Know The Signs and Be Prepared… With Mental Health
Mental health has become a growing concern in today’s day and age. With so many people under the influence of a spectrum of mental illnesses, it’s become clear that mental problems are no longer an issue that affects people on a small scale, rather it has become a problem for humans all around the planet.
According to a survey done by the World Health Organization(WHO) around 450 million people suffer from mental illnesses in the world at the present moment. In the US alone around 46.4 percent of adults will experience mental health related issues in their lifetimes. This means that one in four people suffer from some sort of mental issue or neurological problem at some point in their lives.
With statistics showing such great numbers, it’s no surprise that mental health has become the leading source of dysfunction for a huge group of people. In the US alone, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death per year and the 2nd leading cause of death for people aged between 10–34. With stress being related to the development of cardiovascular issues and other health concerns, Depression and anxiety along with other issues also promote all sorts of physical problems in the body. In short, depression has become one of the leading causes of forms disability worldwide.
You are Not Alone.
The good news is that you are not alone, almost all sorts of mental issues are treatable and you can improve significantly. If your concerns are too great and affect your family, work or relationship then you should definitely seek help. Whether it’s you who’s dealing or someone else you know, no one should have to through this alone.
Sadly, less than 30% of the people suffering from depression and mental health seek help, others either aren’t aware that there’s help or don’t consider themselves to be treatable, which is inaccurate and wrong. Remember that depression is an issue that can be fixed, many people who seek help drastically improve their lives and thinking states, and surely you can too.
Common forms of mental concerns:
There’s a spectrum of mental illnesses out there including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, panic attacks Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, substance abuse issues, and many more. Below we shall discuss depression as it’s the most common issue faced by most people. After you’ve identified the symptoms we’ll go towards treating them and improving your condition.
Mood disorders and Depression:
You may feel happiness or sadness at extremes, one moment you’re really happy and the next you’re going downhill into a depressive spiral. Depression is the most common and well-known type of mental problem in the world. It is important that you identify and differentiate depression from sadness because both may seem identical in their nature but require different approaches for treatment.
Symptoms of depression might include:
● A hopeless outlook on life, you don’t think that things are going to get better and you are going to improve, instead, you feel hopeless and see no improvement for yourself. For making mistakes you over scrutinize yourself with sentences like “It’s all my fault”.
● You feel worthless and see no point in trying. You think thoughts like “what’s even the point in all of this?” etc.
● Loss of interest in things you once loved but now you just can’t seem to work on anything. You feel no motivation to indulge in hobbies you once enjoyed. You even feel disinterested in sex and other pleasures.
● You have concentration problems and you cannot seem to focus on anything, like work or studies. You may even lose track of a conversation because of how disorganized your mind is. You may go on a train of thoughts that you hate for no reason and feel no control over your focus.
● You have uncontrollable emotions, you feel really sad. Your negative emotions become unbearable for you and you cannot seem to focus on improving your thoughts. You might get really frustrated or angry and cry uncontrollably.
● You are tired and restless all the time, you have sleep issues. Either you sleep too little or too more and you can’t seem to feel energized even after you’ve slept the whole night
● You have suicidal and recurrent thoughts of death. All the hopelessness and worthlessness can make it feel like there’s nothing left to live anymore and you might think about ending it and have too many thoughts about death which is never a good sign.
Causes:
Reasons for being depressed may vary from person to person depending on their life circumstances, here are a few common reasons as to why people might feel depressed. Stated below are some of the common reasons why people get depressed:
● There is a good chance that going through traumatic experiences can lead to depression later in life. Physical, sexual or emotional abuse earlier in childhood, neglectful or aggressive behavior on the part of parents, unstable families with issues, stress due to financial problems, or loss of some loved one close to you — all these forms of traumatic experiences can cause depression.
● Loss of a job or a sudden shock such as ending a relationship, moving from one place to another, getting married, being sexually or physically assaulted, or being bullied can also cause short term and long term depression.
● Physical health problems like chronic illnesses that pose a threat to life. Illnesses or injuries that drastically change the way you live and other physical problems can cause depression.
● Depression could also be a genetic inheritance if your father, mother or other people in the family suffer from depression than your depression might be inherited.
● Being influenced by alcohol, drugs or certain medications can also cause chemical imbalances in your brain which leads you towards depression.
● Bad lifestyle routines such as sleeping too little, no exercise, bad diet, and substance abuse can also lead to depression.
