Mental health is often misunderstood so it can be difficult to know when to ask for mental health support. About one in five people experience a mental illness. And despite mental health being a basic human right, many people do not have proper access to care. October 10th is World Mental Health Day. It is intended to raise awareness of mental health issues around the globe and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. But this is an ongoing journey for everyone, and by breaking down barriers, we can all benefit from improved mental health support.
Don’t Take Your Mental Health For Granted
Mental health is the overall balance between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It focuses on your ability to have self-awareness and self-regulate, while maneuvering through your daily life challenges. Changes in our ability to do so can be difficult to understand. When struggling with mental health, it can affect your relationships, and it can impact your ability to learn, communicate, perform tasks, and care for yourself.
It is easy to dismiss signs and symptoms of mental illness when you are busy just trying to get through daily life. Sometimes your symptoms are actually manifested in your body and you don’t realize you are struggling with mental health. But if this goes unchecked for too long, you risk making things worse and developing other conditions too. We tend to normalize stress and fear judgement if we say that things are getting hard to handle. And even for those trying to do proper self care, life can still become overwhelming. You can’t control the things that happen to you, but you can control how you deal with them. When you can’t deal, you need support. Mental health has had a stigma for too long. We need to normalize talking about it just like we do other conditions.
Mental Illness
Everyone can experience one or two mental health symptoms on a given day, but when it becomes the norm, ask for help. A few short weeks of sustained changes to your mood, thoughts, or behaviour is enough to warrant support. If it is affecting your home life, relationships, and/or your ability to do your job, or if it is leading to legal or financial issues, recognize that it’s time to ask for help. If you still aren’t sure if what you need is mental health support, don’t hesitate to ask an expert.
Much of the stigma tied to mental illness is a result of lack of knowledge or understanding. Historically the treatment of people suffering from mental health disorders has not been ideal. From ridicule to criminalizing the sufferers, it can make asking for help and advocating for one’s mental health scary.
Mental health is tied to your mental well-being. When you are doing well, you can cope with life’s stressors, you can function in your day-to-day life, and you can build connections with others. When your mental health is not doing well, you can start to exhibit symptoms and develop a range of disorders, some more serious than others. It can affect your emotions, thoughts, and behaviour. There are a variety of treatments, one size does not fit all. When dealing with mental health challenges, the focus should be on the symptoms and contributing environmental factors. Personal bias and dated beliefs that stigmatize mental health should not be considered. By keeping an open mind, people who are experiencing symptoms will be more likely to seek help. And with a proper diagnosis, people can get treatment.
Common conditions
Just how physical health is complicated, mental health is complex too. Despite all the medical advances to date, there is still lots to be studied and understood. Below are the more known conditions, but there are other manifestations of mental illness too.
Depression is common with about a tenth of the population experiencing it at any given time. Most people feel a little down from time to time, but severe depression can be destructive to people’s lives. Anxiety disorders are very common too, but once again, on the extreme end, they can impede someone’s ability to live a meaningful life.
Although stress is not typically considered a mental health problem, chronic stress can lead to other mental health problems. A bad experience can lead to a phobia, an extreme aversion or irrational fear of something. Conversely, a single, or repeated, extremely stressful and terrifying event(s) could lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Even a bystander witnessing such an event can be triggered with the disorder which can dramatically affect someone’s ability to function. The latter is harder to treat, it impacts more areas of someone’s life, and is often more debilitating.
Schizophrenia affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, and it often accompanied with hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thought patterns. Someone with borderline personality disorder has a strong fear of abandonment which leads to impulsivity, mood swings, and self-injury. Both of these conditions lead people to perceive the world around them differently, and it makes it very difficult to lead a good quality of life. But there are treatments available to manage life better. They are also conditions that are harder for loved ones to witness and support as they tend to exhibit more extreme behaviours.
Everyone has a mental health concern at some point in life. When you notice changes in your emotions, thoughts, and/or behaviour, and it begins to affect your relationships or your ability to function, get help.
Symptoms to keep an eye out for
Mental illness can manifest in different ways for different people and at different points of their life. Feeling down for extended periods of time or having difficulty concentrating is a flag. Fears or anxiety in small doses is manageable, but for some it can overtake their lives. Irritability or swinging moods are also of concern, especially if they continually escalate. Fatigue that you can’t overcome regardless of what you do, can also be indicative of something being wrong, either physically or mentally. You may or may not realize you are not sleeping well, and without restorative sleep, your body starts to decline in cognitive ability. It will also lead you to struggle with overall immunity, along with a host of other challenges.
Ongoing effects
When you struggle with your mental health, things get harder to do. Dealing with people becomes challenging too, both in your personal and professional life. With time, more symptoms arise, you may even feel like it’s becoming a domino effect. More things feel like they are out of your control, and you become overwhelmed. Changes in your sex drive or eating habits are common, and addictive behaviours can resurface or intensify. Many people dismiss these altogether or minify their importance, but they shouldn’t.
Areas of concern
One symptom that is often overlooked when dealing with mental health is apathy. Not just in isolating yourself from others, but also stopping activities you enjoy. Emotional numbness is seen as a coping mechanism to not feel anything, but it can also be a symptom of something greater. This can lead to someone feeling disconnected from their own body or thoughts, and it may lead to more dangerous behaviours, like drugs, alcohol, or thrill-seeking. Getting to the root cause is important. Lastly, some symptoms can be of even greater concern. Paranoia or hallucinations are rare, but should be explored with a medical professional. And, when harm towards yourself or others is a concern or a possibility, seek mental health support right away.
