Mental Illness and Wellbeing
By Ozumi Abdul
AREWA AGENDA – Mental illness affects individuals the world over, with many lacking the necessary access to care. Therefore, Mental Health Awareness Month, which is observed throughout May, aims to raise awareness of mental illness, in the hope of supporting the conversation and reducing stigma.
Mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health. For example, depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, particularly long-lasting conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Similarly, the presence of chronic conditions can increase the risk for mental illness.
It’s important to remember that a person’s mental health can change over time, depending on many factors. When the demands placed on a person exceed their resources and coping abilities, their mental health could be impacted. For example, if someone is working long hours, caring for a relative, or experiencing economic hardship, they may experience poor mental health.
There is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to risk for mental illness, such as
Adverse Childhood Experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse (for example, child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing violence, etc.)
Experiences related to other ongoing (chronic) medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes
Biological factors or chemical imbalances in the brain
Use of alcohol or drugs
Having feelings of loneliness or isolation.
People can experience different types of mental illnesses or disorders, and they can often occur at the same time. Mental illnesses can occur over a short period of time or be episodic. This means that the mental illness comes and goes with discrete beginnings and ends. Mental illness can also be ongoing or long-lasting.
There are more than 200 types of mental illness. Some of the main types of mental illness and disorders.
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Each type of mental illness has a different set of symptoms. For example, extreme dieting may be a sign that someone has an eating disorder. Hearing voices could be a sign of psychosis. An ongoing feeling of hopelessness after childbirth could be a sign of postnatal depression. People with depression can have a lasting sadness or low mood. People with anxiety often have excessive worry or fears. Sometimes feelings of anxiety happen without any apparent reason.
Drastic changes in a person’s thoughts, moods or behaviour can be a sign they have a mental illness. Changes can be sudden or come on gradually over a long period. A person who usually copes well with life may start to have trouble doing their normal activities. These changes can cause them, or their loved ones, distress. These signs could indicate a mental illness.
Here are some signs of mental illness to look out for:
unusual or illogical thoughts
unreasonable anger or irritability
poor concentration and memory, not being able to follow a conversation
hearing voices that no one else can hear
increased or decreased sleep
increased or low appetite, or preoccupation with control over food, calories or excessive exercise
lack of motivation
withdrawing from people
drug use
feelings that life is not worth living or suicidal thoughts
becoming obsessed with a topic, like death or religion
not looking after personal hygiene or other responsibilities
not doing as well as usual at school or work.
There are lots of things we can try to take care of our wellbeing.
Here are the tips to help you:
Relax and reduce stress
Find ways to learn and be creative.
Spend time in nature
Connect with others
Look after your physical health.
Try to get enough sleep
It’s not always easy to start with caring for your wellbeing. You might find it helpful to.
only try what feels comfortable
give yourself time to figure out what works for you, going at your own pace.
take small steps. Pick one or two things that feel achievable at first, before moving on to try other ideas.
