What Is Mental Health Awareness and Why Does It Matter?
Mental Illness is a critical issue persecuting many people across the world.
Mental Illness is a critical issue persecuting many people across the world.
“One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you didn’t fall apart.” — Linda Poindexter
Jonathan always sees negativity in everything. He always sees a glass half empty and that showcases his pessimism. He has all the comfort of his life, but instead of counting blessings, Jonathan ponders over what is not there in his life.
Sophie gets rattled with small disturbances in life. She has given control of her life to her partner where any commotion puts her on toss. She can’t leave her partner, nor can she accommodate. She is unable to make any decisions in her life. She is always low in mood and gets no drive to gear up one day and deal with her life.
Ash is so worried about her career. She isn’t a common one who can go on with a stereotypical life. She is already different from many in perceptions towards life and thinking. She has also achieved a lot till now, but always worried about what if something goes wrong in the future. She is always overthinking about the future in spite of putting in efforts.
So, what do you think are the problems of Ash, Sophie and Jonathan? Jonathan suffers from anxiety; Sophie is a victim of depression and Ash endures overthinking and stress. All three of them have a mental health problem which is not letting them proceed in life in full swing. Emotional health issues are not giving them the peace of mind and taking away the joy and spirit of a healthy living.
Mental Illness is a critical issue persecuting many people across the world. This is such an unavoidable issue that the entire first week of October is dedicated to Mental Illness awareness. The week is celebrated to be aware of the importance of mental health care and understand what emotional sickness is. The awareness means to understand what different types of psychological ailments are like depression, anxiety, stress disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar etc. It also adds to the fact to understand when to seek professional help.
Purpose of emotional health consciousness is to let you know that you are not alone in your struggle. You just need to ask for that help – be it medical help or assistance from psychological counsellor/coach. If your loved one is facing any such issue, you need to be aware of it to take him/her for the much-needed assistance. You ought to know where to head.
The importance of psychological health awareness is also to eliminate the stigma associated with it in our society. It's only to make us well mindful about the strengths and limitations of mental health problems. No one would like to have the comment as “She is crazy, detail her” or “He is mentally sick, abandon him”. Stigma just shames the ones who need help.
An added important resolution for this awareness is to make new improvements for mentally ill individuals. Once we are more aware, we can create more demand for institutional changes in the society pertaining research, policy and service development. Because of lack of such cognizance, negative labels have been tagged to any psychological issue. If your own close one is taunted for being mentally not fine, how will you feel? Thus, awareness is like an education. It gives you the power to understand and address the emotional disturbances of an individual. The more you are cognizant, the more power you have.
“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.” — Dan Millman
Well, there are nearly 300 types of mental disorders which people suffer from. However, there are some broad types of emotional sickness which have crippled majority.
Depression is one broad type of psychological illness where people suffer from mood swings, low in energy, negative thoughts and pessimism.
Anxiety disorder is a second type of emotional instability where patients suffer from phobias, unknown worry, unstable nerve, panic disorder.
Post traumatic stress disorder, a third kind of mental illness, is related to triggers of traumatic events in life like abuse, natural disaster, human attack, accidents, loss of a close person, etc. Here, the brain continues to react with nervousness and fear after you went through a terrifying event in life.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the 4th category of mental disorder, is where the sufferer experiences compulsions or obsessions which repeatedly occur and goes on persistently, thereby interfering with regular life.
When it comes to mental illness, a lot of factors aggravate the condition. Improper sleeping habits are one such which lead to psychological crises. Oversleeping and inadequate sleeping, both are detrimental to mental health. Nicotine, drugs and alcohol are a strict NO for good emotional health. Caffeine and carbonated beverages are worse for mental wellbeing in the long term.
Usage of electronic devices before bedtime worsens emotional welfare. Engaging in stressful situations before sleep is another condition to deteriorate mental health. The burden of regret and guilt in life should be done away with to lead a healthy and happy emotional life. Poor posture of work and lack of physical exercise are other conditions which are extremely unfavorable to emotional health.
That’s the green colour. The most soothing colour for our eyes, green ribbon represents the colour for emotional health. You can sport a green ribbon, an internationally recognized hue, to show that you care about emotional health and the importance of it.
You need to be alert about the symptoms and signs of emotional sickness and that’s how you can be prompt in addressing it. The five main warning signals for psychological crisis are:
A comprehensive wellness plan should include mental health, which is unknown to many. Let’s see the main components of a healthy mental state.
Being in touch with a group therapist or a mental health worker is very important for your emotional wellness. You can talk your heart out to a therapist and lessen your anxiousness.
Brain and body are so deeply connected. Take care of physical health; eat and sleep well, engage in interesting activities and hydrate yourself well. These will keep you emotionally active throughout.
It is very important to learn to know your limitations for your mind and body. If something is taking a toll on yourself, stay away from it. Acknowledge the fact that it's detrimental and walk out of it.
Your environment is very important for your emotional health. Your social circle, your profession, your passions, living conditions, relationships and social situations, all contribute to your emotional wellness.
Connect to like-minded people and be a good learner. Learn new skills, acquire knowledge, balance your mind and talk about productive things. These will ensure a peaceful mental state.
Surround yourself with positive people around. In your community, there should be love, compassion, care, respect. Your life is not a solo trip and no need to isolate yourself. Just build a nice eco system that’s sustainable and conducive for your wellness.
The more important component, self-care, be it at home or outside. Introspect a lot within yourself and nurture your body, mind and soul.
“My dark days made me strong. Or maybe I already was strong, and they made me prove it.” — Emery Lord
Well, speaking the truth, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is considered to be the most challenging mental issue. This is a critical mental disorder marked by mood instability, lower self-image, improper mind functioning. As per National Institute of Health, BPD is most difficult to treat as the patient experiences intense anger issues, stress-induced paranoid thoughts, feeling of emptiness, dissociative symptoms, etc.
Mental wellness is different to different people. No two people can experience the same and follow the same practices to ensure good mental health. However, there are a few common examples which can be evidence of a peaceful emotional condition.
Tava-Mitram an initiative/brand of IIUEF - (Inner Universe Education Foundation) is a 12A-80G registered organization and a non for profit organization. Dr. Paras, and Ekktaa being a renowned and experienced Master coach, prioritizes spreading the awareness of Mental Health and mental wellbeing. We offer locally and globally one-on-one coaching (Donation based) as well as free group coaching sessions for people looking to fight inner struggles and have better clarity in life We highly advocate what we truly believe in - “Empower minds, Experience change and Enrich lives''
Do join us as a Global Mitra Volunteer if you wish to support us in spreading the awareness of Mental Health. Do access our free certification program on Mental Health My Mental Health, My Priority campaign, a not-to-be-missed Program !
