Mental Health Awarness
‘What mental health need is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation.’ –Glenn Close
Whenever we feel sick we go to the doctor and seek help. Similarly, we can also be sick mentally, and seeking help is important in this case too. Mental health is about looking after our emotions and feelings. There are certain misconceptions, stigmas attached to mental health. It is often thought that it’s impossible to get rid of mental health. But what you actually need is the right people to seek help.
Problems around mental health awareness:
Many people around the world are facing mental health issues but failing to get them fixed. They chose to remain silent or fail to understand what’s happening. The possible reasons for them remaining silent are mainly due to the stigma attached to mental illness, and discrimination in their social spaces. They are often called absurd names which further aggravates their condition. The mental problems cause disturbances in thinking patterns, social behavior, energy levels, and emotions. Often individuals lead toward suicidal and homicidal tendencies.
What is meant by mental health?
Mental Health is the psychological and social well-being of individuals. Mental Health is as important as the physical health of people. They are two equally important components of the overall health status of individuals. We should be aware and supportive of the people around us as mental illness is not physically expressed.
Often physical and mental health conditions are interrelated. The presence of chronic illnesses like diabetes, and cancer can trigger certain anxiety disorders and depressive episodes. Similarly, the presence of bipolar disorders and anxiety disorders can lead to stress that can be translated into diabetes and certain heart conditions.
What is a mental illness exactly?
A mental illness is an illness of the brain. Despite being physically healthy a person can be mentally ill. These mental illnesses cause disturbances in thinking, improper emotional and energy levels and problems in social interactions.
The most likely causes of mental illnesses can be genetics, traumatic life experiences, brain injuries, or any prevailing medical condition like cardiac problems or cancer.
According to the World Health Organization(WHO), the most common anxiety disorders are:
- Bipolar Disorder: It is also called a manic-depressive disorder. It is characterized by overly excited and depressive episodes.
- Depression: It is characterized by persistent depressive behavior.
- Anxiety: Anxiety is the state of overwhelming fear that rule life. Often involve panic attacks and phobias.
- Substance-use disorders.
How to promote mental Health Awareness?
- Stigma Reduction:
The reduction of stigma associated is a term a reduction of the mark of disgrace attached to mental health issues. People need to talk about their mental problems and seek professional medical help. Education is the key in this regard. Making people talk about their mental health issues would get them out of these disorders and improve their overall social life.
- Instill a sense of support
The support, respect, and acceptance from the people around is the most important step toward the cure.
- Advocacy:
There is a dire need for joint efforts of leaders and organizations to work together regarding mental wellness. One of the commendable efforts is the passage of the mental health parity act in Georgia in 2022 ensuring state-enforced parity in insurance coverage for mental health care. The act will help Georgians access affordable mental health and substance use disorder treatment for themselves and their children through health insurance plans together with physical health.
- Behavioral Health Services at school:
As there is no age for being hostage to mental illness, there should be school-based mental health services and support systems at schools. It should be the responsibility of the educational instructor that together with imparting knowledge to children, he/she also keep an eye on the behavioral activities of the children.
- Support through media:
Special training sessions should be conducted for spreading sensitive education about mental health and stipends should be assigned to journalists for mental health awareness and campaigns.
