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Why is it important to understand mental health problems?
It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Mental ill-health can affect our friendships and relationships and make it hard to be around people, but it can also make it hard to be alone. When we’re alone we might find that we’re confronted with the thoughts and feelings that we’ve been trying to avoid or distract ourselves from. Mental illness does not discriminate; it can affect anyone regardless of your age, gender, geography, income, social status, race, ethnicity, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, background or other aspect of cultural identity. The Long-Term Effects of Untreated Mental Illness However, there are some commonalities. When mental illness is left untreated, it can lead to long-term issues with emotional stability, behavior regulation, relationship difficulties, substance abuse, and even physical illness. Most scientists believe that mental illnesses result from problems with the communication between neurons in the brain (neurotransmission). For example, the level of the neurotransmitter serotonin is lower in individuals who have depression. This finding led to the development of certain medications for the illness.
What is your understanding of mental health illness?
Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 1 in every 5 Americans is currently living with a mental illness. Of those, the three most common diagnoses are anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Personality disorders are some of the most difficult disorders to treat in psychiatry. This is mainly because people with personality disorders don’t think their behavior is problematic, so they don’t often seek treatment. It is possible to recover from mental health problems, and many people do – especially after accessing support. Your symptoms may return from time to time, but when you’ve discovered which self-care techniques and treatments work best for you, you’re more likely to feel confident in managing them.
What is the most important thing in mental health?
Ideally, it’s your mental toughness and ability to problem solve your way through anything life throws at you. Learning even a few new strategies or phrases can make or break your day. For example, take a moment and think about your morning routine. Pursuing a hobby, learning a new skill, volunteering or mentoring are additional ways to keep your mind sharp. The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain that will be involved in retaining the memory. Mentally tough people view obstacles as a challenge, not as a paralyzing event. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from and opportunities for growth. In other words, they embrace obstacles better than others because they lean in. The first step is recognizing you have a problem and that you need help to overcome it. That can be humbling, but it is a necessary step to overcome on the path to healing. The next step is reaching out for help.
Why is it called mental health?
In the post-WWII years, references to mental hygiene were gradually replaced by the term ‘mental health’ due to its positive aspect that evolves from the treatment of illness to preventive and promotive areas of healthcare. The terms “mental health” and “mental illness” are sometimes interchanged, but they differ in meaning. While mental health refers to anyone’s state of mental, emotional well-being, mental illnesses are diagnosed conditions that affect thoughts and behaviors. Without treatment, the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society are staggering. Untreated mental health conditions can result in unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, and suicide, and poor quality of life. Approximately eight million deaths each year are attributable to mental illness. This “mortality gap” between people with mental disorders and the general population has been increasing since before 1970, researchers say. Mental illnesses are brain-based conditions that affect thinking, emotions, and behaviors. Since we all have brains – having a mental health problem at some point during your life is common. Unlike other general physical illnesses, mental illnesses are related to problems that start in the brain. The brain is an organ.
What affects the mental health?
There are so many factors that have an impact on our mental health, including genetics, family history, childhood experiences — and even big societal issues like violence, discrimination or poverty. And how those factors affect us can change over time. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. 50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 3/4 begin by age 24. 50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 3/4 begin by age 24.