Ways you can improve your mental health:
These problems can seem pretty daunting and troublesome at first, but fortunately, there are many ways you can use to improve yourself and live a better life, below we’ll discuss some effective methods you can start using to see significant results:
Isolation and inactivity are one of the biggest catalysts of depression. The more alone and inactive you stay, the more negative thoughts you process and the more miserable you feel. The best approach to tackle this is to spend your free time outdoors pursuing some activity. Join a group like a sports group or indulge in some hobbies like playing sports or video games with your friends, so you stay occupied. You could also read books or start making pottery — Just do whatever you enjoy and makes you feel better so your mind stays occupied and your isolation doesn’t fuel your depression. UCAN Outdoor is a great resource for outdoor blog and activity. Submit your own thoughts, interact, and get some tips.
2. Reach out to people close to you for support:
Keeping your thoughts all to yourself for a long time can create dangerous concoctions in your mind. One negative thought leads to another and that to another, eventually leading to thinking that’s depressing. Sharing your problems with close friends can prove to be really beneficial, especially to remind how illogical our thoughts are sometimes and how almost everyone goes through the same stuff you do. You will not only feel a lot better but they’ll also help you in hard times.
3. Improve thinking and look out for negative thoughts:
Start observing your thinking. Try to stay mindful of your thought process all the time and see when things are going too far or are becoming illogical. Mostly you will see that depression and anxiety are caused by illogical thinking patterns.
Start reading self-improvement books that teach you how to think better and how to tackle problems in your life. Being influenced by experienced authors will not only change your thinking but give you better ways to handle hardships.
Below are a few distorted forms of thinking you should look out for when it comes to depression and anxiety so you detect and improve them the moment you see them:
● All or nothing thinking, you take small things too far, for even small mistakes you start thinking you are a complete failure. You overexaggerate your mistakes and make them bigger than they are. You should realize that making mistakes and failures are a part of life and happen to the best of us. You are not a failure but these are temporary setbacks everyone faces.
● You overgeneralize things, after one mishap you think that things are never going to get better. You use words “never’’ and “always” too much. One failed an exam and you consider yourself to be a failure your whole life. You should look for such bold claims and really asses your situation to see if it’s even logical. Mostly you’ll find that your thoughts are completely illogical and stupid.
● You ignore the positive in life and only focus on the negative things. You never feel grateful for the good things you have like parents, food and a good place to sleep every night. You will start to notice that you have many blessings and positive things in life you can go to. It could be a good friend, financial security, a healthy body, good clothes, etc. Never discount the positive in life. You will feel a lot better with what you have.
● Jumping to conclusions without looking at the whole picture. Thinking that getting this exact job is very important and feeling you’d be worthless if you fail at this. In reality, there are many better opportunities than that particular job or person you could try and things can always be better. Never jump to conclusions beforehand because no one knows how the future unfolds.
● Blaming yourself or a person for a bad thing. There are always multiple factors as to why things happen and there are things you can control and things you can’t, so never blame yourself or another person entirely for something. You will see that there are many factors that play and it’s not entirely yours or someone else’s fault.
● Magnifying events out of proportion can become a habit when you’re depressed. You treat a simple setback with too much emotional importance and start feeling depressed. You need to start assessing your thinking and see what’s worth bothering and what’s not. You will see a significant improvement with time.
4. Exercise and eat healthy:
Pay special attention to any medication you take or your substance use. Too much alcohol and drugs can also negatively impact your chemical balances in the body which can cause you to get depressed at times.
Exercising can also increase your levels of happiness, when you exercise or indulge in physical activities your body releases hormones called endorphins. This can also have long-term benefits for your depression. Exercising in regular intervals encourages your brain to rewire itself in a positive manner. It also helps to stay active by going outdoors. You don’t need to run marathons, you can join gyms if you like or even walking for a few minutes daily also shows good improvement in your mood and the way you feel. So make sure you exercise daily for maximum benefits.
5. Seek professional help:
Seeking a professional therapist to battle depression can be one of the most effective decisions you take to tackle depression. Practitioners (social worker, counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.) are well-practiced in their craft and can help you using techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medications (psychiatry and only if chronic/clinical). Sometimes, your issue is more of a medical problem than a psychological problem and taking medications can drastically improve your mental well-being. Don’t take this lightly if you have serious issues, especially if you have any suicidal thoughts you should seek a professional as soon as possible.
Conclusion:
Depression can be a real bother but fortunately, there’s always help and you can always improve no matter how bad you think your condition is. Always seek help from loved ones and even professionals if you think you have to. With time you will see a significant improvement which will make your life healthier and better.
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References
American Psychiatric Association. (2019). What is depression? Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
Gilbert, P. (2016). Depression: the evolution of powerlessness. Routledge.
Math Apps LLC. (2019). The effects of depression on the body. Retrieved from https://mathappsllc.com/bznbwi/19hmfj5l5v0u/
UCAN Outdoor. (2019). Blogs. Retrieved from ucanoutdoor.com
