Lets go there, how is your mental health?
It is
Mental Health Awareness Week and one that brings our collective mental health
to the fore; that we can no longer afford to leave discussing it behind but as
a matter of urgency to truthfully embrace and openly start talking about.
Now, this is not the time to be binding and rejecting in the holy ones name as stigma and denial-cultural practices enable this endemic public health issue remain a big monster in the room.
Now, this is not the time to be binding and rejecting in the holy ones name as stigma and denial-cultural practices enable this endemic public health issue remain a big monster in the room.
The
world as we know it today is filled with different stress factors and as mere
mortals we respond to stress in different ways. But the different ways in which
we respond to stress not only affects the sufferer but us all, just look around
you, be honest, you know a friend, a family member or have
read or heard of a celebrity or the other, who has been a sufferer and
probably committed suicide. And our
children are not left behind. Mental Health of children and teenagers is equally as alarming We have been stunned by recent revelations of the growing drug and substance abuse culture of our youths. Indeed no one social group is left out.
To
bring it home, the fact is, if you have at any point experienced the below
listed signs and symptoms: then you need to stop being in denial or in denial
that your loved ones, someone you know is suffering from mental health illness
and start tackling the issue head on by
getting a professional diagnosis, treatment and care earnestly.
·
Continuous
feeling of sadness or feeling down
·
Confused
thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
·
Excessive
fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
·
Extreme
mood changes of highs and lows
·
Withdrawal
from friends and activities
·
Significant
tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
·
Detachment
from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
·
Inability
to cope with daily problems or stress
·
Trouble
understanding and relating to situations and to people
·
Alcohol
or drug abuse
·
Major
changes in eating habits
·
Sex
drive changes
·
Excessive
anger, hostility or violence
·
Suicidal
thinking
And of course when the
issue of mental health is mentioned, the image of a sufferer of the more
advance mental disorder schizophrenia is
usually what comes to mind but like the symptoms above has shown it’s has to do
with many little things building up but here is the definition; Mental Health
illness according to Wikipedia is medically
called mental
disorder or psychiatric
disorder, a behavioral or mental
pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal
functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting, or
occur as a single episode. Many disorders have been described, with signs and
symptoms that vary widely between specific disorders.
At some point these problems will then, begin to affect the sufferers daily life, relationships and or their physical health too as some symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems, such as stomach pain, back pain, headache, or other unexplained aches and pains.
In the UK, 1 in 4 the statistics say suffer from mental health condition- one or the other. Yet if 4 people are gathered randomly, myself included we will all say we are fine, simply because we don't want to be judged nor labelled. But it’s time to face our reality, to thyself be true is a motto I personally aspire to live by.
We must talk about mental health, it is part of our lives, it is a reality, it is a slow killer, and in the process a lot is affected and wrecked; like family, career, friendships and potentials lost.
Let’s
stop here for today and do leave your comments below, I do hope this as inspired you enough to begin to take action either for yourself or someone you know. You can do something, like Nike says; "just do it". Do expect more on mental health discussion from me
until it becomes a mainstreamed societal topic. At some point these problems will then, begin to affect the sufferers daily life, relationships and or their physical health too as some symptoms of a mental health disorder appear as physical problems, such as stomach pain, back pain, headache, or other unexplained aches and pains.
In the UK, 1 in 4 the statistics say suffer from mental health condition- one or the other. Yet if 4 people are gathered randomly, myself included we will all say we are fine, simply because we don't want to be judged nor labelled. But it’s time to face our reality, to thyself be true is a motto I personally aspire to live by.
We must talk about mental health, it is part of our lives, it is a reality, it is a slow killer, and in the process a lot is affected and wrecked; like family, career, friendships and potentials lost.
I am available to come give a tailor made talk, training, presentation to individuals, schools, youth programs , groups , speak to parliaments, governments and corporate organisations.
Email: thinkingbee@gmail.com
Whatssup: +234 8088 453707.
Resources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
https://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/m/article/mentalhealth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorder
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