“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”
Mental health is an important aspect of one's overall well-being. It is a state of well-being in which a person recognizes their own abilities. Ideally, one should be able to cope with everyday challenges, work productively and contribute to their society. Being in a good mental state boosts productivity and effectiveness in activities such as work, school and caregiving. It helps us adjust to changes in our life and manage hardships.
It isn’t possible to constantly be in a positive mental state. The pandemic, specifically, affected people’s mental health negatively. Most of us have gone through or are going through mental struggles.
It is important to know that seeking therapy while going through these tough times isn’t a bad thing. Just like we need to approach a doctor if we have problems with our physical health, going to therapy while facing mental struggles or having mental illnesses is crucial too.
Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. Mental illnesses include but are not limited to depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, and developmental disorders including autism.
It isn’t possible for everyone to properly get diagnosed due to several personal reasons. If you feel like your mental health is deteriorating, the internet is a good place to start researching about mental illnesses (make sure your sources are trustable though!). If you heavily relate to the symptoms of a particular illness, there is no harm in getting tested for it if possible. If not, there are several online therapy websites which provide therapy for free and are trustable, such as ‘Talk To Therapist’, ‘Dr. Safe Hands’, ‘Therapize India’ and more.
We often do not realize that our mental health is deteriorating, being caught up in our lives.
Some symptoms are:
feeling sad or down
confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
extreme mood changes of highs and lows
withdrawal from friends and activities
significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
inability to cope with daily problems or stress
trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
problems with alcohol or drug use
major changes in eating habits
excessive anger, hostility or violence
suicidal thinking
physical problems, such as stomach pain, back pain, headaches, or other unexplained aches and pains
Some tips to have a positive mental state are:
keeping a positive attitude
staying physically active
helping other people
getting enough sleep
eating a healthy diet
asking for professional help with your mental health if you need it
socializing with people whom you enjoy spending time with
forming and using effective coping skills to deal with your problems
Thank you for reading through, we hope you have a great day ahead!
Author: Ashi Bansal
Edited: Aanya Arora
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