MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY

 Ever heard the twitter saying, "Many are mad, few are roaming"?

As funny as that sounds, it is somewhat true, but more like 'many are mentally ill, only a few show it'.

 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly half of the world's population is affected by mental illness with an impact on their self-esteem, relationships and ability to function in everyday life. Over 26 percent of all Americans over the age of 18 meet the criteria for having a mental illness. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five American experience mental health issues which translates to more than 40 million adults a year.

Mental illness, also called mental health disorders refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. This totally rules out the popular notion which most Nollywood movies pass across, that mentally ill people are only those who wear rags and roam from dumpster to dumpsites chanting weird songs or those who undress, laugh hysterically and act violently.

Mental illness and health are continuous concepts. W.H.O. defines the later as a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. According to the U.K. Surgeon Journal (1999), mental health is the successful performance of the mental function resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and providing the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity. An individual's emotional health can impact their physical health and poor mental health can lead to problems such as the ability to make adequate decisions and substance abuse. It is very important to note that people with optimal mental health can also have a mental illness, and people who have no mental illness can also have poor mental health. Thus, mental health should be a priority because mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries. This day, each October, thousands of supporters come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on peoples' lives worldwide. In some countries e.g. Australia, this day is part of an awareness week, such as Mental Health Week. It is supported by WHO through raising awareness on mental health issues using its strong relationships with the Ministries of health and civil society organizations across the globe, and aslo by developing technical and communication material.

Mental health is integral to living a healthy, balanced life. Our mental health encompasses our psychological, emotional and social well-being. This means it impacts how we feel, think and behave each day. It also contributes to our decision making process, how we cope with stress and relate with others. Good mental health can improve life quality whereas poor mental health can worsen or wreck it. According to Richards, Campania, & Muse-Burke, "There is growing evidence that is showing emotional abilities are associated with pro-social behaviors such as stress management and physical health". Their research also concluded that people who lack emotional expression are inclined to anti-social behaviors (e.g., drug and alcohol abuse, physical fights, vandalism), which reflects ones mental health and suppressed emotions. Adults and children who face mental illness may experience social stigma, which can exacerbate the issues.

Why is your Mental health vital?

Mental health is important because it’s an essential part of your life and impacts your thoughts, behaviors and emotions. Being healthy emotionally can promote productivity and effectiveness in activities like work, school or caregiving. It plays an important role in the health of your relationships, and allows you to adapt to changes in your life and cope with adversity.

 Stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, death of a loved one, suicidal thoughts, grief, addiction, ADHD, self-harm, various mood disorders as well as learning disabilities, can trigger mental health disorders or illnesses of varying degrees. Futher research have indicated that young people have more tendency to develop mental illness than children, but overall, no age group is immune to mental disorders, as it's causative factors can be experienced by all. The NIMH suggest that genetic family history can increase the likelihood of mental health conditions, as certain genes and gene variants put a person at higher risk. Thus, hereditary is a possible factor. The major types of ment illnesses include, anxiety disorders, mood disorders and schizophrenia disorders. Conditions like Post-traumatic Syndrome Disorder(PTSD), Obstructive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), phobias, panic disorders, bi-polar and the likes all fall under a type of disorder depending on the symptoms and effects.

Signs and symptoms of mental illness differ, depending on the disorder, circumstances and other factors. Some include: feeling sad or down, reduced ability to concentrate, excessive worries, extreme feelings of guilt, extreme mood swings, sudden withdrawal from friends and activities, fatigue and insomnia, detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations, problems with alcohol or drug use, sex drive change, excessive anger, hostility or violence, suicidal thoughts and so on.

How to improve mental health on a daily basis:

There are steps you can take to improve your mental health everyday. Little activities like exercising, eating a balanced and healthy meal, opening up to others in your life, taking a break when you need to, remembering something you are grateful for and getting a good night’s sleep, can be helpful in boosting mental health.

Treatment of Mental Disorders and Illnesses:

The severity of the disorder or illness determines what works best (medications or therapy). In many cases, a combination of treatment is most preferred. A mild mental illness with well-controlled symptoms and treatment from primary care providers may be sufficient. However, often a team approach is appropriate to make sure all psychiatric, medical and social needs are met. This is especially important for severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. Although psychiatric medications don't cure mental illness, they can often significantly improve symptoms. Also, psychiatric medications can help make other treatments, such as psychotherapy, more effective. The best medications depends on the particular situation and how one responds to the medication. Some of the most commonly used classes of prescription psychiatric medications include antidepressants. They are used to treat depression, anxiety and sometimes other conditions. They can help improve symptoms such as sadness, hopelessness, lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and lack of interest in activities. Antidepressants are not addictive and do not cause dependency. Anti-anxiety medications are used to treat anxiety disorders and may also help reduce agitation and insomnia. Long-term anti-anxiety drugs typically are antidepressants that also work for anxiety. Fast-acting anti-anxiety drugs help with short-term relief, but they also have the potential to cause dependency, so ideally they'd be used short term. Mood-stabilizing medications are most commonly used to treat bipolar disorders, which involves alternating episodes of mania and depression. Antipsychotic medications are typically used to treat psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. They may also be used to treat bipolar disorders or used with antidepressants for depression. Therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners, family physicians and family members can also help manage mental illness with treatments such as pscyhotherapy (talk therapy) or counseling.

Mental illnesses are subtle and gradual. They can make life easier or harder, but we can avoid or minimize the effecr of its causative factors. As stated earlier, the secret to preventing these disorders are in the little habitual things we do. Regular sleep patterns, proper and balanced diets, exercising e.t.c go a long way in promoting and improving our mental health. Also, making out time for family and friends or bonding with loved ones can further reduce the possibility of mental disorders as well as serve as therapy to those suffering from it because, they're battles that shouldn't be fought alone. 

Now you know that it's not only those taken to 'yaba left' that have mental disorders, it could be a close relative of yours or a friend right beside you. Be sure to look out for the symptoms and help them heal in anyway you can, because, these disorders are 'battles' that shouldn't be fought alone. With support from loved ones, a mentally ill person can recover quickly that they would ever have on their own. Remember, if you replace the 'i' in illness with 'we', it becomes WELLNESS!

Ahoua Victory

Member NIMELSSA EDITORIAL TEAM 19/20