What is mental health? And why is it necessary?

Mental health is a term we give to our psychological, social, and emotional well-being. It also affects how we think, feel, and act. It aids us in determining how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health and emotional health make up for a very huge important aspect of our lives and its effects are seen in the way we think, behave, and deal with emotions. Being emotionally healthy can promote productivity and effectiveness in life as a whole. It has an essential role to enact in our day to day lives. It affects the way we face relationships, careers, and educational challenges.

Here are some myths and facts related to mental health:-

Myth: Is being mentally ill synonymous with the term ‘crazy’?

Fact: No it doesn’t mean that one is ‘crazy. Mental illness, just like any other illness is an affliction that needs to be addressed by a professional and treated likewise.

Myth: It is fairly common that people with mental illnesses are dangerous.

Fact: No, this perception is wrong, in fact, any human in loss of their mental abilities are far easier to be the victim as they often don’t possess the mental capacity to determine what’s good or bad. A very small percentage of acts of violence can be linked to these individuals, and that too the ones inflicted with serious mental illnesses,

Myth: Mental health problems cannot be experienced by children

Fact: Even young children may show warning signs of mental concerns. Early mental health support can help a child before it becomes too late. Unfortunately, only less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need.

Myth: Mental health problems don’t affect me personally.

Fact: Mental health problems are much more common than one believes it to be. A majority of adults undergo some kind of mental problem without realizing them. Often times these health-related issues go undiagnosed as a mental health problem is not physically visible. Issues like depression, social anxiety, and emotional breakdowns have become so frequent that they do not appear to be mental health problems. The truth is in fact, mental well being is often ignored because the competitive world in which we live does not allow space for mental well being.

Mental health today

With the lockdown in place worldwide, the mental health of an individual has taken a turn for worse. Being locked up in a place for months has put people in depression. Not to forget, if you have toxic people around you, there is no escape. We are face to face with new challenges of staying at home and working, temporary unemployment, children being home-schooled, and lack of contact with family members, colleagues, and friends. The uncertainty which the pandemic brings to us has led to an increased number of people feeling suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression. Isolation has taken a toll on all of us individually.

Is mental health a taboo?

Almost everywhere across the globe, mental illnesses are considered to be a taboo. Mentally ill people are said to be victims of supernatural things such as being possessed by a ghost. Some mental disorders are accompanied by strange or aggressive behavior. Those who display such mental illness encounter hatred, disgust, or fear. In places, common responses to aggressive, uncontrolled behavior are still electroshocked, beatings, etc.

Mental health ~ a genetic disorder?

Mental illness has been said to be more persistent in people who have relatives who are suffering through a mental illness or a challenge. A study at WHO says that “The of an individual having a specific mental disorder is higher if other family members have that same mental disorder. Mental illnesses, however, do not follow common patterns of inheritance.”

How our environment affects our mental health-

There are various factors in our surroundings that affect our mental well being. Some are physical factors like smoking, sleep deprivation, extreme weather conditions. Then there are social factors such as facing various stigmas like racism, sexism. Facing any type of abuse be it physical, sexual, or emotional can be very bad for your health. Being in toxic relations also causes a lot of stress and irritability.

The relation between mental health and physical health-

Even though mental health and physical health are two different aspects, they are interrelated. Challenging conditions of mental health sometimes cause physical health problems. In the same way, substandard physical health conditions create problems in mental well being. Somatic symptom disorder is one example. It is said to be a group of mental disorders that cause physical symptoms which cannot be explained. It involves a person having a focus on physical symptoms, such as pain, weakness, or shortness of breath that results in major distress problems functioning.

Effects of mental health on daily aspects of life-

Mental health is a wide area that includes depression, anxiety disorders, and many more. It impacts every aspect of our life including how you sleep, your education, your relationships, health. Individuals suffering from mental illness often have comorbid disorders, such as alcohol and drug addictions. It can negatively affect productivity. Let us take a closer look –

Relationship: – Mental illness has a strong effect on families. It often creates tension, uncertainty, stress, and sometimes brings significant changes in how people go on with their lives. Different family members react to it in different ways.

It’s completely normal to feel a whole range of emotions like guilt, fear, anger, and sadness. Understanding these feelings can be the first step towards working through them.

No one can be blamed when a person is affected by mental illness.

Student Life: – Mental health problems affect a student on different levels. It affects their energy levels, their concentration and focus level, their dependability, mental ability to comprehend, and optimism which in turn hinders their overall performance.

Research claims that depression is linked with lower grade point averages and that co-occurring depression and anxiety can increase this association.

Depression has also been associated with dropping out of school.

Work-Life:- Mental health problem affects many people at work but they often do not talk about it and seek help for it because of the fear of losing their jobs. And many times when an illness is recognized, the co-workers do not know how to reach out.

As a result, a lot of mental health disorders often go obscure and untreated, damaging an individual’s health and career, but also reducing productivity at work.

Appropriate treatment towards the individual concerned can help reduce the symptoms and also improve performance. But reaching these aims requires a change in attitudes about the nature of mental disorders and the recognition that such a task takes effort and time.

Improving mental health ~

How to accept yourself?

• Accepting yourself for who you are is one of the most important factors of being mentally healthy.
• Remaining positive about things that concern your help in the process.
• Celebrating your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses is crucial.
• Being open to criticism is essential as well.
• Avoid self-destructive thoughts and self-doubt worries.
• Let go of your personal biases.

How to become a better version of yourself?

• In order to become the best version of yourself, you need to identify and accept yourself.
• The person who you want to be is your goal. It should not be affected by anybody else’s vision.
• You should be willing to let go of your identity before and should have a more positive outlook for who you are trying to be.
• Taming your fears. Understand that you are in control of yourself.
• Working on your strengths. Identifying your strengths and weaknesses.