MENTAL ILLNESS-WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Any person can experience challenges with mental health. Mental problems do not discriminate against age, gender, sex, or social status.       

The stigma associated with mental health is the reason which makes many affected persons not to share what they are going through.     

Having a safe space where an affected person can share freely without being judged or ashamed is key in managing mental health.     

Some of the causes of mental health issues might be job-related stress, relationship problems, or a major traumatic event.     

It is always prudent to show compassion towards people having mental health issues for one to understand the root causes of the problems and the challenges they are facing.       

When you feel that your mental health is not good, look for someone you are comfortable talking to and share your feelings. You can also look for support groups online like  kooth  or  Talkspace.     

There are very many forms of mental disorders that are diagnosed differently. They are generally expressed through abnormal thoughts, emotions, and noticeable abnormal behavior with others.     

Mental disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychoses, dementia, among others.     

Depression     

Depression is a mental disorder affecting most people globally, with statistics showing that women are more affected than men.    

You can suspect depression by lack of sleep, feeling the loss of self-worth, tiredness, poor concentration, and lack of appetite. Depression can be long-lasting and may occur occasionally, especially when treatment is not sought on time.     

Having a support system and prevention program have been shown to reduce depression. Psychotherapy can treat mild depression. The use of antidepressants usually happens as the second line of treatment in cases where the therapy has not been effective.     

Support from the family members and enrolling in social and welfare support programs.     

Who is at risk?      

Mental disorders can affect anyone as long as the person is interacting with social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors. Other contributing factors include stress, nutritional and environmental hazards.