I remember when mental health wasn’t even talked about by the average person. If someone was irritable or having a bad day or week, I remember hearing words like, cheer up and get over it. Or, it’s probably just your monthly female thing, it will pass. People either refused to acknowledge the problems of mental illnesses or they just didn’t realize how serious it could be.
I’m sure that many of you have read or heard about the different sanitariums across the United States that were shut down many years ago. Some of them were started with good intentions to help the mentally ill, but then ended up as a place to house them and forget about them. But today, there is so much more shared knowledge about mental health and mental illness that we have benefited from it. So, a person who mentions their mental health is not going to be shipped off and forgot about. They will be guided toward what is suitable for them.
Did you know that in the United States alone, millions of people each year struggle with some form of mental illness? And this has been going on for a long time now. It is not something to be ashamed of either. Mental illness and mental health go hand in hand. Some of you might have great mental health and that’s good. But many may need some help with feeling better.
The words mental health isn’t as scary as it used to be either. Mental health is considered the state of mental well-being. That is, how we as people handle life and the stresses that come with it. Now of course there are many mental illnesses that can affect people in different ways. But again, we now have better trained professionals to talk to and help us with humane treatments. Treatments such as, proper medications meant for the specific mental illnesses. Therapy sessions, either one one or with a group. And classes to learn specific skills for coping. It couldn’t hurt to learn more about ourselves mentally, right?
Also, did you know that many of our youth from ages 6-17 struggle with some form of mental illness? Just think about it. A child at the age of six has had something traumatic happen in their life which most generally is the cause for mental illness. Some parents might think that their child is just acting out for attention when it could be from something much more serious. Children are being bullied or they are the bully. Look into it, something more serious could be happening there. Teenagers hormones and emotions are intense at that age but watch for signs of mental illness.
So, what are some signs of mental illness now? Here is a basic list.
Extreme mood changes.
Irritability and anger that seems prolonged.
Poor concentration and confused thinking or learning.
Changes in eating habits and sleep patterns.
Feeling sad or low for weeks at a time.
Avoiding family and friends.
Loss of interest in usual activities.
Drastic changes in appearance.
Might seem delusional.
Inability to handle stress or daily problems.
Drug or alcohol abuse.
Frequent nightmares.
More behavioral outbursts and problems.
The list could go on but you get the idea.
Our mental health is important and nowadays we can find the help if needed. There are some organizations out there like Nami that will assist you in finding the help that you might want. Some locations even offer support groups. Some places of employment now offer programs for mental health support. So, don’t feel bad if you are feeling bad, It’s okay. But get the help that you or your loved one might need. You are not alone even if you might feel like it at the time.
I wrote this post as a reminder and a refresher that everyone needs help sometimes. We are only human and life gets tough. Just don’t give up and do your best. Until next time, stay strong and God bless.