According to MentalHealth.gov, mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health greatly affects our actions, the way we think and react, and the way we feel about certain situations. Mental health also helps us determine how we handle stress, behave and understand others, and make choices; good or bad. According to the World Health Organization, mental health is the foundation on which individual well-being and the effective functioning of a community is built.
As of 2019, more than 450 million people all over the world suffer from mental health problems. According to the World Health Organization, by 2020, depression will be the second largest disease in the world. Though the stigma around mental health has reduced significantly due to the exposure and the massive amount of mental health advocates, it is still not taken as seriously as a physical disease. Some types of mental illnesses are:
Anxiety disorders- Anxiety is caused due to the intense fear of certain situations. People with anxiety tend to react to situations in ways that are not ideal or appropriate to the situation. Some physical signs of anxiety are increased heartbeat, sweaty palms, etc. Some anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and certain or specific phobias like fear of public speaking, etc.
Addiction disorders- Addiction disorders are some of the disorders wherein the patient cannot control their impulsive behaviors. They cannot resist doing a certain thing. Some addiction disorders include pyromania (which is the need to start fires), kleptomania (the urge to steal), drug addiction, amongst others. Most of the time, patients of addiction disorders tend to ignore their surroundings as well as the people who love and care for them.
Eating disorders- Eating disorders are disorders that are centered on food, weight, and body image. One of the most symptoms of an eating disorder is body dysmorphia which is the impression that one’s body is much different or differently morphed than it actually is. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, etc., are some of the most common eating disorders.
Mood disorders- Depression, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymic disorder are the most common mood disorders. Mood disorders are extreme feelings that are constantly fluctuating such as fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness.
Psychotic disorders- Psychotic disorders are some of the more complicated disorders and include disorders such as schizophrenia. Some of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations, both visual and verbal, and delusions.
Mental disorders are very vast and sometimes difficult to pinpoint. However, some signs and symptoms could help you figure out if you are going through the early warning signs of poor mental health. Some of those warning signs as according to MentalHealth.gov are:
Eating or sleeping too much or too little.
Pushing people away.
Pulling away from activities that are usually normal to your personality.
Feeling low or having a very low amount of energy.
Feeling like nothing in your life matters.
Having aches and pains in your body that cannot be explained by any physical checkup.
Feeling helpless.
Smoking, drinking, or abusing drugs.
Feeling confused and on the edge.
Feeling forgetful.
Feeling mixed emotions of anger, happiness, sadness, etc.
Mind constantly rushing with thoughts.
Fighting with loved ones for no apparent reason.
Experiencing random and severe mood swings.
Hearing voices.
Thinking of self-harm or thinking of harming someone around you.
Unable to perform every day, mundane tasks that are usually normal to your daily life.
We know that, if you are going through these things, it is difficult to get out and try to bring yourself up again. But we are telling you that it is not impossible and is definitely worth it. Mental health is so important and almost one in four adults suffer from mental health issues.
Here are a few reasons why you need to stop ignoring your mental health:
As you must know, there is a very strong correlation between your mental and physical health. If your physical health is down, your mental health is down and if you are having some mental health issues, then chances are, your physical health will also suffer. There is an incredibly strong connection between your body and mind. If your mind is suffering, your body will too. That is why you need to stop ignoring your mental health.
If you stop ignoring your mental health issues, chances are, your work and overall life productivity and financial stability will increase. Most of the time, when we are facing some sort of mental problem, we tend to ignore our responsibilities and take leaves from school, work, etc. However, if you take good care of your mental health, you will not face most problems that people with untreated mental illness face.
If you do not take care of your mental health, not only will you suffer, your family members will too. Children with parents who have mental health issues are largely the sufferers of abuse and neglect. They also end up having to seek mental health treatment in their adulthood or adolescence. Along with children; spouses, parents, and other loved ones are also affected. That is why it is important to take care of your mental health.
Unfortunately, people with mental health issues tend to be involved in crimes and illegal substances or are victims of crimes themselves. This risk usually increases if the person with the mental illness does not have adequate insight into what they are going through. That is why it is important to take care of your mental health.
Mental health problems are very real and should not be ignored. If you or a loved one needs help, please contact a therapist or a psychotherapist near your place of residence. You matter and you are important. You deserve to recover. Please take care of yourselves.
Hope this blog was insightful and gave you an idea about mental health.
Comments