Mental health can be described as a person’s state of mind or psychological well-being. Stress, traumatic events, socioeconomic factors, substance abuse, physical illness, and chemical imbalance can all influence a person’s mental health. When mental health is impaired, whether mild or severe, it can affect one’s mood, thoughts, daily activities, and relationships. Mental health issues can manifest in conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, addictive behaviors, neurosis, and psychosis.
Everyone deserves a happy and fulfilling life and having an untreated mental illness can rob you of that. Having a mental health issue may seem scary, and overwhelming making you feel vulnerable, guilty, and ashamed. But mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of and should be viewed as any other ailment of the body that needs treatment and healing. If you or a loved one notice abnormal changes in one’s mood, thoughts and behavior, it is important to seek help as soon as possible.
Some of these changes can present in the form of anxiety, changes in appetite and sleep, sadness, hopelessness, withdrawal from friends and family, poor concentration, mood swings, loss of interest in things you once enjoyed, paranoia, hallucination, or delusions. Untreated severe mental illness can be compared to a tornado destroying everything in its path, things that you hold near and dear, escalating to situations involving relationship abandonment, unemployment, homelessness, imprisonment, and even death.
Your mental health matters and there are many resources currently available to you or your loved one. Mental health issues can be treated with individual therapy, support groups; medication, or in combination but the main step is getting assessed by a Mental health professional who can give you the appropriate treatment you need.
You can start by talking to your primary care physician, calling a mental health hotline, doing an online search for a mental health provider, or calling a hospital. You can even call your insurance company for a referral. It is also beneficial to have a trusted friend or loved one who is supportive and willing to help you on your mental health journey. It is difficult to go it alone.
Getting the help you need is instrumental in restoring health, rebuilding relationships, and pursuing your dreams.
Take control of your mental health, because you matter!