MENTAL  HEALTH 

Everyone feels worried or anxious or down from time to time. But relatively few people develop a mental illness. What's the difference? A mental illness is a mental health condition that gets in the way of thinking, relating to others, and day-to-day function.

Dozens of mental illnesses have been identified and defined. They include depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and many more.

Mental illness is an equal opportunity issue. It affects young and old, male and female, and individuals of every race, ethnic background, education level, and income level. The good news is that it can often be treated.

Signs and symptoms of mental illness depend in part on the illness. Common symptoms include

feeling down for a while

extreme swings in mood

withdrawing from family, friends, or activities

low energy or problems sleeping

often feeling angry, hostile, or violent

feeling paranoid, hearing voices, or having hallucinations

often thinking about death or suicide.

What Is Mental Health Awareness, and Why Does It Matter?

Being aware of your overall health is important so that you can detect any symptoms and seek professional help when necessary. While everyone is familiar familiar with the symptoms and treatment options for common illnesses that affect their loved ones, like the flu, migraines, or and (most recently) COVID-19, many people are unsure how to look after their mental health.

Raising mental health awareness can help you to understand your symptoms, find professional treatment, and, perhaps most importantly, break the mental health stigma that leaves so many people suffering in secret.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

Mental illnesses affect 19% of the adult population, 46% of teenagers and 13% of children each year. People struggling with their mental health may be in your family, live next door, teach your children, work in the next cubicle or sit in the same church pew.

However, only half of those affected receive treatment, often because of the stigma attached to mental health. Untreated, mental illness can contribute to higher medical expenses, poorer performance at school and work, fewer employment opportunities and increased risk of suicide.

What Exactly is a Mental Illness

A mental illness is a physical illness of the brain that causes disturbances in thinking, behavior, energy or emotion that make it difficult to cope with the ordinary demands of life. Research is starting to uncover the complicated causes of these diseases which can include genetics, brain chemistry, brain structure, experiencing trauma and/or having another medical condition, like heart disease.

The two most common mental health conditions are:

Anxiety Disorders – More than 18% of adults each year struggle with some type of anxiety disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (panic attacks), generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias.

Mood Disorders – Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar depression, affect nearly 10% of adults each year and are characterized by difficulties in regulating one’s mood.

Mental health awareness campaigns have yielded positive outcomes. Some of the strategies undertaken to target awareness and address stigma around mental illness include participation by family members, sensitization to treatment and social inclusion.[4,5] Lack of knowledge about the mental illnesses poses a challenge to the mental health care delivery system.

By - Ayushi Kumari