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Don’t Quarantine Your Mental Health

Handling people with mental illness is more serious and sensitive than you think. During the Novel Coronavirus, we all have been facing the feelings of worry, anxiety and stress. All these feelings are valid and quite normal for all human beings to give a reaction to a difficult situation. But the problem begins when someone’s child or family member is suffering from mental disorders. As COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the world. And the people have been under house arrest. This situation is pressurizing the mental health of these people including depression, anxiety disorders, stress, panic attack, anger, sleep disorders, emotional disturbance and suicidal behaviour. And many factors which are linked with mental health problems during COVID-19 are age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, income, regional difference and mental health problems, COVID-19 related news and social media, coping styles, stigma. Before going further, let’s know about what exactly mental health is?

 

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What is mental health?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO):

“Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

Mental health is not merely the absence of mental disorders or avoiding active conditions but also about the wellness and happiness of an individual. According to NIMH in 2017, around 11.2 million adults in the U.S., suffered from severe Psychological conditions.

 

Signs of mental health disorders at an early stage

To notice early signs of mental health disorders, you don’t need any physical test. Let’s take a look at common signs:

1. Isolating himself from friends, family or colleagues
2. He won’t enjoy doing activities
3. Have sleepless nights
4. No appetite or eating too much
5. Hopelessness
6. Start taking drugs or alcohol
7. Always perplexed and have negative emotions
8. Difficulty in performing normal tasks
9. Overthinking
10. Hallucinations or experience delusions

 

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Prevalence of Mental health disorders

Mental disorders are causes of non-fatal disease burden. A study was conducted in 2017,  the study described the prevalence and the burden of each mental health disorder in India.

According to the 2017 reports, 197·3 million people suffered from mental health disorders in India. 45·7 million people had the most common disorder which is depressive disorders and 44·9 million suffered from anxiety disorders. From 1990 to 2017, the contribution of mental disorders increased from 2·5% to 4·7% in India. Depressive disorder was the most common disorder in 2017 with 33.8%, anxiety disorders 19·0%, idiopathic developmental intellectual disability with 10·8%, followed by schizophrenia which comprised 9·8%, next was bipolar disorder with 6·9%, conduct disorder with 5·9%, autism spectrum disorders with 3·2%, eating disorders with 2·2%, ADHD with 0·3% and lastly, other mental disorders with 8·0%.

As per 2017report, 1 in 7 Indians was suffering from mental health disorders, this burden has almost doubled since 1990 in India.

 

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Gender difference in mental health disorders

According to Astbury, gender differences in mental health disorders has been spreading which includes few factors that affect risk, diagnosis, treatment and adjustment to mental disorder. Gender differences vary from age to age. Most common psychiatric disorder in childhood is conduct disorder with three times as many boys as girls being affected. In adolescence, females have more risk of depression and eating disorders and they also involve more in suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than males. During adulthood, females have more risk of most affective disorders and non-affective psychosis and males suffer from substance use disorders and antisocial personality disorder. They might develop alternative disorders, while they are in stress.

 

 

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Risk factors for mental health disorders

Despite all the facts, every single person who go through some difficulties might develop mental health disorder, no matter their age, gender or income. One of the most common causes of disabilities is mental health disorders. One’s mental health is shaped by social, economical, biological and lifestyles decisions.

 

Let’s discuss these factors which contribute to mental health disruptions:

 

Constant social and economic pressure on a person

Inadequate financial or no salary can increase the risk of mental disorders. A research was conducted in 2015, 903 Iranian families confirmed that socioeconomic including poverty and living on the boundaries of the large cities are the causes of mental health disorders.

Biological factors in mental health disorders

Family history of mental health disorder can lead to mental illness in a child.

Chronic pain, diabetes or cancer can develop mental health conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety.

 

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Common Mental health disorders

1. Mood disorders
2. Anxiety disorders
3. Schizophrenia disorders

Mood disorders

Mood disorders are also referred to as affective disorders or depressive disorders by the people. They suffer from changes in mood, generally includes mania or depression.

Mood disorders include:

Major depression: A person with major depression experiences low mood frequently and less interested in events that the person used to enjoy. The person feels sadness or extreme sadness while suffering from a major disorder.

