By Leon Chng

Counsellor / Fitness Coach

The (non-urgent but) extremely important iceberg of health situation check in we must never delay venturing.

This year, a high-grade fever coupled with intense back pain prompted a comprehensive spinal MRI, revealing underlying spinal health issues, including nerve pain complications, and slipped discs in my lumbar region. On a positive note, there were no spinal or extreme life-threatening diseases.

Still, appalling to me was that there were multiple nerve problems, particularly in the lumbar and cervical regions, where recent discoveries unveiled a multitude of lumbar spine issues alongside two severe herniated spinal discs.

This pivotal (full spine) MRI investigation only transpired last week, following previous instances where my requests for a comprehensive spinal check were met with redirection towards additional physical therapy sessions and various pain management medications and even, injections.

Beginning symptoms undermined as distractions (from non-urgent but important need for to seek medical assessment & investigation(screening) help.

What was the root key event that led to such a physical health decline? A (seemingly) “mild” collision accident where I was jerked forward as a passenger (seated at the back of the vehicle that was rammed by the driver of the vehicle behind).

Before recently, many months ago (2023 June), I was attended to by a Restructured government hospital chief physician and later, even readmitted myself. I eventually gave up on this institution as I was disappointed constantly being denied an expedited MRI scan, instead, I was merely given the benefit of repeated X-ray sessions on the ankle giving me obvious pains (throughout both admissions). Sidenote, I even gave the hospital a call to ask what might be done differently before I readmitted myself.

Finally, I gave up on medical care from that government-restructured hospital and had myself attended instead by private medical care’s orthopedic doctors and physiotherapist who did great in picking up that I not only had an ankle sprain but there were huge ligament tears in my ankle and finally, after various physiotherapy sessions, my therapist and myself realized my limbs, (in particular, my left knee) was weaker than my injured ankle, picked up a huge knee cartilage tear.

The repercussions of this oversight have significantly impacted my quality of life, manifesting in challenges in managing energy, sleep, and digestion for the past grueling year. Moreover, this was what led me to finally realizing why I have been experiencing general weakness in my extremities, particularly in my lower limbs, occasionally leading to sudden strength loss and increased susceptibility to accidents during routine activities.

In hindsight, I recognize my passive role due to being too permissive and meek (albeit deterred by lack of initial holistic care) in seeking an adequate and thorough holistic assessment of my health, had also played a part in affected my ability to fulfil my professional and personal responsibilities and duties adequately. This affected both myself as well as the people counting on me. To

Looking forward, I intend to leverage this enlightening experience to underscore the importance of proactive health management and advocate for comprehensive care approaches.

In conclusion, I am compelled to acknowledge the necessity as adults, and leaders of our own lives to actively engage in their healthcare journey, advocating for holistic assessments and seeking additional consultations when required. This is even more so for our mental health which seems intangible, but profoundly affects our lives and fulfilment for better or worse.

As shared in my previous article (“What is counselling really about”), enhancement of mental health or at the very least, cognitive clarity can be achieved. It is less complicated to access nor requires your ability to advocate for yourself the impacts of the quality of life and detriments caused (As mental healthcare is more person-centric in general requiring yourself to not underreport your difficulties).

Like how our physical health’s underlying conditions can be distracted to be looked further beyond the beginning of underlying issues, due to the reality that no one is “problem-free” or can our lives, intertwined with others always be invulnerable.

Our mental health and its impact on our life quality in terms of; innate and external behavioral blind spots (i.e., not managing ongoing challenges at our optimal) example being my above sharing where I seek specialist medical care after impairments reached their peak. In mental health, it comes in the form of maladaptive attachment, trauma processing, relationship (with our “inner” selves or interpersonal), energy, and undetected special needs issues that require at the very least, that we set aside time and bandwidth to significantly explore the underlying issue in our psychological health.

This is where it is usually expedited with a regular check-in with a holistic well-being, life coach (mental health therapy trained if it involves mental health). This is even more so if your life is even more packed (as you are successful in your career or running your own business since that comes with more packed and dynamic hectic schedules).

For example, just as in physical health medical consultations, mental health consultations take a few sessions (and processes) to surface if it is simply a lack of cognizance (some prefer the term mindfulness) or affective or cognitive issue(s). Another example would be speaking to close friends and a friend (who is also a fellow counselling professional) now helped me realize I can also start to explore getting legal advice and help to investigate medical negligence (due to delay in care before the 3-year limitation period.

Other than providing myself with closure, this is how I can pay it forward to hope to create a systemic change in our public healthcare (at least for my fellow brothers and sisters going to that hospital).

To end it off, I would like to share that we all do have and are entitled to personalities. But when push comes to shove, in different situations and different contexts, different personalities thrive. But in this challenge that is life and dynamic shifting of personality is not possible, besides leveraging your social network or circle, is it not to engage in psychotherapy, coaching or counselling consultations that we can then leverage on expediting the decision and process management of a challenging situation to account both to ourselves and others impacted by us?  As cliche as it sounds, the saying “one must first care for ourselves can we properly care for others” (To top it off, In terms of both physical and mentally).

Dear readers, the fact that you are always reading helpful resources like these articles is already imperative steps ahead and even possibly what can keep you going to navigate your life journey. However, just as I have stepped out of my barrier to keep my current circumstances to myself and share to seek other opinions, just as we all know to expedite or optimally keep fit includes being in a community or receiving coaching for our physical fitness, mental fitness (technically, mental health thriving state) involves us to truly view help-seeking as being resourceful. Then can the “rabbit hole” or “iceberg” (meaning the symptoms of why we feel chronic pain or emotional unfulfillment) exploration of what lies beyond the beginning(s) of challenge(s) truly start.

After all, the well-known “prevention is better than cure” advice is easier said than done. Is that not why previously, people who were “ahead of the curve” (savvy) of proper self-care of physical health do not hesitate to arrange for insurance coverages and comprehensive yearly medical checkup plans?

Hence, in the mental health domain, it means getting yourself “ahead of the curve” of prevention better than cure being at least experiencing some psychologist, counsellor or psychotherapist and/or (mental health trained) coach’s help?