Identifying and addressing mental health issues
What is mental health: According to WHO, Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right.
Mental health problems are common, so it’s important to be aware of possible signs. Feeling worried, depressed, guilty, worthless or feeling an exaggerated sense of ‘high’ may be signs of a mental health issue. Changes in sleep, weight, personal hygiene or activity at school or work may hint at a mental health issue.
What are the signs of mental health issues?
Some of these signs may not be caused by a serious problem. Some could even be a normal part of life. If they don’t seem to be going away after about 2 weeks, it’s best to seek help.
Feeling anxious or worried
Most people get worried or stressed from time to time. Anxiety could be a sign of a mental health disorder if the worry is constant and interferes with your daily activities. It might lead someone to avoid certain situations.
Physical symptoms of anxiety may include heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, headache, sweating, trembling, feeling dizzy, restlessness or diarrhoea.
Feeling depressed or unhappy
Feeling depressed may include feeling sad, irritable or numb, lacking in motivation and energy or being teary all the time. It may include losing interest in a hobby or not enjoying things that you usually enjoy.
Emotional outbursts
Everyone has different moods at different times, but sudden and dramatic changes in mood, such as extreme distress or anger, can be a symptom of mental illness.
Sleep problems
Changes to a person’s sleep patterns could be a symptom of a mental health disorder. This includes insomnia or sleeping too much. Some people might sleep all day and be up all night.
Weight or appetite changes
For some people, eating more or less than usual, weight gain or rapid weight loss could be a warning sign of a mental health disorder.
Being more quiet or withdrawn than usual
Withdrawing from life, especially if this is a major change from your usual personality, could indicate a mental health disorder. If a friend or loved one is isolating themselves and refusing to join in social activities, they may need help.
Substance abuse
Using substances to cope, such as alcohol or drugs, can be a sign of mental health problems. Using substances can also cause mental illness.
Feeling guilty or worthless
Thoughts like ‘I’m a failure’, ‘It’s my fault’ or ‘I’m worthless’ are all possible signs of a mental health disorder. Your friend or loved one may need help if they’re often criticising or blaming themselves for things not in their control.
Suicidal thoughts
With some mental health problems, a person may express a desire to hurt or kill themselves. They may have harmed themselves or be thinking about ways to die. Some people may have thoughts of harming others.
If someone is suicidal or planning to harm themselves or others, they need urgent help. Do not ignore this — call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance.
Feeling excessively high
Your friend or family member might seem manic, or overly happy or excited. They might make impulsive decisions or spend large amounts of money that they can’t afford.
Neglect and performing less well
You may notice that a friend or relative seems less capable than they used to be. They might be doing poorly at school or work and not fulfilling their responsibilities. They might have stopped caring about their appearance or taking care of personal hygiene. They may have trouble with remembering things or focusing on a task.
High risk behaviour
If a friend or relative starts participating in risky activities — such as unprotected sex, substance abuse, dangerous driving or crime — this could indicate a mental health problem. Seek help straight away.
Bizarre or strange thoughts
Someone might have a mental health problem if they think that:
they have a special power
someone else is controlling their thoughts or actions
people are out to get them (with no reason why this would be true)
they can see or hear things that other people can’t
How do you address someone with mental health issues?
Simply giving someone space to talk, and listening to how they’re feeling, can be really helpful in itself. If they’re finding it difficult, let them know that you’re there when they are ready. Offer reassurance. Seeking help can feel lonely, and sometimes scary.
What causes mental health problems?
Mental health problems can have a wide range of causes. It’s likely that for many people there is a complicated combination of factors – although different people may be more deeply affected by certain things than others.
For example, the following factors could potentially result in a period of poor mental health:
- childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect
- social isolation or loneliness
- experiencing discrimination and stigma, including racism
- social disadvantage, poverty or debt
- bereavement (losing someone close to you)
- severe or long-term stress
- having a long-term physical health condition
- unemployment or losing your job
- homelessness or poor housing
- being a long-term career for someone
- drug and alcohol misuse
- domestic violence, bullying or other abuse as an adult
- significant trauma as an adult, such as military combat, being involved in a serious incident in which you feared for your life, or being the victim of a violent crime
- physical causes – for example, a head injury or a neurological condition such as epilepsy can have an impact on your behavior and mood. (It’s important to rule out potential physical causes before seeking further treatment for a mental health problem).
- Although lifestyle factors including work, diet, drugs and lack of sleep can all affect your mental health, if you experience a mental health problem there are usually other factors as well.
FINDING STRENGTH
When we talk about finding strength, we are talking about finding solution, there is nothing on this earth without a cause, source and reason. No problem without a solution, no weakness without strength, no good without bad.
Rest and sleep is there for you when you are tired, life is programmed in such a way that, when you are hungry, you look for food and eat, when you are sick, you seek for medication, when you are weak, you seek for strength.
You can either find the strength within you or outside you but you need to be sure of what you are looking for, most times the strength we are looking for are, internal strength which may be self-motivation, exercise, believe and sometimes the strength we are looking for are external strength that needs the help of someone, this two part of strength goes together.
What really make people to find strength? People find strength when they are weak, what then can make one to be weak?
Sickness, depression, loneliness, heartbreak, failure, disappointment, loneliness, lack of money, hunger, tiredness, confusion and other spiritual, medical, physical, psychological problems.
When these happens the person in question gets weak and to be strong, the person needs strength, that strength is the solution to that problem or situation.
If a weak person who is hungry eats, he or she gets strength
If tired, he or she gets strength after resting or sleeping
Alert
Finding strength is finding solution
Remember the minds controls everything (teach about the mind, emotions, source of emotions and how it affects the body and life general).
Some Ways to find your strength
- Find out what is easy for you and hard for others (painting, dancing, crying, talking.)
- What you have natural inclination towards (inclination, a person natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way (music, sports, etc.)
- Rediscover old passion: the passion you have as a child is not due to the society or the opinion of others.
- Finding out the things you will do even when you are not paid for it.
- What people tell you, you are good at.