MENTAL HEALTH

Health is a value that cannot be overestimated. You take care to maintain good physical condition – perhaps you eat healthily or exercise, you are careful about what you do to avoid injury, you try to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, you drink plenty of water, go for walks, and get regular check-ups – all of these things are very important.

However, in the pursuit of health, you cannot focus solely on physical health. There is also mental health that needs to be properly cared for. Just the thought of mental illness or disorders can be daunting. What is mental health? How can I address mental health issues? Keep reading!

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

In the context of mental health, it is also considered the state in which a person feels good in the psychological, social, and emotional areas. It is a state of experiencing very pleasant emotions and having a healthy, positive outlook on life.

However, it is important to remember that even people who are completely healthy experience a spectrum of unpleasant emotions – anger, sadness, or fear. This does not mean that there is something wrong with them. These emotions are natural for humans, and each of these emotions fulfills a specific, very important function in the life of every person.

Mental health is also the ability to modulate, express, and name one’s own emotions. It is empathy towards others, as well as the flexibility necessary to adapt to new life conditions and the ability to cope with various problems in life.

MENTAL DISORDERS – WHAT CAN AFFECT YOU? MOST COMMON DISORDERS, ILLNESSES, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS

Mental disorders are a very broad category, so each disorder should be approached very individually. Only this approach allows for proper diagnosis of mental disorders and later appropriate treatment that helps to regain health and balance in life. What are the most common mental disorders you may encounter?

Depression

When most people think of depression, they imagine a mental illness that makes a person sad and deeply desperate for a long time. Depression is actually a complex mental disorder that can cause various negative emotions and behaviors. Unlike popular belief, depression is not just about feeling down from time to time.

It is a serious condition that requires treatment. Untreated depression can lead to other problems such as substance abuse, relationship issues, and even suicide. Therefore, depression should not be confused with feeling low or having temporary depressive moods.

Depression is indeed a very serious disorder. At the same time, it is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in the world.

Addiction

Addiction is another widespread problem that can affect any of us. It has a destructive impact not only on the life of the person directly affected but also on their entire surroundings. Children raised in households with addiction problems, such as alcoholism, may suffer from it for a lifetime.

Addiction is also not a problem that one can manage alone. In such situations, it is essential to support loved ones. However, motivation must come from within. An addicted person must want to change – they must want to end their addiction; otherwise, no therapy will be effective.

Therapy is essential. In the treatment of addiction, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy achieves the best results. It allows you to understand the essence of the problem, work through it, and create new, better patterns to replace the destructive ones. However, once a person is addicted, they will have to deal with it for the rest of their life. Group psychotherapy also plays a significant role in the treatment of addiction – the support of people who have similar experiences and are struggling with the same problem is crucial.

Anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are a very wide range of different disorders. Symptoms of severe anxiety include:

These are just some of the many symptoms. If you constantly feel worried, your brain produces more and more black scenarios, and you have a constant feeling of severe anxiety – all of these may indicate an anxiety disorder.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS?

Mental health can fail at any time, regardless of age or life situation. Mental health problems can be frightening, but don’t pretend that the problem doesn’t exist. Fortunately, more and more people are openly talking about their mental health issues these days.

If you feel like your mental health is not functioning properly – if you feel like something in your life is not right, that something is not working as it should be – if you don’t understand the emotions that are controlling you, if you are struggling with something that you don’t understand or something that simply overwhelms you, do not hesitate to seek help.

You can find this help in a psychologist’s office. A psychologist is a specialist in the human mind who has the appropriate knowledge and diagnostic tools to help you identify and clarify certain problems that affect your life. Talking to a psychologist can really help you – it allows you to look at your life and your problems from a completely different, broader perspective, which can help you find a solution.

However, it may happen that the psychologist notices the complexity of the problem that is beyond his/her abilities. At this point, he/she may suggest a visit to a psychiatrist or start psychotherapy.

A psychiatrist can deal with your mental health from a medical perspective. He/she can prescribe medication or recommend hospital treatment.

A psychotherapist, on the other hand, is a specialist in the human mind. It allows you to discover what is hidden, to get to deeply hidden problems and solve them. As a result, you can significantly improve the quality of your life and understand many disturbing problems. Psychotherapy allows you to develop your own potential and be a better version of yourself.