Health Tips of The Day: There are quite many important issues that are ignored in our society and mental health awareness is one of the biggest. Though awareness is a form of education, but this education has evidently failed to reach the society completely.
A stressful relationship, academic pressure, financial instability and a lot more can be the causes of a deteriorating one’s mental health. It is important that these issues are taken into consideration as the mental and physical health go hand in hand for a person’s overall growth. The close relationship between mental health and emotional quotient is crucial. The stronger the person emotionally is, the better is his/her mental health. With the Fast Moving Urbanised and the modern world, somewhere the peace of mind and heart is lost which steals mental peace.
This issue isn’t something that has to be addressed on a specific day (Mental Health Day, October 11) but something that has to be given more and more coverage till all the sections of the society start noticing it critically.
Here are a few important factors related to mental health…
Mental health, what is it?
Although the name ‘Mental Health’ is self-explanatory, it is still important to discuss what is Mental Health or what it actually comprises of. Mental health includes our social, emotional and psychological well-being. It has a significant impact on our thoughts, decisions and mainly the quality of our lives.
Early warnings of mental illness are the extremes in his/her behavior. Other than that, neuroticism, failing relationships or sudden changes in habits can be a few evident ones. “Mental failure isn’t a personal failure”, this thing should be kept in mind and can quite possibly be served as a motivational tool for people.
The ignorance
The issue of mental health is largely ignored by the elder population. Quite often these issues are ignored and dissed in the name of “drama” and exaggeration of one’s own feelings. In one of their videos, AIB had amazingly represented the ignorance in our society related to mental health. The satire was well put of ‘how the society would be if people reacted to physical health issues just like the way they dealt with mental health issues’. People consider physical health to be the prominent one while largely ignoring the mental health which has a significant impact on one’s well-being.
Here is that AIB video which you must give a shot!
Statistics show that more women die globally due to mental illness than childbirth-related causes. Suicide alone kills nearly three times (nearly a million people) the number of women who die in childbirth (360,000, mostly in the developing world) every year. Yet, far more money and attention go toward improving maternal health than mental health. Ignorance has evidently caused such a huge loss. It is time the awareness is spread through its means and reached out to all.
Does money mean good mental health?
Money is important, but it doesn’t mean that every rich person is capable of sound mental health. Selena Gomez’s mental health issue is a widely known thing. She suffered depression and anxiety for a long period that caused lupus (an autoimmune condition in which the immune system creates antibodies that attack healthy cells in the body) due to which she later underwent a kidney transplant. Her emotional imbalance was the outcome of her broken relationship with Justin Bieber and family issues.
The Cons of Digitalization
Almost everything in today’s era is digital as the outcome of the internet. But everything has its pros and cons. I must say that the internet is a horrible place. The Google Keyword Planner shows 40.5k+ average monthly searches for the ‘How to commit suicide’. On the other hand ‘How to overcome depression’ has only 9.9k searches; ‘How to overcome fear’ has only 5.4k searches; ‘How to overcome stress’ has only 3.6k. It’s terrible. Negative thoughts have a lot bigger impact than the positive ones. It is not just the fault of the internet but the people who don’t believe in positivity and blatantly think of taking negative actions.
Before moving forward, I would like to list down the links of a few suicide helplines in India:
❤︎ Suicide helplines list by LBB
❤︎ Suicide helplines list by The Better India
What We can do about it?
It is important for us to acknowledge the existence of this issue and help out the people suffering through it. There had been a case of a young girl slipping into depression due to family problems. Due to the lack of support from family members, the people she reached out to were her cousins. What was surprising was the people who once hung out with her now tried to stay away as much as possible and kept back biting considering her as a burden because of her social aloofness.
It is important to note that depression is characterized by extremes. People with depression might either eat a lot or nothing at all. Some might be insomniacs while others might sleep for hours on a go. Some are extremely talkative while some have social anxieties at another level. It is crucial to look out for such people in our social circle and give them the motivation they need.
As compared to the west, Asian countries are the bigger victims of this Ignorance. The pressure put upon the kids to excel in every other aspect is insane. Teenage depression is an issue that requires the utmost attention and care. It is often too late in the end when the adverse effect takes place and we say that we never saw the signs coming.
So, it is better we start taking precaution than being sorry.
Types of Mental Disorders
Now before we talk about fighting mental disorders and depression, let’s first know about the types of mental disorders.
1. Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness or sickness. It is a neurological disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels. It becomes really difficult for a person to carry out daily normal activities if he/she is suffering from this condition.
2. OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a type of mental illness in which one experiences psychoneurotic thoughts and urges. These thoughts intrude in between your daily work and activities and tough to overcome.
3. Panic Attack or Anxiety Attack
A panic attack is characterized by instant fear or discomforts that get intense within minutes. It includes symptoms such as:
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- Trembling and shaking
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Increased heart rate or pounding heart
- Palpitations
4. Insomnia
Insomnia is a very common condition in which it becomes difficult for a person to fall asleep. Many people experience trouble falling asleep even though they are tired. Insomnia can be a symptom of OCD or it can happen due to recurring unwanted thoughts. Insomnia is also characterized by waking up multiple times during the night and difficulty going back asleep.
5. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia or dementia praecox is a type of chronic mental disorder which affects a person’s ability to think, assume, feel or behave. A schizophrenic person seems like having lost touch with reality and behaves abruptly to others’ gestures, even the normal and positive ones. Symptoms of Schizophrenia usually occurs between ages 16 to 30 years.
A schizophrenic person may experience all or either of these symptoms:
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- Hallucinations
- Delusions
- Uncommon physical movements
- Reduced ability to understand
- Reduced working memory
Ways to fight depression and boost mental health
As a wise man said ‘Small steps taken together form a big change’. On similar lines, I would like to list down these small steps which will boost your mental health and add value to your emotional well-being!
1. Start your day with coffee
Coffee consumption is linked to lower rates of depression. The caffeine in coffee acts as a mild stimulant to the central nervous system. Studies have shown that, depending on the level of intake, caffeine can help to improve mental performance, especially on alertness, attention, and concentration.
2. Sleep Well
Well, this sounds really old-school. I myself have had hard times explaining to my parents why I used to stay up at night when I started my carrier. Each and every one of us experiences this kind of a situation. But it is important that we don’t get habituated of it. Remember, good night sleep is as important as the daily diet. If you have trouble in getting to bed then you can consider reading a book to get tired in the coolest way possible. If you still don’t get results out of it then you can opt for Melatonin supplements. But do consult your doctor before you do so.
3. Use turmeric
The edible root powdered into a spice has a history of medical uses including anxiety and depression according to a number of researches. You can use turmeric as a daily add-on to your daily diet which is pretty common across India and Asia. On the other hand, there are certain turmeric curcumin supplements available in the market which can be consumed as per the prescribed dosage or as consulted by the doctors.
4. Travel
Staying away from home for a few days can change a lot many things. It can bring change in your attitude as well as you a pause from your usual schedule and work. Pick a few friends or you can even plan a solo trip.
Here is a very interesting article about 5 Trips you Have to Take this New Year 2019 that you should read.
5. Exercise
Hitting the gym every day can add value to your physical appearance for sure. But more importantly, it will give you an enormous sense of well-being. You will feel more energetic and eventually get better sleep. Studies show that people who exercise regularly have a sharp memory and they feel relaxed and positive most of the times. If you don’t get the time to hit the gym due to a busy schedule or daily jobs then you can start practicing yoga in the morning.
Here is also an interesting article you should read on 7 Fitness Activities Couples Must Try.
6. Read and Write
Maintain a diary, put all your achievements and plans in it. Think and write about your goals. You can also start a blog as soon as you start feeling confident to share your knowledge and expertise with the world out there. It will though keep you a bit busy but that’s good, believe me. Good readers are good writers too, pick a book of your choice and aim to read one book every month. You can also explore books by following these links:
Best Books by Indian Authors ➤
7. Stop looking for people
As you grow, you start realizing that you only need a few people who are positive and adding value to your life. You’ll always have people, be optimistic and the right people will start showing up in your life. Focus on making friends NOT bae. People who fall into relationships time and again always find themselves in turmoil, and keep repeating the cycle until they reach great misery. Sorry for the sarcasm.
8. Watch shows, comedy, and crazy stuff
Charlie Chaplin said ‘A day without laughter is a day wasted’. Indeed, what if a person earns well, do all the hard work just for money and don’t get time to enjoy himself? The world is ever evolving and now we don’t even have to wait for our favorite shows to appear on TV at a specified time. Get a subscription of Netflix, Amazon prime or anything else that you can think of for daily entertainment.
Over to you!
So that was my article on Mental and emotional health. I tried covering all sorts of causes of emotional instability, why one should take care of emotional health and the tips to improve mental health.
If you liked this article then please share it with your friends and don’t forget to share your opinion in the comments section below ⬇︎
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