What Is Mental Health?

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Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

• Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
• Family history of mental health problems
• Mental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.

Early Warning Signs

Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviors can be an early warning sign of a problem:

• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low or no energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head
• Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

Mental Health and Wellness Positive mental health allows people to:

• Realize their full potential
• Cope with the stresses of life
• Work productively
• Make meaningful contributions to their communities

Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

• Getting professional help if you need it
• Connecting with others
• Staying positive
• Getting physically active
• Helping others
• Getting enough sleep
• Developing coping skills.

Myths and Facts

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Know the facts, use your knowledge to educate others, and reach out to those who may have mental health problems.

Mental Health Problems Affect Everyone

Myth: Children don't experience mental health problems.

Fact: Even very young children may show early warning signs of mental health concerns. These mental health problems are often clinically diagnosable, and can be a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Half of all mental health disorders show first signs before a person turns 14 years old, and three-quarters of mental health disorders begin before age 24.

Unfortunately, only half of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need. Early mental health support can help a child before problems interfere with other developmental needs.

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Myth: People with mental health problems are violent and unpredictable.

Fact: The vast majority of people with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3% to 5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness. In fact, peole with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population. You probably know someone with a mental health problem and don't even realize it, because many people with mental health problems are highly active and productive members of our communities.

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Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who are managing their mental illness, cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.

Fact: People with mental health problems are just as productive as other employees. Employers who hire people with mental health problems report good attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees.
When employees with mental health problems receive effective treatment, it can result in:

Recovery Is Possible

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Treatment and recovery are ongoing processes that happen over time. The first step is getting help.

What Is Recovery?

Recovery from mental disorders and/or substance abuse disorders is a process of change through which individuals:

• Improve their health and wellness
• Live a self-directed life
• Strive to achieve their full potential

Four Dimensions of Recovery

Four major dimensions support a life in recovery:

Health: Overcoming or managing one's disease(s) or symptoms and making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being.

Home: Have a stable and safe place to live.

Purpose: Engage in meaningful daily activities, such as a job or school, volunteering, caring for your family, or being creative. Work for independence, income, and resources to participate in society.

Community: Build relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope

Four Dimensions of Recovery

If you are struggling with a mental health problem, you may want to develop a written recovery plan.
Recovery plans:

Enable you to identify goals for achieving wellness

Specify what you can do to reach those goals

Include daily activities as well as longer term goals

Track any changes in your mental health problem

Identify triggers or other stressful events that can make you feel worse, and help you learn how to manage them

Anxiety Disorders

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People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread. Anxiety disorders can include obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, and phobias.

Occasional anxiety is an expected part of life. You might feel anxious when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including:

• Panic Disorder and Phobias
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Depression

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Know the facts, use your knowledge to educate others, and reach out to those who may have mental health problems.

Symptoms

Although depression may occur only once during your life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include:

• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports
• Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide

Addiction

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Know the facts, use your knowledge to educate others, and reach out to those who may have mental health problems.

Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs. When you're addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes.

Symptoms

• Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly — daily or even several times a day
• Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts
• Taking larger amounts of the drug over a longer period of time than you intended
• Spending money on the drug, even though you can't afford it
• Doing things to get the drug that you normally wouldn't do, such as stealing
• Spending a good deal of time getting the drug, using the drug or recovering from the effects of the drug
• Continuing to use the drug, even though you know it's causing problems in your life or causing you physical or psychological harm

LGBTQ+

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Know the facts, use your knowledge to educate others, and reach out to those who may have mental health problems.

Mental Health Problems in the LGBTQ+ Community:

It has been consistently reported that in the UK, the LGBTQ+ community may experience increased levels of common mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. According to a research project conducted by Youth Chances, 52% of LGBTQ people reported self-harming, compared to 35% of heterosexual non-trans young people. Furthermore, 44% of the LGBTQ people reported suicidal thoughts, compared to 26% of heterosexual non-trans respondents. In a study by Stonewall, it was also found that 13% of LGBT people aged 18-24 attempted to take their own life in the past year.

The LGBTQ+ community are also affected by other mental health problems such as substance abuse. In the Stonewall report, it was found that 16% of LGBT people said they had drunk alcohol almost every day over the last year, compared to 10% of the general population. This also increases with age, as 33% of LGBT people over 65 years of age reported drinking almost every day.

Recently, the BBC have reported a significant rise in the number of LGBT people seeking suicide-prevention support during the coronavirus lockdown restrictions[xvii]. One support group, LGBT Hero, saw a 44% increase in people accessing their website, compared to the three months before lockdown. In a recent survey, LGBT Hero also reported 79% of LGBTQ+ people said their mental health had been negatively affected by lockdown. Furthermore, before the coronavirus lockdown 21% of LGBTQ+ reported experiences of loneliness, yet this more than doubled during lockdown up to 56%.

Grief And Loss

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Know the facts, use your knowledge to educate others, and reach out to those who may have mental health problems.

What Causes Grief?

While it is not clear exactly what causes prolonged or complicated grief, the cause of normal grief can most commonly be attributed to the death of a loved one. According to the University of Rochester, grief can also be caused by the following:

• Loss of a job
• Loss of a beloved pet
• Loss of a friendship
• Loss of a personal dream
• Loss of a romantic relationship

The loss of anything important to you can cause feelings of grief. When you are unable to cope with that grief over a long period of time, you may be at risk for a grief disorder. If you or someone you love is having difficulty coping with grief, you can seek help by calling . Our compassionate staff members are available any time of day or night to assist you in finding the most appropriate treatment for grief disorders.

What Are the Signs of a Grief Management Problem?

Managing grief can be extremely difficult, so it is important to understand the warning signs that may indicate that someone is having a problem dealing with grief. A person having difficulty with grief management might have suicidal thoughts, depression or difficulty completing daily tasks, according to the Mayo Clinic. Nicotine use and drug use may also be signs of a grief management problem.

If you notice any of these warning signs, you should seek help by calling to find a grief treatment program near you. Remember that help is always just a phone call away.

Emotional Symptoms of Grieving

A person who is dealing with grief will most likely display some of the emotional symptoms associated with grieving. The Mayo Clinic lists the emotional symptoms found with prolonged, or complicated, grief. These can include:

• Increased irritability
• Numbness
• Bitterness
• Detachment
• Preoccupation with loss
• Inability to show or experience joy

While these emotional symptoms are normal in the days and weeks after a traumatic event, they can be indicators of a more serious disorder if they do not fade over time.

Trauma and Stress Related Disorders

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after living through or seeing a traumatic event, such as war, a hurricane, rape, physical abuse or a bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a real illness. You can get PTSD after living through or seeing a traumatic event, such as war, a hurricane, rape, physical abuse or a bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over. It affects your life and the people around you.

PTSD starts at different times for different people. Signs of PTSD may start soon after a frightening event and then continue. Other people develop new or more severe signs months or even years later. PTSD can happen to anyone, even children.

Symptoms

• Flashbacks, or feeling like the event is happening again
• Trouble sleeping or nightmares
• Feeling alone
• Angry outbursts
• Feeling worried, guilty or sad

Get Help

Medicines can help you feel less afraid and tense. It might take a few weeks for them to work. Talking to a specially trained doctor or counselor also helps many people with PTSD. This is called talk therapy. Find additional resources to get help for yourself or someone you care about.