Mental Health Awareness: You are not alone!

Physical and mental health go alongside each other. Normalizing the discussion of mental health gives people the confidence to speak up and receive the assistance they require. People with mental diseases may and do have full, successful, and happy lives because they are curable. But mental health disorders get worse the longer they go untreated.

Those who are aware of mental health concerns learn that it is OK to talk about their problems. Lots of people will be more likely to realize that it is treatable if the stigma around it is lessened. More individuals will be able to ask for help when they feel alone, lonely, or desperate.

According to Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, each year, 13% of children, 46% of teens, and 19% of adults experience mental illness. Individuals who are battling with their mental health may be members of your family, neighbors, teachers, or coworkers.

What is a mental illness?

A mental illness is a physical brain disease that results in cognitive, behavioral, energetic, or emotional disorders that make it challenging to manage day-to-day demands of life.

The most common mental health conditions are:

1. Anxiety Disorders: includes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (panic attacks), generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias.
2. Mood Disorders: such as depression and bipolar depression.

Is it Time to Ask for Help?

When we used to be kids, we were taught to ask for help when we were unable to do something on our own or were facing a problem. But as we grow older, asking for help becomes difficult because we are taught that we should solve our problems without the help of anyone. But this is not correct, because we sometimes need assistance and advice from our trust buddies or professional people. We should feel comfortable reaching out to our loved ones, friends, and other people in our support network when we need to when we’re feeling overwhelmed.

Here is a guide to help you decide whether to ask for help when you’re feeling sad or not at your best.

• Depression

Feeling depressed differs from feeling sad, feeling sad is about something or someone and is temporary as the sadness disappears gradually unless we are recalling a memory or triggered by a photo. Meanwhile, you cannot specify one thing that makes you feel the sadness inside you because you relate it to everything, everything around you makes you feel sad and sorrowful.  You start having bad feelings and thoughts about yourself, your surroundings, and everything you do. You start losing the enjoyment and the spark in things you used to like.

We advise you to seek help if you’re feeling worse instead of getting better and you do not know the reason behind the sadness, especially if it lasts more than two weeks.

• Anxiety

Anxiety is the opposite of depression but they both go together. Feeling anxious, tense, or stressed everyone in a while is normal to everyone, but there are some situations in which anxiety extends for longer time. Anxiety has a negative effect on your life, it causes sleep loss, lack of concentration, and it also makes you feel the inability to handle your life aspects. Anxiety also causes physical problems such as: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, body pains, insomnia, or many other unpleasant symptoms.

If you are facing any symptoms of anxiety and are affecting the quality of life, speaking with a therapist can help you identify the triggers and give you the right treatment to get back to your normal healthy life.

• Suicidal Thoughts

Many people have had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. If you are facing much pain or having self-harm ideas, first you should know that you are not alone, and we are here to help you. Self-harm may take many different forms, such as cutting yourself physically or engaging in risky activities.

Suicidal thoughts are not a sign of weakness or insanity, and they do not indicate that you are insane, unable, or defective. It just indicates that at the moment you are unable to handle your suffering. Yet, with time and help, you may resolve your issues, and the suffering and suicidal thoughts will subside.

We advise you to directly contact a mental health professional if you are having suicidal thoughts but are not yet ready to take your own life. You can work with a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist to identify and diagnose your specific problem, and they can also help you acquire coping skills or ways to keep you from hurting yourself.

How can I help someone else seek help?

It’s normal to feel helpless if someone comes to you and tells you that they are having challenging thoughts or emotions, but there is no particular skill required to show someone you care about them. Sometimes it may be incredibly helpful to just be there for someone and do little things.

We provide you with some tips to follow so you could help your in-need friend become mentally better:

• Give them space to speak and listen to them carefully.
• Let them know they are not alone, and you are here to support them.
• Avoid Making assumptions about the cause of their feelings.
• Encourage them to seek help from a professional.
• Support them to go to therapist’s appointments.
• Keep social contact with them by making them feel everything is normal.

How can I take care of myself?

Being someone else’s supporter may be difficult. Taking care of your own needs might provide you with the strength, time, and space you need to assist someone else. Never forget about your mental health and work on keeping it stable:

1. Take a break when you need it.
2. Talk to someone you trust about your feelings.
3. Support others whenever you can.
4. Stay positive.
5. Stick to a sleep schedule.
6. Practice gratitude.