Skip to main content

Undestanding Mental Health


Most of the times, mental health is confused with mental illness, since historically, mental health services were provided only for mental disorders like Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Anorexia.

Mental health is still misunderstood by many people, and it is still considered taboo in many parts of the world. To remove this social stigma is to talk about it and educate people about mental health.

Our brain is the most complex organ in the whole human body and much like the other organs, it can have problems too. Issues related to our psychological and cognitive functioning are classified under mental health. The term 'Mental Health' encompasses mental wellbeing and mental illness.

Problems with our mental health are very common and can range from mild stress to severe depression. Most of the times, the issues are not very significant and can be managed with a little bit of effort.

The first step towards educating ourselves is acknowledging the fact that mental illnesses are real and an answer like "If you're depressed, just get happy" doesn't work. It's much more complicated than that. Just like physical illnesses, mental health problems are very real and often more common than physical illnesses. And these problems seem to have grown substantially in the last century. Just loneliness has gone up by 300% in the last decade.

Mental health problems can generally be hard to diagnose by yourself, but a few signs to look out for are:

  • excessive worrying
  • feeling sad almost every day
  • Confusion 
  • Lack of focus
  • Extreme mood swings
There can be more "substantial" symptoms, but it is best to talk about it with your doctor if you think you have one or more of these symptoms. If you think you don't have anyone to talk to, contact us at
Betterfe

In the upcoming weeks, we'll go have a more in-depth look at different kinds of mental health issues and how we can resolve them. We'll also be posting stories from individuals who have overcome mental health problems. You can submit your story to inspire others here

Have a great day, and remember,

You're not alone.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Understanding OCD

OCD is a mental health disorder that affects people from all walks of life, irrespective of age or history with mental health, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease his or her distress. Most people have obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors at some point in their lives, but that does not mean that we all have “some OCD.” In order for a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive disorder to be made, this cycle of obsessions and compulsions becomes so extreme that it consumes a lot of time and gets in the way of everyday life. Obsessions are thoughts, images, or impulses that go through a person's head involuntary. The person often finds them disturbing and they are incapable of controlling them. Obsessions are typically acc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Understanding PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)  is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape, or other violent personal assault. It has been known by various other names over the years such as Shell Shock or Combat Fatigue, and it was observed mostly in folks who had been to war. But today, it is one of the most common mental health problems for the general Populus.  People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experiences that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear, or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people. People with PTSD may avoid situations or people that remind them of the traumatic event, and they may have strong negative reactions to something as ordinary as a loud noise or an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Understanding Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, sometimes referred to as multiple personality disorder, is a chronic mental health condition that affects about 3/1000 people in India. Although rare, the condition can severely deteriorate the quality of life of the individual experiencing it.  When schizophrenia is active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking, and lack of motivation. However, with treatment, most symptoms of schizophrenia will greatly improve and the likelihood of a recurrence can be diminished. While there is no cure for schizophrenia, research is leading to innovative and safer treatments. Experts also are unraveling the causes of the disease by studying genetics, conducting behavioral research, and using advanced imaging to look at the brain’s structure and function. These approaches hold the promise of new, and more effective therapies. The complexity of schizophrenia may help explain why there are misconceptions about the disease....
Post a Comment
Read more