Bipolar disorder: An individual who has bipolar disorder go through abnormal changes in mood, energy levels, levels of doing an activity. High mood period is known as manic phases, while the low mood is known as a depressive phase.

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness, people who have severe anxiety which is associated with a particular situation. A person with anxiety will avoid exposure to certain things which triggers their anxiety. Let’s talk about types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized anxiety disorder

According to APA, GAD as unreasonable tension that disturbs a person’s lifestyle which also includes physical symptoms:

1. Restlessness
2. Fatigue
3. Tense muscles
4. Interrupted sleep

People with GAD don’t necessarily require a particular trigger.

 

Case Study on GAD:

A 22-year-old Berry, complaints about troubles while falling asleep at night and she is unable to get a good sleep. Aishwarya often feels restless, which she actually relate with her not sleeping troubles. She constantly worries about her performance in college, her family, and her health. She also stated that when she wakes up at night with headaches that last for a couple of hours and the next day, she feels tense for the whole day. She faces difficulty in class.

Panic disorders

If a person suffers from panic disorder he or she may experience panic attacks frequently which includes sudden, extreme terror.

Case Study on Panic disorder:

Britney was driving home from college one day and she was caught in traffic. All of a sudden she noticed that her heartbeat was increasing, short of breath, and tightness in her chest. When she began to sweat, she realized and drove to the nearest emergency room where they could find nothing physically wrong with her. She had experienced a panic attack. With time, the attacks became worse, and she started to avoid driving.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

A person who has OCD may experience regular, stressful thoughts or overthinking and a strong feeling to do repetitive acts, for example, hand washing.

Case Study on OCD:

A 12-year-old Foxy learned in class that vomiting is an involuntary response. On another day, when she was watching the news, she saw a story about a young man who did vomit during his sleep and died. She became obsessed about getting ill and vomiting, and she ignored anyone who appeared to be sick around her. She carried sanitizer everywhere she went and avoided public restrooms. She didn’t touch any food that might be contaminated by germs. She didn’t go out with her family.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

If a person experiences a traumatic event may suffer from PTSD. The person thinks his life is in danger. They have no control over the situation.

Schizophrenia disorders

Mental health professionals are still looking for the answers to their questions such as schizophrenia is one disorder or a group of related mental illnesses. For the experts, it is still a very complex condition.

According to NIMH, normally, the symptoms of schizophrenia develop between the ages of 16 to 30 years. The person may have delusions, hallucinations or thought disorder. Other symptoms are withdrawal from family and friends, lack of motivation, and an inappropriate mood.

 

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Treatment

Different methods for managing mental health problems are available these days. Treatment is more likely for an individual as a treatment works for one person may not work for another person. So, the person needs to get the treatment more closely with a doctor who can aid them in finding their requirements and give suitable treatment.

Treatments include:

Psychotherapy

This is also known as talking therapy which uses a psychological approach to treat mental health disorders. CBT or exposure therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy are other examples of treatment.

Psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists handle this type of treatment. This treatment helps a person to understand the root cause of their mental health disorders, also enhance their thought patterns, their lifestyle.

Medication

Prescribed medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytic drugs are provided by the doctors. Medication can’t cure the disorder but helps in improving the symptoms. So the person can get back on their right track like socialize with everyone, follow his daily life routine.

There are few things to keep in mind while handling the people with mental illness:

1. They are housed and they don’t like it. So, try not to upset them.
2. Listen to them very carefully.
3. They easily get angry on small issues. Try to calm the person.
4. Don’t shout or call them crazy. If there is something you want to tell, be specific.
5. Be supportive and help them in analyzing the situation.
6. Always choose the right words, while interacting with the person.
7. Don’t force them to share their pain. Just let them lead with their own pace.

 

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Conclusion:

During COVID 19, the situation has become more problematic for mental health patients as they are making it hard for their families and their therapists. Psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists are on high alert and they are trying their best to help them through online meetings. They are helping all the people who are in need. But still, try to help each other. Don’t quarantine your mental health, Make it your priority.