Definition
Mental health refers to behavioural, cognitive, and emotional well-being. It is all about how we think, feel, and behave.
Mental health can affect daily living, physical health, and relationships. In addition, this can often worsen symptoms of mental health.
Looking after our mental health can increase our ability to enjoy life. However doing this involves having a balance between responsibilities, life activities, and efforts to achieve resilience.
Mental health conditions can disrupt your routine and affect your mental health. Whereas depression and stress and anxiety are only a few of these conditions there are many more.
In this article, I will explain what people mean by mental health/mental illness. Also I will include the most common types of mental disorders, including early warning signs and how to treat them.
What is mental health?
Mental health is a state of well-being. in which a person realises his/her own abilities can contribute to their community, and above all can cope with the daily stresses of life.
Anyone can suffer from poor mental health. However, there are certain factors a person may have that make their chances of developing a mental health condition higher than others.
Firstly, some of these factors include:
- Social and financial circumstances
- Biological factors
- Lifestyle choices
Modifiable factors for mental health issues include:
- Occupation
- Education
- Housing quality
- A person’s level of social involvement
- Whether work is available in their local area
However nonmodifiable factors can include:
- Age
- Gender
- Ethnicity
Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and stress may develop due to an underlying, or life-changing physical health issue, such as cancer, chronic pain, and diabetes.
Common mental illnesses –
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders. Above all people with anxiety will usually suffer from fear of certain objects or situations. However, most people with anxiety tend to avoid situations that trigger their anxious feelings. There are different forms of anxiety disorder, including:
- Generalized anxiety disorder. The symptoms of this disorder are usually fatigue, interrupted sleep, and tense muscles.
- Panic disorders. People with panic disorders will often experience panic attacks. This usually involved sudden, overwhelming fear or a sense of imminent danger.
- Phobias – For instance simple phobias such as a phobia of an animal, specific objects, and spiders.
- Social phobia, this is being fearful of being judged by others. People with social phobias undoubtedly often limit their exposure to social situations.
- Agoraphobia. This refers to a fear of difficultly getting away in certain situations, for instance, being on a moving train, or being in an elevator.
- Phobias are extremely personal. Therefore, doctors do not know every type. There could be thousands of phobias, and what may seem unusual to one person, may be one that dominates another person’s daily life.
Mental health conditions
- OCD. People with OCD have compulsions and obsessive traits. In other words, they experience constant, stressful thoughts and the powerful urge to perform repetitive acts.
- Mood disorders. Some people refer to mood disorders as depressive disorders or affective disorders. Examples of mood disorders are:
- Major depression. A person with major depression may experience constant low mood as well as lose interest in activities they usually enjoy.
- Bipolar disorder. An individual with bipolar disorder may not only experience unusual changes in their energy levels. Along with their mood, but also the ability to continue with their daily life. In addition, bouts of high energy is known as manic phases. On the other hand, depressive phases will bring on a low mood.
- Schizophrenic disorders. Signs of this condition usually develop between the age of 16 to 30 years. In addition, negative symptoms include withdrawal inappropriate or flat moods, and lack of motivation.
- PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder may occur after a person witnesses or experiences a deeply or traumatic event. During this type of event, an individual may believe theirs or other people’s lives are in danger. They may feel frightened or feel they have no control of what is happening. In conclusion, these sensations of fear and trauma may then contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Early signs
Firstly there are no physical tests or scans that definitively indicate someone has developed a mental illness. However people should look out for the following a signs of a mental health disorder:
- Avoiding activities that they would usually enjoy
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Having consistent low energy
- Being confused a lot
- Being unable to complete daily tasks that would not usually be difficult
- Withdrawing from friends, colleagues, and family
- Eating too little or too much
- Thoughts of causing harm to themselves or others
- Experiencing delusions
- Hearing voices
- Displaying negative emotions
- Having persistent negative thoughts or memories that reappear regularly
Treatment
There are a number of methods for managing mental health issues. Treatments are highly individual, and what works for one person may not work for another. However, Some strategies are more successful when combined with other treatments. A person with mental illness may choose different options throughout their lifetime. To conclude, everyone should collaborate closely with their doctor to help identify their needs, and therefore, provide them with suitable options.
Treatments can include:
- Talking therapies. For example, cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure, and dialectical behaviour therapy.
- Medication. Medication used could be, antidepressants, anxiolytic drugs, and antipsychotics.
- Self-help. This includes, sleeping more, reducing alcohol intake, eating a more balanced diet. Whereas You may find it beneficial to practice relaxation techniques. Deep-breathing, mindfulness and meditation can help with conditions such as anxiety or depression.
Above all recovery from mental illness having a good support network can be essential. This could be anything from self-help groups or close friends and family.
There are plenty of mental health organisations you can contact in the UK, many that run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
To conclude, some of these organisations are:
- Mind
- Mental Health Foundation
- Samaritans
- Anxiety UK
- CALM
- OCD UK