Introduction
Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.
Mental health affects your mood, behavior and overall outlook on life.
Mental health is a broad term used to describe our mental, emotional and social wellbeing. People with good mental health feel good about themselves, their lives and the world around them. They are able to manage stress well, feel comfortable with who they are and have positive relationships with others. Some people can bounce back quickly after experiencing a stressful situation; others may need more time to process what happened before feeling better. Mental health includes our ability to think clearly, manage emotions, overcome challenges, make decisions and relate well to others.
Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, no matter what their age or background.
The truth is, mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, no matter what their age or background.
In fact, one in four people will experience a mental health problem during their lifetime and as many as one in five young people have a diagnosable disorder. But sadly only about half of those who need treatment receive it.
There are many types of mental illness.
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Depression: a type of mental illness that causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in things the person used to enjoy.
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Anxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease.
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Bipolar disorder: bipolar disorder is marked by alternating periods (episodes) of depression and mania. Mania is characterized by overly happy or irritable moods, high energy levels and an increase in activity level.
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Schizophrenia: a mental illness that causes people to lose touch with reality – hearing voices, seeing things and having strange beliefs about what’s happening around them are all signs that someone may have schizophrenia.
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Eating disorders: eating disorders are serious medical illnesses that involve problems with food including bingeing, purging and restricting food intake. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where you starve yourself even though you’re already thin; bulimia nervosa involves repeatedly binging on large amounts of food followed by vomiting or other ways to get rid of it; binge-eating disorder is when someone eats uncontrollably without purging afterward
On average, 1 in 5 adults will experience a mental health issue every year
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, at least 1 in 5 adults will experience a mental health issue every year. In addition, 1 in 5 children will also have a mental health disorder. This means that approximately 20% of all adults and children will have some form of a mental health issue during their lifetime.
According to NAMI's statistics:
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50% of all chronic illnesses are related to poor mental health or substance use disorders; * 90% of all suicides are due to untreated mental illness; * Mental illness is the leading cause of disabilities among Americans ages 15-44; * Approximately 18 million children under age 18 live with an adult who has serious psychological distress (SPD).
You can help someone else by being supportive and encouraging them to seek help and get treatment.
When you're thinking about reaching out to a friend or family member who may be struggling with mental health issues, here are some things to keep in mind:
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Listen. This is the most important thing you can do. Let them talk and ask questions as needed. If they're not ready to talk just yet, that's okay; just being there for them and showing that support is helpful in its own way.
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Be patient with their treatment plan (if they have one). It might take time for someone to find the right medication or therapy approach that works for them—and even then, it may not be perfect forever! So if your friend isn't seeing results as quickly as you'd like them too—or if their treatment plan isn't working at all—don't judge them for it! Instead of telling your friend what they should be doing differently or criticizing their choice(s), try offering up some suggestions on where else they could look into getting help instead (e.g., "What other therapists have been suggested by people in our community? We have time today; let's go visit some places together").
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Never tell someone who is struggling with mental health issues that they should be stronger than they think they are; don't belittle their emotions either ("You're sad/anxious/depressed because of this situation? Well boo hoo!"). You probably wouldn’t ever say these things directly anyway, but sometimes people imply things through actions without realizing it—such as walking away when someone starts crying about something sad happening in their life instead of comforting them by listening patiently until he or she stops crying before leaving those around her alone again after taking care of herself first so others don't feel obligated
There are many types of mental illness
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Substance abuse disorders
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Schizophrenia, Tourette's Syndrome, and other brain disorders
You may have heard of some other mental illnesses. It's important to know that there are many types of mental illness, and each one is unique. To find out if you have a particular type of mental illness, talk to your doctor or another healthcare professional as soon as possible
Mental illnesses are serious disorders that affect the mind and body.
Mental illnesses are serious disorders that affect the mind and body.
They are associated with changes in thinking, mood, or behavior.
Mental illnesses can be treated and managed effectively with therapy, medication, lifestyle changes and support from family members.
Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. current research suggests that depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
Depression is a mental illness. Depression can be caused by a combination of factors, including:
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Genetic predisposition to depression
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Stressful life events
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Biological changes in the brain that cause negative thinking cycles and low moods (like decreased serotonin levels)
External factors such as physical injury or trauma are known to cause depression in certain individuals.
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It's important to be open about your feelings with family and friends if you have depression.
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Talk to your family and friends. If you are feeling depressed, it's important to be open about your feelings with family and friends. They can provide a great support system for you during this time.
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Speak with a professional. You can also speak with a therapist, who specializes in helping people deal with mental health issues such as depression.
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Talk to a doctor about medication for depression or anxiety if necessary
Depressed people often have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, but oversleeping is also a symptom — especially if you're a teenager.
Depression can make you feel tired, but that doesn't mean you should sleep more than usual. Insomnia is also a symptom, especially if you're a teenager. Depression can cause trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, but oversleeping is also a common problem — and it's an especially big deal when you're young.
If you're depressed, it's likely that your body will want to stay in bed all day long. You may not want to eat; your concentration may be off; and even though being active might help with some of these symptoms (like making sure that you get enough rest), depression makes it hard for many people to get out of bed in the morning (or even just motivate themselves). This makes sense because depression affects how we think about ourselves and our lives: It can make us feel guilty, hopeless or worthless; irritable; and generally unhappy with ourselves on a regular basis. These feelings keep us from getting up in the morning because we don't see any point in doing so — and sleeping through them seems like an easy solution at first glance!
You should know what is affecting you mentally so that you can fix it and live healthier
Mental health is important because it affects your mood, behavior, and outlook on life.
It's not a weakness. It's not a choice. And it's not a disease. Mental illness is an umbrella term for many different types of disorders that affect the brain, including anxiety disorders like phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychological problems like eating disorders.
Conclusion
It is important to remember that mental health is something we can all work on and improve. You should know what is affecting you mentally so that you can fix it and live healthier lives. There are many types of mental illness, but they all take the same approach: talk about them openly with others who understand what it's like, seek treatment from a trained professional and get help when needed."