Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological and social well-being. It impacts how one thinks, feels and acts. Because of the broad scope and impact of mental health, it is “behavioral health.”
World Mental Health Day is a good reminder that it is important to talk about mental health.
It’s important to know that recovery is possible. If you or a loved one is suffering from a behavioral health problem, please talk to someone.
Your mental health influences how you think, feel, and behave in daily life. It also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships, and recover from life’s setbacks and hardships. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues.
People who are mentally healthy have:
- A sense of contentment
- A zeal for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.
- The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.
- A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.
- The flexibility to learn new skills and adapt to change.
- A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.
- The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.
- Self-confidence and high self-esteem.
Why Is It Important?
Mental health is a topic that gets stigmatized so often in the society. If someone is having a mental health issue, they are less likely to get help because of that stigma and shame. Mental illness also gets misunderstood by those who have never experienced it.
Some people mistakenly see mental health problems as something they should know how to “snap out of.” Men, especially, would often rather bottle up their feelings than seek help.
Everyone tends to seek simple answers for complex problems. Connections are looked for in social media instead of reaching out to people in the real world.
Mental Health Affects Physical Health
Mental illness matters just as much as any disease. Depression, for example, can lead to suicidal tendencies and if untreated, suicidal attempts.
The mind and the body are connected. Many mental ailments cause stress, which lowers the immune system. This means more frequent sickness and inability to cope.
Stress and anxiety can take a toll on our physical health. Worry causes the body to release stress hormones that speed up heart rate and breathing, raises blood sugar, and send more blood to arms and legs. Over time, this can affect heart, blood vessels, muscles, and other systems.”
Let go of Stigma and Shame to Lead Better Lives
It’s important to talk about mental health, so others can also come forward about it. Those who are mentally ill must need treatment. But without awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding their condition, they won’t feel comfortable reaching out to somebody for help. This enforces stigma and encourages more struggle and shame. When people talk to each other, the problem becomes smaller with less hold over their lives. They can free each other by not being ashamed of mental health ourselves.
Mental Health Affects Everything
Mental health affects how to cope with life. Lack of treatment leads to hopelessness and sadness, worthlessness, feeling guilty, anxiety and worry, fear, and loss of control.
Relationships may suffer. Performance in any situation such as school or work may decline. Withdrawal and isolation may also happen.
People may lose interest in things once enjoyed. Task completion and time management may fall apart. It may also become difficult to concentrate.
Relationship with food may also change. There is tendency to either eat a lot or not eat at all, both of which leads to different physical diseases.
Life may become overwhelming. If there is severe mental health issues, there is loss of touch with reality and even the person can start hearing voices.
Self-harm may happen. Destructive patterns such as alcohol and drug use may strike, and suicidal tendencies may be also come in mind. Overall, things will fall apart if mental health is not taken seriously.
Everyone deserves a peaceful mind and a healthy body. The truth is the mind can lie. It can hold us back or take us to the soaring heights. It is also the source of everything good anyone experiences. It is also easy to fool mind in taking back control of your thoughts and start doing those actions which are empowering.
