Have you ever cried your heart out in the bathroom and came out as if nothing happened? You carry your smile because yes it is important that none sees the storm inside your mind. We love to show the world how happy we are. Those smiling pictures of yours are all over your feed on Instagram. Apart from you, the world does not have an idea about your anxiety attacks or your depressed mind. Depression, anxiety, etc are related to mental health disorders. Moreover, mental illness is related to a wide range of mental health conditions or disorders. Mental health is just as important as our physical health.
Meanwhile, our social, emotional, psychological well-being are included in mental health. Additionally, there is not always much talk about mental health because even today mental health illnesses are taboo. We must break this stigma to spread more awareness about the importance of mental health. Similarly, just like every other illness, mental health illness has solutions too. One can take counseling from psychologists. Additionally, taking therapies and the following medication can help you get better mental health.
Mental illness signs that you simply should not ignore:
Mental illness includes anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, paranoia, psychosis, schizophrenia, and so on. It will affect your behavior, thinking, and how you are feeling about every situation. Meanwhile, it is important that you know whether you are suffering from any mental illness. Know your warning signs here-
Mood changes: If you feel your mood is changing randomly, this could be the reason for your anxiety. Frequent changes in moods can be a sign of mental illness. You may feel sudden changes in your emotions.
- Feeling sad all the time: A person with mental health problems will feel excessive pain or sadness most of the time. However, it is normal that we all feel sad over time due to many reasons. But a person suffering from anxiety or depression will be sad even when there is no reason for that.
- Overthinking: Overthinking is the sole reason for depression or anxiety. If you can not shut your mind from overthinking about even the tiniest situation, chances are there that you should talk about it. A depressed person spends his/her time overthinking every situation.
- Withdrawal: Do you keep making excuses to avoid social gatherings and meeting people? A person suffering from mental illness may lose interest in any social activities. They may prefer being alone and not sharing their problems with anyone.
- Changes in eating or sleeping schedule: Insomnia and rapid changes in your weight can be the reason for anxiety and sleeping disorders. Someone who is suffering from it may have trouble sleeping. Additionally, they may face rapid changes in their appetite.
- Feeling worthless: A person who is having any kind of mental illness may see themselves as worthless or a failed person. Similarly, they may find everything else worthless. They start feeling as if there is no happiness in their life. This situation can also bring suicidal thoughts.
Treat your sanity: it is important
Around 450 million people in the world are suffering from mental illness currently. Moreover, 13.1 million people in the USA have experienced serious mental illness in the year 2019. Additionally, a person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Shockingly more than 75% of people with mental health illnesses do not receive any proper treatment. And the main reason behind it is stigma and fear of getting judged.
Life has become more difficult during a pandemic. It is obvious that many of us are facing difficult situations which may lead to anxiety and depression. It is normal to have panic attacks or feel lonely at times. Meanwhile, it is necessary that if you are feeling any such situation you talk about it. Our obsession with showing our only happy self to the world can cost us at times. Moreover, suffering alone is never easy and not a better option. If you decide to not talk about your ill mental state, it may become unbearable to you. It is not a matter of shame if you want to take care of yourself. Try seeking help and try to talk about it. Meanwhile, there are always professionals to help you get out of the situation.
How would you help someone suffering from mental health?
If you are aware that someone you know is having some kind of mental illness it is necessary that you do your best to help them out. However, in most cases, people have a fear of getting judged by others. So they keep their problems to themselves. So first of all you can try to create a situation where they feel free to talk about their situation.
- Offer them help in seeking professional support: Apart from letting them know that they are not alone, you can suggest they take medical help. Therapies and other advice from the psychologist will help a person get rid of their mental health problems.
- Do not make any judgment: A person who seems happy and healthy can be the one with the worst mental health. Therefore, if someone is seeking help, never try to judge his/her situation. This will make them feel worse and they may not open up to anyone again.
- Make sure they are comfortable: make sure you make the situation comfortable when they are trying to open up about their problems. However, it is really difficult for a person with any mental health disorder to feel comfortable. They may feel panic while sharing their reason.
- Provide emotional support: thousands of thoughts and overthinking keep running in a depressed person’s mind. They may often blame themselves for no reason and feel suicidal. Meanwhile, you must support them emotionally. Let Them know that they are not alone and there is nothing to be ashamed of.
- Be a good listener: It is important that you listen to them patiently. Give them opportunities to share their problems and troubles. Additionally, make sure that you do not put any pressure on them as they are already going through a lot.
Break the silence about mental health
There can be many reasons that you may suffer from depression, anxiety, or any other mental illness. The reason can be the loss of someone you were close to, your childhood trauma, any kind of failure, and even genetics. It is important to speak with a psychologist or therapist if you are experiencing emotional or mental struggles. Additionally, there is no age limitation for mental illness. A child, a teenager, or one aged person; anyone can suffer from mental illness. Meanwhile, it is never easy to live with any kind of mental illness. At times it makes a person take the worst decision in life. However, if there were no stigma about mental illness, the world would have been a better place. Nevertheless, if we wish, we can bring awareness about it by educating ourselves. Openly discussing mental health issues will help in breaking the stigma in our society.
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