Mental Health Care: Pleasure vs. Happiness
The quickest and easiest way of taking care of your mental health can be found within pleasure.
Ever wonder why we want to eat ice-cream after a break up? Or why buying that dress made us light up like we achieved something great? Isn’t it a different sort of happiness than let’s say when you volunteer at a soup kitchen on Sunday or take a long walk by the lakefront?
That difference is about happiness vs. pleasure. Neither of the two ways of self-care are right or wrong, they are just differently effective based on our needs in the moment.
When we need to find pleasure, we find it in externally. Like having sugar or taking drugs or even getting good grades. These tasks increase dopamine levels in our brain and allow us to feel a short-term spike in happiness.
Ways to increase dopamine levels:
(1) Drugs, Alcohol, Sugar, Talking to an ex
(2) Listening to music, watching favorite tv shows or movies
(3) Getting likes on facebook/instagram
(4) Shopping
(5) Winning something (being awarded)
All these are great when done in moderation. Ways to increase dopamine levels may even look like a cheat sheet to self-care. However, one must always keep in mind the side-effects of adhering to said cheat sheet may even be harmful. Dopamine can be extremely addictive, as the brain always desires more pleasure after receiving some. Therefore, these ways of self-care might be great, but it is always encouraged to seek a long-term way to find happiness.
The long-term way of taking care of your mental health resides in happiness.
Often, pleasure and happiness are terms that are used interchangeably. However, the difference between the two is quite stark. For example, while pleasure is associated with external factors, happiness comes from within. In neurological terms, ways to increase happiness are associated with increase serotonin levels in our system. Too little serotonin can cause depression, while too much can cause mania.
Ways to find the right Serotonin balance:
(1) Talking to a therapist regularly
(2) Meditation
(3) Daily exercise
(4) Healthy diet
(5) Spending time with family and friends
While this way of self-care is a waiting game and does not provide instant gratification, it is a non-addictive and internally rewarding self-care system, the effects of which can last for a long-time. It may take a while and be a lot of work because it involves changing your daily routine, however, it has proven to be a very effective method of finding one’s happiness within.
