Have you ever wondered how important your mental health is? Now some might ask, what constitutes mental health? Mental health comprises the state of your psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It is more than just the absence of mental illnesses. Your state of mental health influences your lifestyle, interpersonal relationships and physical health. Taking care of your mental health enables you to enjoy life at your best.
Stress, depression and anxiety affect your mental health. Many mental illnesses could arise due to physical ailments.
Everyone is at risk of having mental conditions at some point of life regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, and income. Genetic family history, limited income or coming from a marginalized background can increase the chances of having mental disorders.
Most common mental disorders are:
· Anxiety disorder
· Mood disorder
· Schizophrenia.
Anxiety is the most common type out of the three disorders. Types of Anxiety disorders include:
· Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)- people with GAD may sometimes feel anxiety without any triggers. Restlessness, fatigue, tensed muscles and disrupted sleep are some physical symptoms of GAD.
· Panic Disorders- people experiencing regular panic attacks can have certain terror or thoughts of disaster and death.
· Phobias- some people have simple phobia; for example, fear of spiders. Social phobia; also known as social anxiety, where people deliberately refrain from social exposure. Agoraphobia; fear of being stuck in a place where getting out may be difficult, like a moving train. This phobia is misunderstood with fear of being outside.
· Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)- when people persistently have stressful thoughts and unavoidable urges to perform repetitive acts, such as hand washing.
· Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can occur after people experience or witness an extremely stressful event. During this type of event, people think their or others’ lives are at risk. They feel powerless over what is happening. The impact of such trauma and fear contribute to PTSD.
Mood disorders; people may also refer this as affective disorders or depressive disorders.
· Depression is when an individual experience continuous low mood and loses interest in activities they normally enjoyed. They face extended periods of extreme sadness.
· Bipolar disorder is when a person experiences unusual changes in their mood, energy levels, activity levels, and ability to continue with daily life. Periods of high mood is known as manic phases, while depressive phrases bring on low mood.
Schizophrenia is a complex disorder of a combination of mental illnesses. The individual has thoughts that appear fragmented, and they may also find it hard to process information. Some schizophrenic symptoms are; delusions, thought disorders, hallucinations, withdrawal, lack of motivation, and inappropriate mood.
Symptoms to look out for mental health concerns are:
· withdrawing from spending time with friends and family
· avoiding activities that were normally enjoyed
· sleep disruptions
· sudden changes in appetite
· constant feeling of hopelessness
· frequent consumption of alcohol and nicotine
· constant low mood
· prolonged confusion
· inability to do daily chores such as cooking a meal or going to work
· ruminating
· thoughts of physically harming themselves or others
· hearing voices in head
A person with mental illness needs to work closely with professional therapist or doctor to identify their suitable treatment.
Ways to treat your mental health:
Psychotherapy or counseling, where psychological approaches are applied to treat mental illnesses. These approaches help people to understand the cause of their mental illnesses and support their lifestyle by reducing the possibility of isolation and self-harm.
Some people are prescribed with medications such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. Even though medications do not cure mental disorders but can surely improve symptoms and help to resume normal routine. Some medicines work by enhancing body’s absorption of feel good chemicals such as serotonin. Other medicines either improve the overall levels of certain chemicals or prevent their reduction.
Self-help strategies; people with mental illness need to make lifestyle changes for well-being. Some changes may include exercising and following healthy diet. Some people benefit from various relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, regular meditations and certain mindfulness practices. Having a support network of close friends and family or self-help groups is necessary to recover from mental illnesses.
Looking after your mental health is as essential as you would attend to your physical health.