let's be aware

 

                                           Let’s be aware

 

Sometimes we come across situations in our daily life where we find ourselves, our family members, or other people we surround ourselves with, going through something we just cannot understand. Why are they showing such kind of behavior?  Is it just for time being or will it continue indefinitely? Should we consult a doctor or will it just go away?

Everyone knows that they have to take a painkiller when suffering from a headache. So why don’t we know what to do with our children when they retreat into themselves, get depressed, or get aggressive for no reason.

It is because most people are not aware of it. And even if they know, they do not consider it as important as physical health. Then there is the social stigma. We may have been reaching new heights in science and technology every day, but we still cannot discuss certain issues in our society freely. One of those issues is mental health. This is seen today, in people of all ages. Here, I am mainly going to focus on the youth of our generation that is suffering from the same. The different mental health problems, how can they be cured and how can you help the person suffering from such issues.

It is estimated globally that 10-20 percent of youth face mental health concerns, but somehow it remains difficult to diagnose and undertreated much of the time. For several reasons, signs of poor mental health are neglected, such as with a lack of knowledge or awareness of mental health among health workers and also the stigma that keeps them from seeking help.

If we talk about what causes mental health issues in the youth they may be anxiety, the stress in youth like social stress, isolation, or substance abuse,  Or trauma (emotional, sexual, or physical abuse).

 

 

 

 

  Although it is often assumed that young people are more carefree than adults, their lives are full of emotional ups and downs. This is hugely evident in the statistics regarding youth mental health, with as many as one out of every five adolescents and teenagers meeting the criteria for a diagnosable mental health issue.  Additionally, 50% of all lifetime cases of mental health issues will develop by age 14, and 75% by age 24. The most common mental health disorders in adolescents and teens fall into the categories of anxiety disorders, stress-related disorders, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, and disruptive-behavioural disorders (i.e. – attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or oppositional defiant disorder).

ANXIETY DISORDER

Anxiety is a normal emotion. It’s our brain’s way of reacting to stress and alerting our self’s of potential danger ahead. Occasional anxiety is OK. But anxiety disorders are different. They’re a group of mental illnesses that cause constant and overwhelming anxiety and fear.  Excessive anxiety can make you avoid work, school, family get-togethers, and other social situations that might trigger or worsen your symptoms. With treatment, many people with anxiety disorders can manage their feelings.

Some of the symptoms are:

·         Physical Symptoms (Light-headedness, Sweating, Nausea, Feeling edgy and/or restless, Shortness of breath, Diarrhea, Getting easily fatigued)

·         Anxious Thoughts (Believing the worst will happen, Persistent worry, All-or-nothing thinking, Over generalizing (making overall assumptions based on a single event)

·         Anxious Behaviours (Avoidance of feared situations or events, Seeking reassurance, Second-guessing, Irritability, and frustration in feared situations, Compulsive actions (like washing hands over and over)

We can help individuals to cope up with anxiety by:

·         Understand differences in how anxiety manifests

·         Find ways to make use of any insight they have into their anxiety

·         Help someone anxious to temper their thinking

·         Offer support, but don’t take over

·         If someone has a more serious anxiety problem, avoid stigmatizing them

 

 

MOOD DISORDER

A mood disorder is a mental health problem that primarily affects a person’s emotional state. It is a disorder in which a person experiences long periods of extreme happiness, extreme sadness, or both. Two of the most common mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder.

Depression may be described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities. People experience depression in different ways. It may interfere with your daily work, resulting in lost time and lower productivity. It can also influence relationships and some chronic health conditions.

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness marked by extreme shifts in mood. Symptoms can include an extremely elevated mood called mania. They can also include episodes of depression.

Many factors contribute to mood disorders. They are likely caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals. Life events (such as stressful life changes) may also contribute to a depressed mood.

We can help a person with a mood disorder by Giving them unconditional love and support—offer reassurance and hope for the future. We should encourage them to get professional help.

 

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental condition that creates frequent repetitive thoughts or feelings (obsessions) or the compulsion to do something again and again. Both obsessions and compulsions can be seen by certain individuals.

Although it’s not known what causes OCD some known factors are genetic, biological/neurological, life changes, behavioral factors, personal experience.

It has been found that therapy for OCD is highly successful, and most patients receiving treatment recover entirely. Treatments vary from a combination of medicines and treatments, depending on the nature of OCD.

It is important to openly convey that you understand the difference between the behavioral symptoms of OCD and the individual:' I know that this is not you, this is your OCD.' This will help alleviate the feelings of shame and low self-worth of the person and reduce their stress and anxiety levels.

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candour, and more unashamed conversation.”