MENTAL HEALTH

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”

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.

CAUSES OF MENTAL ILLNESS

-Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry 

-Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse 

-Family history of mental health problems 

FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

-Around 20% of the world’s children and adolescents have mental disorders or problems

-Most low and middle income countries have only one child psychiatrist for every 1 to 4 million people

-In Pakistan, there is only 1 psychiatrist for 2,50000 mental patients. The total number of psychiatrist is 500 and we need 9000 psychiatrists

-Mental disorders increase the risk of getting ill from other diseases such as HIV, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.

-About 800000 people commit suicide every year. -Approximately, 90% of the suicide are committed by people who have mental disorders.

TYPES OF MENTAL DISORDERS

1. Mood Disorder

2. Anxiety Disorder

3. Personality disorder

4. Impulse control and addiction disorder 

1. MOOD DISORDER

Mood disorder are characterized by a serious change in mood that cause disruption in life. Your general emotional state or mood is inconsistent with your circumstances and interfere with your ability to function. Some time you feel extremely happy or some time you feel sadness. In some cases people show its bipolar nature Neither extremely happy nor sad.

SYMPTOMS

-Depressed mood most of the time.

-Lack of energy or restlessness.

-Loss of pleasure in normal fun activities.

-Feeling of hopelessness or worthlessness

-Difficult to concentrate

-Disturbance in eating and sleeping

-Suicidal thoughts

2. ANXIETY DISORDER

People with anxiety disorder respond to certain object and situation with fear and dread. They avoid social situation for fear of being judged, embraced or humiliated.

3. PPERSONALITY DISORDER

A personality disorder is a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from the expectations of the culture, causes distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time. Personality disorders are long-term patterns of behavior and inner experiences that differs significantly from what is expected. 

TYPES OF PERSONALITY DISORDER

1. Antisocial personality disorder: a pattern of disregarding or violating the rights of others. A person with antisocial personality disorder may not conform to social norms, may repeatedly lie or deceive others, or may act impulsively.

2. Avoidant personality disorder: a pattern of extreme shyness, feelings of inadequacy and extreme sensitivity to criticism. People with avoidant personality disorder may be unwilling to get involved with people unless they are certain of being liked, be preoccupied with being criticized or rejected, or may view themselves as not being good enough or socially inept.

3. Borderline personality disorder: a pattern of instability in personal relationships, intense emotions, poor self-image and impulsivity. A person with borderline personality disorder may go to great lengths to avoid being abandoned, have repeated suicide attempts, display inappropriate intense anger or have ongoing feelings of emptiness

4. Dependent personality disorder: a pattern of needing to be taken care of and submissive and clingy behavior. People with dependent personality disorder may have difficulty making daily decisions without reassurance from others or may feel uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of fear of inability to take care of themselves.

SYMPTOMS

-Failure to sustain relationship.

-Impulsive action

-Low tolerance to frustration

-Tendency to cause violence 

-Lack of guilt

4. IMPULSE CONTROL DISORDER

It is a psychological disorder characterized by the repeated inability to retain from performing a particular action that is harmful either for oneself or for others. In Impulse control disorder, an individual fail to resist performing harmful act. 

SYMPTOMS

-Experience an impulse to pull, set fire or steal.

-Look tense.

-Shoe pleasure from the act

-Relief from having done the act.

-Sometime show guilt

CURES FOR MENTAL ILLNESS 

-Keeping a positive attitude

-Staying physically active

-Helping other people

-Getting enough sleep

-Eating a healthy diet

-Asking for professional help with your mental health if you need it

-Socializing with people whom you enjoy spending time with