There are so many things that need to be considered in the human health and the mentality aspect is of great importance which needs to be addressed. That's the reason I'm writing about mental health. I hope you'll learn something from this.
Mental health, according to WHO, is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his potentials, can cope with the normal stress of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make contributions to his community. Mental illness affects adults, youths and children each year. However, only few of those affected receive treatment, often because of the stigma attached to mental health. Untreated mental health can contribute to higher medical expenses, poor performance at school and work, fewer employment opportunities and increased risk of suicide.
Description of mental health
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every state of life. The two common mental health conditions are:
(i) Anxiety disorder: This include post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder also known as panic attack, generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias
(ii) Mood disorder: This includes depression and bipolar depression which are characterized by difficulties in regulating one's mood
Early warnings signs of having poor mental health include
(i) Feeling sadness or depression: When an individual feels sad very often about things, it is an early sign of mental illness
(ii) Confusion in thinking or reduction in ability to concentrate: Loss of focus and insights about a particular thing be it an event, career, or activity is also a notable sign of mental illness.
(iii) Excessive fear or worries, or feeling of guilt: periodic and constant phobia can also be considered as an early sign of mental health issues.
Other signs include:
(iv) Extreme mood changes
(v) Withdrawal from friends and activities
(vi) Inability to cope with daily work or stress
Causes of poor mental health
Mental illness is caused by various things, which causes the brain disturbance in thinking and behavior and thus making one difficult to cope with the demands of life. Some of the causes of mental illness include the following:
(i) Biological factors, such as genes or inherited traits: Hereditary can be a cause of mental illness in a situation whereby a member of the previous generations in a family is observed to have mental illness, it can be passed on.
(ii) Life experiences: This has been the most common cause of mental illness. Life experiences such as severe psychological trauma or abuse (child sexual assault), early loss of loved ones especially a parent do lead to mental illness.
(iii) Family history of mental health problems, relationship difficulties, stressful life situations such as financial problems
(iv) Drug abuse and addiction: The chronic and excessive use of drugs can lead to both short and long-term changes in the brain; resulting in mental health issues such as paranoia, depression, anxiety, aggression and hallucination.
Developing a healthy mentality
There are actually solutions to mental problems. Prevention is better than cure and so there are some preventive ways to mental illness. To develop a healthy mentality, the following practices are of great importance:
(i) Start each day by thinking about one good thing you can do. This will help you to be focus
(ii) Avoid evil association
(iii) Keep away from drugs (alcohol, cocaine) and drug abuse
(iv) Get involved in something you have wanted to learn (e.g learning a skill)
(v) Replace unhealthy food with favorite fruits and vegetables. Eat balanced diet
(vi) Smile when negative feelings want to take control of you
(vii) End each day by writing down one or more things for which you were thankful
(viii) Get enough sleep each day
(ix) Do a little stance of exercise daily
(x) Pray and seek counsel when necessary
(xi) If you already have signs of mental health, seek for medical attention.
I believe you learned one thing or the other about mental health. Do well to share with your loved ones.
Photos credit: www.pexels.com
