This week’s module resources have provided excellent information on the 8
dimensions of wellness. The eight dimensions include emotional wellness, environmental
wellness, financial wellness, intellectual wellness, occupational wellness, physical
wellness, social wellness, and spiritual wellness. Each dimension has certain “tasks”
associated with obtaining wellness through that dimension. For example, our SAMHSA
Eight Dimensions of Wellness state that for intellectual wellness, one should be a lifelong
learner by expanding one’s knowledge and finding creative outlets that stimulate your
mind and sense of curiosity (SAMHSA, 2016)..
Using the intellectual dimension, I have watched my younger sister struggle for
years after her high school graduation to find adequate stimulation for her mind. Let me
elaborate, she decided that college wasn’t for her and in truth, it's not for everyone. Her
initial plan was to go to cosmetic school but the main hurdle was finding the money to
enroll. After about a year and a half of trying to save money, find the right location for her,
her search began to diminish. I should preface this with the fact that she is diagnosed with
Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder, most
of these can go hand in hand and have very similar symptoms to each other.
.Apart from these “setbacks” if you will, she has always tried her hardest to get to
wherever she wants to be in life. The past three years after her search for a cosmetic school
ended, she has stuck with working at call centers, retail, and management positions. It can
be easy to get lost in the negative when life seems to be going in the opposite direction of
what you saw for yourself, and countless phone calls with her later have always resulted in
the same narrative. At heart, my sister is one of the most creative people that I know, and
watching her struggle to fuel her mind with various methods that are not conducive to a
happy life (drugs and alcohol), I wonder if this is one dimension that is lacking, and
contributing to her feelings towards where she is at in life currently. Intellectual wellness
does not explicitly state that higher education is the key, it states that one must try to be a
lifelong learner. Reading, meeting new people, going to new places, finding your passions
and theories that interest you most would all aid in one’s intellectual wellness. Although
there are factors that may make it more difficult for my sister to reach out, try new things,
and explore her interests, I believe that fueling her mind may help take the load of life off
her shoulders, even if just for a little bit.
Reference:
SAMHSA. (2016, July 1). The eight dimensions of Wellness. YouTube.
Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tDzQdRvLAfM
