emotional moments but the reality needs me to move on quickly. So, I have to reach out to the counselors for a quick solution for the emotion, not changing the realities.

Pretty sure I'm over-regulated.

Haha ~~~ See, that is option 1, maybe one session is enough in some life situations.

Great response!!! Thank you for sharing your user experience.

Option 1) is designed for individuals with light to moderate mental health needs, dealing with common emotional issues like anxiety, stress, and depression typically coming from our daily lives such as careers, relationships, and lifestyles. Using immediate conversations with a counselor to promptly address and move past your emotions, allows you to refocus on your daily life quickly. While it may not be suitable for deep-seated issues or diagnosed illnesses that require long-term treatment and scheduled appointments, it can serve as a temporary immediate solution when calendar scheduling and waiting are not ideal.