A good mental health status can be described as the state of well-being in which a person recognizes his or her potential, can cope with emotional stress, works productively, and contributes to his or her community. Mental health has to do with what goes in and out of the mind, the ability to manage thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being of a person
Mental illnesses have been stigmatized from time immemorial, nobody wants to face the reality that their mental state is not healthy for fear of being called “crazy” by people and this is also the reason people refuse to go see mental health doctors when they feel they are mentally unstable and need help.
The stigma surrounding mental health also accounts for why many people bottle up their emotions till they are overwhelmed by the emotions and cause an outburst which they cannot manage. Being healthy mentally is necessary for every individual as it helps you function and interact with people every day while managing the stress of life.
What causes Mental Illness?
Mental illness can be caused by some genetic factors such as
Genetics: If your blood relatives have a mental disorder it could be found in you too because certain genes increase the chances of one developing a mental illness and some situations of life can trigger it.
Pregnancy Environmental Factors: Being exposed to the stresses of the environment, the introduction of alcohol, drugs, and toxins while in the womb can cause mental illness in the long for a fetus.
Brain: Neurotransmitters are brain molecules that transport signals to various parts of the brain and body. The function of nerve receptors and nerve systems changes when brain networks involving these substances are compromised, leading to depression and other emotional disorders.
Types of Mental Disorders
Depression: Depression is a mood disorder that affects the way a person thinks acts and feels, it can be a feeling of sadness, anger, loss and this interferes with one’s daily life. The symptoms include thoughts of death or suicide, not caring about things you used to care about, forgetfulness, confusion, etc.
Anxiety: This is a type of disorder that makes one always tense up, no rest or calmness, and the symptoms can include fatigue, muscle tension, sweating, trembling, etc.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Obsession deals with persistent thoughts of unpleasant scenes e.g. to murder someone. Compulsive have to do with repeated acts or constantly repeating words to oneself.
Bipolar Disorder: This deals with excessive moods swings and emotional outbursts and the symptoms include inappropriate jokes or laugh, restlessness, need for sleep decreases.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): This has to do with bad memories or experiences being relived in the mind of a person and the symptoms include insomnia, avoiding some places, intense worry, etc.
Schizophrenia: is a type of health disorder that involves a person being unable to differentiate reality from imagination and the symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, etc.
Personality Disorders: It is a type of disorder whereby a person’s pattern of thinking and functioning is unhealthy and rigid, symptoms may include a feeling of being the center of attention, feeling of being taken advantage of or cheated on, angry outbursts, etc.
How to Prevent a Mental Disorder
Awareness and Sensitization: As a community, there is a need for more sensitization on mental health, creating more awareness and letting people know that emotions can be managed, you do not need to bear everything on your own, it is okay to talk to a professional that can help, every feeling is necessary, the feeling of happiness, sadness, loneliness, etc.,
While negative feelings help balance you up as a human, some feelings such as sadness, resentment, etc. should not be allowed to linger for long as they may become toxic to the health.
Pay attention to warning signs: Once you feel something is wrong, visit a therapist, open up and talk, do not keep everything to yourself. Get routine medical care: always visit a healthcare provider to check up on your mental health. Get help when you need it. Once you feel like you need help, go get the help, do not procrastinate. Take good care of yourself. love yourself, eat healthy, sleep well and never stop exercising.
Treating Mental Disorders
Therapy, drugs, or a mix of the two are commonly used to treat mental problems.
Drugs such as Antidepressants, Anxiety medications, Antipsychotic medications are drugs that are used to treat schizophrenia. The following are some of the types of therapy used to treat mental illnesses: Psychotherapy Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) Family and Marital therapy