Being able to spot symptoms in yourself or in someone you are close to is important. Seek mental health support in a timely manner. You can’t force anyone to get help, but you can offer to be with them on any step of the way that they would like help with.
Mental Health Factors
Broadly speaking, mental health can be affected by genetics and your environment. You could be predisposed if you have a family history, are dealing with a chronic medical condition, or have experienced mental health issues in the past.
Don’t discard the crucial impact of the things you are exposed to. A difficult childhood with a history of abuse or neglect can have lifelong scars. Traumatic experiences can impact your life profoundly, regardless of your age when they occur. A lack of connection with others in your adult years can lead you on a path of isolation and disconnection. Exposure to toxins, drugs, or even a brain injury can alter your mental health too.
A major life event, positive or negative, can impact your ability to cope temporarily and is a valid reason to seek help. They can include marriage or divorce, birth of a child, buying or losing a home, starting a new job or losing employment, and loss of a loved one. Ongoing stressors like toxic relationships or workplaces, unstable home environments, ongoing financial burdens, or medical conditions can also lead to mental health issues. More often than not, because of the ongoing nature, the symptoms may slide for longer until they suddenly become unmanageable. Regardless of when you figure out you need mental health support, reach out for help.
Mental health at work
The 2024 World Mental Health Day is focused on mental health at work. A key factor for people to maintain their mental health is to have safe and healthy working environments. If the work environment is a toxic culture where fear, harassment, and discrimination thrive, mental health suffers. If the physical conditions of your employment are putting you at risk, this can also impact your mental health. Additional factors in the workplace that lead to poor quality of life include a lack of boundaries and extended work hours.
Mental health is important at work, it is on all parties to speak up. Employees need to feel safe and not fear consequences when they want to discuss mental health factors. Employers need to reconsider how they address mental health in the workplace. When benefits are part of the compensation for employees, reviewing mental health coverage is important. Something is better than nothing, but be aware that most likely, you can still do more. Furthermore, understanding that everyone is unique and handles health differently, be aware of how mental health topics are discussed and dealt with.
After A Mental Health Diagnosis
A mental health diagnosis is not a life sentence. Just like any physical condition, getting a diagnosis is the first step on your journey to a better you. Treatments can vary for people, and unfortunately it can take time to get things sorted. Humans are unique so what works for one may not necessarily work for another.
If mental illness has resulted in severe disfunction, an extended period of time may be needed to recover. This may include medical time off of work. It may also mean that someone needs extra help around the home and with some of their responsibilities in life, especially if they are a caregiver.
Medications
Prescription medications may be in the mix, at least in the short-term, to reduce some symptoms. For other conditions, this may need to be a lifetime routine if chemical imbalance is to blame. If addiction is part of the problem, then a rehabilitation plan will also be part of the bigger medical plan.
Counselling
Treatments for mental health often include counselling. Sharing your life with a stranger can be hard, but their role is to help you navigate your challenges. Ironically, it may be easier to tell a stranger than to discuss it with a loved one. There are many types of therapies within counselling that can be implemented, it may take some time to find the right one for you. Often the best results are from a mix of therapies.
Finding a good fit
Finding the right counsellor can be hard, especially if you are new to therapy. In order for you to make progress in your therapy, there needs to be a feeling of safety and trust with your counsellor. The counsellor needs to be flexible in their approach, and they need to be versed in the condition you are seeking help in.
Just like seeking a new job, don’t be afraid to interview the counsellor and make sure it is the right fit for you. You can’t ask them directly if they have had the condition you have, but you can ask if they have treated patients with this condition in the past. You can also ask what therapies they specialize in. If at any point in the process you don’t feel like it is the right fit or you don’t feel like you are progressing, make a change to a different counsellor. Don’t give up on the process or yourself.
Financing mental care
Counselling unfortunately can get costly when dealing with a major problem. Many major cities have a service to provide reduced rates or even sliding scales based on financial situations. Payment options should be part of the questions you ask upfront. Some employment benefit plans will have coverage, but often require a referral. Generally, despite the financial strain of obtaining mental health support, it is worth the investment in yourself. Mental health problems typically get worse if you don’t deal with them, and you will only do yourself a disservice by putting it off.
Self-care
Treatment most certainly will always include self care pillars: proper nutrition, exercise, restorative sleep, and connecting with others. Additionally, other self care tools will help bring life back into a better balance. Believing in yourself is vital, you often lose confidence when you are dealing with mental health. Slow down. Be mindful and express gratitude for the things in your life. Spend time in nature. Prioritize your needs, set boundaries, and listen to what your mind and body are telling you. Good mental health helps maintain your physical health too. It takes time. Be kind to yourself.
If you are looking to explore more ways to support your mental health journey, explore the topics throughout Self Care Toolkit.
Mental health matters. You matter.
If you experience any mental health symptoms of concern, reach out for help immediately. You can reach out to your medical practitioner or reach out directly to a mental health expert. You may be referred to a specialist for further treatment or for an official diagnosis. This is to help you get the best possible outcome of your treatment plan. It may be hard at first, but with time it will get easier. Setbacks can happen, don’t let that stand in the way of prioritizing your mental health. Remember that you are the best advocate for your needs, and only you can make your self care toolkit be your biggest asset.
Seeking mental health support is hard. Many people are ashamed or embarrassed, don’t be. We all need a helping hand from time to time. Find the strength to at least inquire, and take it one step at a time. Be patient and compassionate with yourself. Mental health is important every day of your life.
IMAGE CREDIT: Unsplash | Matthew Ball.