Mental Health
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There are three components to overall health. Physical which refers to the state of the body, the absence of disease. Nutrition, sleep, exercise, preventive care all affects physical health. The social aspect of health includes having healthy connectives and relationships with others. Emotional or mental health focuses on expressing and managing emotions, utilizing effective coping strategies and resilience.
It is important to remember that a person’s mental health can change over time, depending on many factors. When the demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping abilities, their mental health could be impacted. For example, if someone is working long hours, had a death in the family or broke up from a relationship, they may experience poor mental health.
Mental health is part of health. Mental health can also affect physical health Unfortunately, sometimes it is treated very different due to stigma. Stigma is the judgment associated with mental health issues like if you are strong or tough you will not struggle, or you can just snap out of it. Stigma might also mean fear of being seen as weak, incapable etc. This stigma often stops people from sharing their mental health concerns and getting help. If someone broke their arm, they would go to the doctor immediately they would not wait to get help but that’s often what happens with people and mental health concerns.
Mental health conditions are treatable. There are many different types of treatment available including individual, group and family counseling. Support groups with others who are having similar struggles. Evaluation and medication management can be helpful as some mental health conditions have a chemical imbalance. Art, music, animal assisted therapy can also be very beneficial.
There are screening tests that you can take to help decide if you are showing symptoms of a mental health condition. Click on the link below from the Mental Health Association to access some brief online screening tools. The information can help you talk to your physician or licensed mental health professional.
https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools?ref=MHAUlster
For more information on teen depression:https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/teen-depression/index.shtml
Source: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Warning-Signs-and-Symptoms
Warning Signs of Poor Mental Health
Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental illness isn't always easy. There's no easy test that can let someone know if there is mental illness or if actions and thoughts might be typical behaviors of a person or the result of a physical illness. Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:
Excessive worrying or fear
Feeling excessively sad or low
Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
Avoiding friends and social activities
Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)
Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)
Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
Thinking about suicide
Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance
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Warning Signs
Watch this short video from the National Alliance on Mental Illness for more information about warning signs.