Mind Your Mental Health
Mental Health > Mind Your Mental Health
IMost people take mental health for granted. They walk around under complete control over their emotions for the most part. They have healthy relationships with friends and family. They enjoy their lives.
Sure, they have bad moods every once in a while. Work may stress them out and ruin their day. They could have fights with their spouse or their parents. And they may even have those Blue Mondays when nothing seems to lift their spirits.
On the other hand, people who don’t enjoy mental health experience a far different kind of life. They seem to not have control over their emotions, even their thoughts. Their relationships are constantly frazzled, or nonexistent. And every day seems like a Blue Monday.
These people face a challenge just to get out of bed and head to work. Facing a crowd of people at the bus stop or in the office can seem impossible. Thoughts of harming oneself or others may even cross their minds.
The Sad Stigma
Throughout history, people who suffer from poor mental health have been regarded with fear, anger, and even hatred. Depression has been seen as a weakness. Anxiety has been seen as an excuse. Schizophrenia has been
The sad truth is that mental illnesses such as these are just that—illnesses. The people who suffer them generally have no control over their behavior or their thoughts and their emotions.
In many cases, it’s an actual physical cause, such as chemical imbalances in their brain, that bring on the mental illness. These conditions, like heart disease or cancer risk, can be passed down in families from one generation to the next.
Thanks to brave doctors, researchers, and mental health patients, these truths are being spotlighting. Mental health sufferers no longer have to remain in hiding. They can seek treatment without fear of being stigmatized or institutionalized.
A Proactive Approach to Peace of Mind
Many of us may know a relative or friend who suffer from mental illness, but we may not think we need any help with mental health ourselves. Though we may not have the chemical imbalances that can lead to serious mental problems, we do face the day-to-day stresses that can harm our mental
Take anger for instance. In today’s results driven, hectic business world, we are faced with constant pressure to succeed, to outperform our neighbors, and to come out on top.
It may be gratifying to win. But all of this stress can have a side effect on our personality: anger. You may not even know you have anger issues at first. Just like the stress that caused it, the anger can build up inside you until it has taken over your personality.
Not you, you say? Ask yourself these questions before you are so sure. Have you been increasingly impatient and irritable, even with loved ones? Do you take unnecessary risks, like drinking excessively or doing drugs? If so, you may have anger issues that need to be worked through.
Of course, anger could be just one emotion that is at the heart of your emotional problems. You be sad or frustrated about an unlikely turn of events in your life. You could feel helpless in the face of crisis, or overly confounded by life changes, such as marriage or children.
Whatever the root of your problems, you need to unearth it. Be honest with yourself about the direction of your life. Are you happy with it? What makes you unhappy about it? What could frustrate you with your life? Or infuriate you?
Sometimes, people need professional help to get to the bottom of the mental health issues. But remember. Just because you visit a psychologist or a psychiatrist doesn’t necessarily mean you have a mental disorder.
One on one counseling, support groups, and doctors help all sorts of people—moms, dads, cousins, sisters, friends, and neighbors. You may only need to visit a therapist once. Or you may enjoy it enough to attend session for years.
No therapy at all may be for you. In that case, you could expand your emotional and mental health horizons by taking up your old hobby again. Burn off some steam at the track or in the gym. Or start writing a journal to vent some of your frustrations or anger. There are many ways to release stress and cope with negative emotions that are positive.