Mental health or Psychological health is sometimes thought of as something we can take medication for if we’re not doing well. However, real happiness comes from within and cannot be bought by any pill. We all have days we don’t feel our best, but those feelings should diminish over time.
If they do not, it may be a sign there is something more going on – beyond just feeling down or being upset from something that happened at home or work.
This article will let you learn the signs and symptoms of mental illness and their major factors and impacts on your life, and to have a mental health awareness. You’ll also read about psychological first aid and other strategies to help a friend struggling with one.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs that someone could have a psychological/mental health issue depend on what type of illness it is.
Unfortunately, if untreated, these psychological issues can get worse over time and significantly affect mental wellbeing. Hence, it is crucial for individuals concerned to seek professional help as soon as possible. Below are some signs/symptoms:
- Increased withdrawal from life (friends, family members)
- Feelings of extreme mood swings
- Paranoid thoughts (not trusting others)
- Outbursts (anger, aggression)
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- Lack of energy/fatigue
Some signs might not be as obvious, such as someone becoming more withdrawn. They may avoid socializing and spending time with friends at all costs, while they were very social before and liked to go out. In the worst cases, someone might develop a thought of hurting themselves or even attempt suicide.
Major Factors
As with any psychological/mental health disorder, significant factors can contribute to developing one that needs to be recognized before anything else can be done about it. These include:
Family history: If your family has a history of the illness, you have an increased risk of developing a mental illness at some point in your life. The more severe the disease, the greater chance you have if other members of your family have been diagnosed with something like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Negative experiences: Traumatic events such as death, abuse, neglect during childhood, and ongoing stress from money issues, work problems, or a failing relationship can have a significant impact on your psychological/mental health.
Medication: Sometimes, medicines given for another illness or condition can cause changes in one’s mood and behavior that might already be a sign of the condition. For example, some effects of anti-anxiety medication include impulsivity and irritability as side effects. Some antibiotic medications have been known to lead to depression as well.
Psychological First Aid
As you read through the symptoms and major factors above, you need to understand what an actual psychological health emergency would look like versus someone simply going through a difficult time because of something going on in their lives at the moment.
In either case, though, calling a doctor or going to the emergency room is not necessary. Psychological first aid can help a friend or family member who may be experiencing a problem with their mood, thoughts, and behaviors.
What does psychological first aid entail?
Being aware of what’s going on: When someone is struggling with this kind of issue, they often feel alone and helpless, that no one else understands what they’re going through. If you know something is wrong but don’t understand the signs and symptoms very well yourself, do some research so you can understand it better when providing support.
Be mindful that people often want to hide this type of thing from others because of feeling embarrassed or ashamed about it. Opening up about these problems makes most people feel vulnerable.
Keeping an open line of communication: Let the person you’re trying to help know that it’s okay for them to talk about their problems with you and that you won’t get mad or hold anything against them (even if they say something that hurts your feelings). Letting them know someone wants to support and help them can make all the difference in feeling heard and supported.
Offering practical support: This could include helping create a plan to get professional help, delivering food or other resources like shelter (if needed), and even making sure they get medical attention if something seems severely wrong.
This can be very intimidating when things like suicide come up but try not to worry too much. Just letting someone know that you’re there to help is enough in most cases.
Strategies and Tips to Recover from Mental Health Issues
If you suffer from these kinds of issues, it’s important to remember that you are not alone. It can be challenging to think about or even talk about your own experiences with others, but there are ways to deal with the stigma attached to mental illness and find support for yourself.
1. Recognize What You’re Going Through
Mental/Psychological health problems take many forms and may affect different people in various ways. For example, an individual may develop depression after having experienced a difficult period in their life, such as bereavement or loss of employment.
While another person may become very anxious when faced with an exam at school or work, which could result in feelings of depression over time. Just as physical injuries and illnesses need time to heal, so do mental/psychological health problems.
If you experience these difficulties, it’s essential to be patient with yourself and give yourself the time you need to return to good health.
2. Don’t Feel Ashamed
It can be difficult for people who don’t suffer from mental issues to understand what it feels like when someone is going through a rough time. There is no need for those suffering from feeling ashamed or embarrassed by their illness or reaching out for help. Those who are struggling must know that they’re not alone in their experiences.
The only way they can overcome them is by having faith in themselves and moving towards recovery. Speaking about your experiences and reaching out for help is an essential first step, so don’t be afraid to ask for support from those around you or seek professional advice.
3. See a Professional
Sometimes talking about your feelings with friends and family can provide some relief. If you need more than that, it’s best to visit a health professional such as your GP, who will talk through your options.
There are several treatments available, including counseling, medication, and even lifestyle changes which can make a big difference to how you feel about yourself and what you’re able to achieve in life.
The great thing about visiting a psychological health professional is they see many different cases similar to yours every day. So there’s no reason why they won’t be able to assist you in finding the best way forward.
4. Stay Positive
If you are experiencing mental/psychological health problems or have done so in the past, it’s easy to become quite pessimistic about yourself and your future. However, there are always good things happening in everyone’s life if they keep an eye out for them.
Whether it’s enjoying a lovely day at work or even just having time to relax after a busy week, spending some time each day thinking about all the positive things that happen will help to brighten up your outlook on life and empower you to move forward with confidence.
5. Find Support
At times of crisis, people often feel alone but sharing your experiences with others who are going through similar issues makes all the difference. There are thousands of support groups available online to help people struggling with psychological health issues to get the right kind of assistance to overcome them.
These groups will connect you with others in similar situations, provide you with information about various treatments and even offer private counseling where appropriate.
Whether it’s your local community center or professional counseling service, having someone there for you to talk to makes all the difference when it comes to recovering from your illness and moving forward into better times.
Know The Difference Between Behavioral Health and Mental Health
This is one of the most important things to know before considering yourself as mentally ill (or not). Do not mix this up with your everyday health. We’re talking about the difference between psychological health vs. biology/physical health:
Behavioral Health: Describes a person who has their mental and emotional well-being intact. They are generally satisfied and happy with themselves and everyone around them (for example, family members).
People in a good psychological state tend to be able to cope well with stressful or difficult situations. Even if something unfavorable happens in their life, they can usually handle it without too much difficulty. One could say that they have high resilience.
Mental Health: Refers to how your brain is currently functioning. You can’t just look at someone and say, “okay, they’re mentally ill.” It’s very complicated because this kind of illness can take many forms, targets different parts of your thinking process, and has various degrees of severity.
The most common/severe cases are:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD etc.)
Mental Health During Covid-19 Pandemic
Unfortunately, many people may experience psychological health concerns as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is due to several factors, including financial loss, anxiety about the virus spreading, and living with these psychological struggles for an extended period without treatment.
Although it’s difficult, there are still things people can do to support their psychological well-being despite the outbreak, such as reaching out to friends/family members for support, journaling feelings at night, etc. It is essential for everyone affected by this virus to get help to become healthy again.
As stated above in the Psychological First Aid section, be mindful when talking with someone experiencing these symptoms. These feelings are usually connected to a more significant problem in their lives, so try not to react with discomfort or judgment if they express wanting to harm themselves or others.
Conclusion
Mental illness is like any other disease or condition. It requires special attention for someone suffering from it to recover. Going through these tough times is hard enough without the stigmatization (the act of treating someone with less respect/prejudice because they have an illness) attached. Everyone deserves love no matter what.