Mental Health Awareness Day
It is a state of well being where an individual realizes his or her behavioral and emotional self. It defines the capacity to live and have a creative life and the flexibility to deal with life’s inevitable challenges. Pieces of evidence from WHO suggest that nearly half of the world’s population is affected by mental illness with the impact on their self-esteem, relationships and ability to function in everyday life.
To raise awareness on mental health education at global level, World Mental Health Day is observed on 10th October every year.In 2019, the World Mental Health Foundation (WFMH) decided to make “suicide prevention” the World Mental Health Day’s main theme.
According to the WHO, suicide kills more than 800,000 people a year, making it the leading cause of death for people between the ages of fifteen and twenty nine.
There are three components of mental health:
EMOTIONAL–
It can certainly damage one’s physical health too. Research also tells that people who lack emotional expression are inclined to anti-social behaviors like drugs, alcohol abuse, physical fights and vandalism which is a direct reflection of their mental health and suppressed emotions. For a good emotional health, one needs to include happiness, interest in life and satisfaction.
SOCIAL–
Positive functionality and having something to contribute to society like feeling a part of society and also believing that society is becoming a better place for all people and that way that social work makes sense to them.
PSYCHOLOGICAL-
It includes liking most parts of once own personality, being good at managing responsibilities of daily life, having good relationships, satisfied with one’s own life.
Types of mental illness:
There are various types of disorders seen in various age groups. Some of them are anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, OCD where others are listed as mood disorders in which it can lead to major depression, bipolar disorder, persistent depressive disorder and lastly schizophrenia disorder. These are basically due to stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, death of a loved one, suicidal thoughts, grief, addiction, ADHD, SELF HARM AND VARIOUS other MOOD SWINGS. Anxiety and depression also fall when a person looks him or her believing that they are a burden to others, canceling plans the last minute, having an outburst over something that others may consider it small, frequent crying and mood swings, isolating from others and also brings in disability for the later stages.
The mental health illness concept is not merely a disease but imperfect functioning. Mental illness not only affects the person alone but the people around ,living with a mental disorder is never easy, so it’s always important to have people around to make Days little easier.
Early signs: Sleeping/ eating either too much or too little, Feeling as if nothing matters, Regularly on low energy, Using drugs, Confusion, Display uncharacteristic emotions, Hearing voices, Delusions, Withdrawing from people or activities, Persistent thoughts or memories.
Treatments:
It includes various types of help like various therapies on good life, art of living life, how to have a satisfactions over things and people, Medications includes Ayurvedic and herbal treatments that are very constructive for once life and changes your mental and physical health and lastly self-care by understanding where you lack for them to fill the jar and stay happy and satisfied and feel the fullest which would include change in lifestyle changes such as reducing alcohol intake, sleeping more and eating healthy.
Lastly, However, the importance of mental health has to be taken into consideration as it is a key element that has universal importance and should be identified and helped. For example, in spite of cultural differences in eating habits, the acknowledgment of vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals in food group is universal and is taken care so should be mental health.
Author- Neerja Biwalkar
