One of the most crucial factor to be take into account; Mental health

 


Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being are all parts of our mental health. It influences our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. It also influences how we respond to stress, interact with people, and make wise decisions. From childhood and adolescence through adulthood mental health is crucial at every stage of life.

The two pillars of general health are mental and physical well-being. A number of physical health issues, especially chronic ones like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, are made more likely by depression. similarly, having long-term medical issues can raise your chance of mental illness.

It's crucial to keep in mind that a variety of circumstances might cause a person's mental health to alter over time. A person's mental health may be harmed when demands are greater than their resources and coping mechanisms. Someone may suffer from poor mental health, for instance, if they are working long hours, taking care of a relative, or going through difficult financial times.

There are several factors that can increase one's risk of mental illness including,

  • Trauma or a history of abuse, including child maltreatment, sexual assault, witnessing violence, etc., are examples of adverse childhood experiences.
  • Using drugs or alcohol
  • experiencing emotions of isolation or loneliness
  • Experiences with additional continuous (chronic) 
  • illnesses like diabetes or cancer

The History of Mental Health Stigma

Globally, there has been a long-standing negative perception of mental health illnesses. As per the mental health website VeryWell Mind, mental illness has been viewed by societies since the Neolithic era as a sinister entity, akin to an evil spirit or a moral retribution. These ideas frequently resulted in cruel treatments rather than ones that sought to understand patients.
Even though these notions are no longer held, stigmas about mental health in the US have persisted because of the way mental health is treated there. Established in the 1800s, the nation's institutional inpatient care paradigm led to patients being housed in unfavorable living circumstances in understaffed and underfunded facilities.Unintentionally, these settings shaped a poor perception of mental health in general and of those who experienced various mental health issues.

The state of mental health care in America has advanced significantly in a number of ways. A few of these are the National Mental Health Act of 1946, broad institutional improvements, and the establishment of advocacy organizations like the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (now known as the National Alliance on Mental Illness) in 1979. Despite these advancements, there is still a legacy of the inadequate way that mental health problems were handled in the past. 

Coping with Stress

Many of us are dealing with difficult issues that can be debilitating and distressing. You, the people you care about, and those around you will become more robust if you can learn appropriate coping mechanisms for stress.

  • emotions such as numbness, concern, fear, rage, grief, or frustration.
  • alterations in energy, interests, cravings, and appetite.
  • difficulty focusing and making choices.
  • nightmares or difficulty falling asleep.
  • Physical symptoms include rashes on the skin, stomach issues, body aches, and headaches.
  • deterioration of long-term medical issues and psychological disorders.
  • elevated alcohol consumption, abuse of prescription medications (such as opioids), and use of illicit drugs (such as heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine).
Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress
  • Avoid reading news articles on social media and take breaks from them. While being informed is a positive thing, hearing about bad things all the time can be distressing. Think about cutting back on your daily news consumption to just a few times and unplugging from your computer, TV, and phone for a bit.
  • Observe your physical health: Maintaining your physical health might enhance your mental wellness. Here are some strategies to enhance your well-being:
  • Consume a balanced diet. Consume whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low- or no-fat dairy, and lean protein. Eat less foods high in added sugars, salt, and bad fats. Visit Healthy Eating Advice.
  • Make time to sleep.To improve your quality of sleep, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Adults require seven hours or more every night.
  • Reduce your sitting and increase your movement. Every little amount of exercise counts. Gradually increase to two and a half hours each week. You can divide it up into shorter sessions, like 20 to 30 minutes each day.
  • Restrict your alcohol consumption. On the days you choose to drink alcohol, either abstain entirely or consume it in moderation. In moderation, one drink or less for women and two drinks or fewer for males per day. Visit Drink Less, Be Your Best to learn more.
  • Refrain from taking prescription or illicit medications in ways that are not recommended. Take no other person's prescribed medication. There is treatment for substance abuse, and the first step toward recovery is asking for assistance.
  • Steer clear of vaping, smoking, and using other tobacco products. People can and do permanently give off smoking.
  • Maintain your schedule of routine checkups, examinations, screenings, and immunizations.
  • Set some time to relax.:-
  • Breathe deeply, stretch, or practice meditation
  • Try engaging in some other enjoyable activities.
  • Make connections with other people:-
  • Discuss your worries and feelings with those you can trust.
  • Make contact with your local religious or community organizations.
How can a mental health awarness help?

Promoting behavioral health and mental health therapy requires raising awareness of mental health issues. It's an essential and fundamental discussion in the transition to a proactive mental health strategy.

We only fill our tanks today when they are "empty." As with physical illness, increasing our awareness can help us begin to identify the telltale signs and symptoms of when we're feeling "off."

1. Helps you understand your symptoms:-
Having a diagnosis can be magical at times. It's just a shortened word for a group of related symptoms, notwithstanding the stigma attached to it.

A diagnosis can be immensely reassuring, particularly with mental health issues that are challenging to identify on tests and occasionally impossible to uncover. It can lessen feelings of isolation and facilitate finding medical care. Observe your symptoms closely. For instance, you may feel that using social media deteriorates your mental health. 

2. Starts a conversation
Although there has been constant discussion about mental health awareness, it has only been held in whispers until recently. However, discussing it can actually be very beneficial because skewed thinking is a typical aspect of many mood and anxiety disorders.

Reducing the symptoms of many mental health issues requires talking with a registered mental health professional and creating a support system.

Regretfully, stigma breeds silence. It also makes it harder to seek help when you need it at work or in other situations where having a mental health diagnosis could make things more difficult.

3. Better education
Many of us have made the mistake of believing that mental health and mental disease are exclusively connected. But having a mental health issue does not always imply being mentally fit, and having no mental health issue does not guarantee mental fitness either.

extending our knowledge of mental health problems and wellbeing to include cognitive agility, mental fitness, and a proactive approach to emotional well-being. It enables us to live lives that are more passionate, clear, and purposeful. A crucial first step in embracing mental fitness is lowering the stigma associated with mental health.

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES 
  • Call the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helpline: 800-950-NAMI or text “NAMI” to 741471 
  • Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8455 or dial 988 
  • Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): 800-662-HELP (4537) 
Support groups are another resource that could be helpful in establishing a connection with others who have similar experiences. Certain diseases like schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders are the focus of some support groups, for instance.

As usual, get advice from your physician or a qualified mental health specialist. It's critical that you communicate your feelings to your medical team. It is vitally crucial that you are healthy and in general well-being.


What You Can Do to Help

Studies reveal that stigma against mental illness is still strong, largely because of media stereotypes and a lack of knowledge, even though the general public's perception of mental illness has improved over the past few decades. People also tend to attach negative stigmas to mental health conditions far more frequently than they do to other diseases and disabilities, like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

Stigma has an impact on the quantity of resources available for appropriate therapy as well as the number of people seeking treatment. Misinformation and stigma might seem like insurmountable barriers to someone dealing with a mental health issue.

When people are treated with dignity and acceptance,:- a big obstacle to effectively managing their sickness is removed. For someone who is having mental health issues, it can make all the difference in the world when others perceive you as an individual rather than as having a disease.
Ensuring that these people have the same rights and opportunities:- as other members of your church, school, and community is made possible by advocating within our spheres of influence.
Gaining knowledge about mental health:- enables us to support people impacted in our communities and families in a beneficial way.

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