Mental Health is the overall health of a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Over the years, distinctive disturbing elements like damaged personal life, endangered social belonging, and violence in surroundings affected human beings on physical, emotional, and psychological grounds. Therefore, an International Day of Awareness regarding mental health is observed every 10 October by WHO (World Health Organization) as world mental health day. Every year, new themes are incorporated to support the world’s habitat better place for all!
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is an individual’s capacity to feel, think, and act to achieve a better quality of life while respecting personal, social, and cultural boundaries. Impairment of any of these is a risk factor for mental disorders or mental illness, a component of mental health.
Mental health covers a person’s emotional state, psychological elements, and social well-being. The mental health state affects cognition, perception and resulting behaviour.
What are the Mental Disorders?
Mental disorder, also known as a psychiatric disorder or mental illness commonly. A mental disorder is a pattern of behaviour or thought that seriously distresses a person or impairs their ability to operate. These characteristics may be ongoing, relapsing, or only present during specific episodes.
There are numerous illnesses. Furthermore, the indications and symptoms of each differ significantly. A mental health expert may diagnose such conditions, typically a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist.
World Health Organization (WHO) has listed mental illnesses as follows.
Anxiety Disorders
Behavioural disturbances like extreme fear and worrisome are a part of anxiety disorders. When the issue remains unaddressed, symptoms worsen with time, resulting in severe difficulty in normal functional behaviours. The patients remain in distress and in a state of disbelief.
Depression
According to studies, around 280 million people lived with depression in 2019. Depression is a severe dullness in the mood. It is different from regular mood fluctuation and natural emotional responses.
Human anger, reaction, dullness, and mood swings are natural ways to respond to challenges that a human being faces. However, the extended episodes are depression if a person feels sad, irritable, and empty inside for at least two weeks. In addition, the person losing interest in beloved activities is a major sign.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder swings the person between two extreme mood fluctuations. The condition may include severe depression and intense energy episodes. The person may feel down, with no interest, for one second, while in the next, he may feel energetic, happy, and vibrant. When this condition is long-lasting and ever-staying, it could be a symptom of bipolar disorder.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
As the name discloses, post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) spouts out of the threatening, scary and harmful experiencing incident, event, or several events of similar nature.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is characterized by significant obstacles in perception and changes in behaviour. Symptoms may include persistent delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, highly disorganized behaviour, or extreme unrest.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are the phycological problems associated with eating. Either a person eats too much or too little. Therefore, the weight, health, and life of people affected by eating disorders get at stake.
Disruptive Behaviour
Disruptive behaviour and dissocial disorders are characterized by persistent behaviour problems such as persistently defiant or disobedient to behaviours that violate the fundamental rights of others or central age-appropriate societal norms, rules, or laws. The onset of disruptive and dissocial disorders is not always common during childhood.
Neuro-developmental Disorders
Neuro-developmental Disorders are associated with disorders of intellect, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, routine activities are severely affected.
One in every eight people is affected by some sort of mental disorder. Mental problems cause severe problems in thinking, emotional regulation, and behaviours.
What factors affect mental health?
The causes of mental health problems are all factors compromising human peace and happiness. However, the main reasons are classified as the following.
- Genetics Of Person
- Unfavourable Environment
- Drug Usage
- Chronic Illness
- Temperamental and Emotionally Unbalanced Personality
If any person in the direct bloodline has been affected by mental problems, the risk of being prone to mental issues increases. Likewise, with violence and no supportive hand, people become affected and indulge in disturbing surroundings. The escapes could be drugs and unbalanced personality traits like narcissism and uncontrollable emotions.
Bad experiences at home, at work, with friends, and in relationships can push any person to the verge of emotional damage.
Mental Health Issues in Women?
Women are more prone to mental health problems in comparison to men. The underlying factors are social, economic, and personal issues. However, women talk about things more. Due to talking, they try to get their stress levels down. Women face issues like sexual harassment, poverty, problems at workplaces and due to medical conditions.
Mental Health Issues in Men?
Men have the colossal canvas to play. However, they fall prey to mental problems more at an early age than females. However, after a certain period, the men have lesser mental health issues.
Men have many coping mechanisms like healthy eating habits, regular exercise, busy schedules, achievements, friends gatherings, and social meetups. Still, it is observed that men die more out of suicide, which is not caused by depression. On the other hand, drugs are more common in men as compared to women.
Preventive Measures to Ensure Stability in Mental Health
Mental health stability is necessary to have in any person and society. Close look-up and observation are required to identify the individual and social factors affecting the mental health triggers.
Regular work is needed to prevent mental disorders and promote mental health worldwide. This work is not limited to the health sector of the country. However, every unit, as a family, extended family, and friends, is required to come close and talk about disturbing things together.
Supporting each other in demanding situations is required to promote mental health. To decrease suicides, drugs, and disorders.
Remedies in case of Mental Health Disorders
However, if any problem encounters. Proper health treatments, medications and supports are available all around the world. Doctors consultation and psychiatrists are available for help!
Stay vigilant about the importance of a person’s mental health, stability, and wellness. World Health Organisation WHO works closely internationally to bring awareness of the importance of mental health. That is why international world health day is observed each year.
