MENTAL DISORDERS
By OMODELE Goodness
While the first thing that may come to the mind of many people when they hear the word mental health is insanity or depression, mental health goes way beyond that.
As stated by Wikipedia, mental health involves the emotional, psychological, and social well-being that influences an individual’s perception and behaviour. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. It is a broader state of well-being that includes an individual's ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.
Some early signs related to mental health difficulties are sleep irritation, lack of energy, lack of appetite, thinking of harming oneself or others, and self-isolating (though introversion and isolation are not necessarily unhealthy), as well as frequently zoning out.
Types of Mental Disorders
Mental disorders are conditions that affect a person's reasoning and behaviours. They also affect emotions and how they are regulated.
Some of the common mental disorders are as follows:
Anxiety Disorders: These are characterized by consistent and excessive fear and worry that interfere with daily activities. Examples are Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), social phobia, etc.
Personality Disorders: These are conditions that affect an individual’s thinking and result in difficulty in interacting with others and managing one’s emotions. They include borderline, antisocial, and narcissistic personality disorders, etc.
Eating Disorders: Usually characterized by abnormal eating behaviour such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, etc.
Substance Use Disorders: This involves excessive use of alcohol, opioids, stimulants, etc.
Mood Disorders: Characterized by disturbances in mood and energy such as Depression and Bipolar Disorder, etc.
Other disorders include psychotic disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, disruptive disorders, etc.
Mental disorders or ill mental health present themselves with various symptoms, whether subtle or obvious. Some of the symptoms/signs include:
Withdrawal from friends and family
Avoiding activities one once enjoyed
Sleeping too much or too little
Eating less or more than usual
Confusion
Delusion
Consistent thoughts
Feelings of hopelessness
Low performance and productivity
Sudden aggressive behaviour
Suicidal thoughts, etc.
The causes of mental disorders rely on different factors that include age, genetics, stress, and poor living conditions. It is important to carry out actions that can help improve mental health and reduce the risk of having or aggravating mental disorders.
Some Ways to Improve Mental Health
Staying Optimistic: Having a positive outlook on life in the face of whatever is going on is a great way to protect the state of one’s mind. Holding on to positive emotions longer and taking a break from things that bring negative information such as gossip, bad news, or negative energy is also helpful in staying optimistic.
Journal Your Gratefulness: Another way to improve mental health is to find reasons and things to be thankful for and journal them down for future reference. This includes both small and big wins, an answered prayer, a lesson learnt, or the presence of someone special in your life.
Eat Well, Exercise, and Rest: Eating well, engaging in physical exercise, and getting enough sleep are crucial to preserving mental health.
Connect with People Who Care: It can be tempting to avoid the whole world when feelings of sadness or overwhelm take over, but staying around people who care and voicing out your feelings improves the state of the mind. It is also necessary to take a break from distractions and noise to recharge and refresh the body in meditation and prayers.
Beyond all mentioned here, recognizing when you need help or feel down is the first step to improving mental health.
.png)