What’s the difference between mental health and mental illness?. Many people stigmatize mental illness and avoid professional help saying, “I’m not crazy, I don’t need to see anyone.” Mental health is something you can maintain.
If your life seems to be in shatters and still you uphold this belief of I’m OK, you could be doing yourself a disservice. You could rectify things in your life a lot quicker if you just have a chat with someone independently neutral. Gone are the days when you could stroll over to the village elder and smoke a pipe together for a yarn.
Mental Health Month in Australia is this month of October, and psychologists and Allied health professionals are working hard to bring people’s awareness to the facilities available to promote well being.
Mental health is like having all your ” marbles” and using them to stay mentally fit, flexible enough to be able to adapt to what life throws you. Being able to solve any problems so that you CAN reach your goals. This means you can focus and think clearly , think realistically and positively, plan ahead and make wise decisions, at the same time, be able to manage your feelings and moods so that you can be self aware and insightful about what you are doing to others.
Mental illness on the other hand, is related to a wide range of disorders to do with how your mind and brain is functioning. A diagnosis of a mental illness is made when the symptoms become so chronic or severe, that normal life is disrupted, people are unable to continue working or go out anymore socially and even on a personal level be unable to cope. In almost all cases, mental illness is treatable and a temporary condition.
It’s actually quite common to succumb to depression or anxiety. Approximately 16% of Australians, 10% would be the workforce is suffering from some form of stress or mental health concern. Vulnerability can be triggered by mental exhaustion and chronic unmanaged tension. Mental Health issues can affect both men and women of all ages, education, social backgrounds and occupations.
So what can one do to stay resilient and healthy?
Look, its all about having a positive attitude and mental fitness. You can do this, by being proactive about implementing stress management skills, keeping your body fit and healthy, making sure you have great friends around to support you, be vigilant about taking care when you see the first signs of a difficulty, and getting the right treatment, have realistic expectations and keep your energy levels up.
How do you know when to do something?
Early warning signs of mental strain could be noticing, that its more difficult to concentrate and you can’t remember so easily, or you find yourself getting down on yourself and thinking bad thoughts about yourself, like ” I am not worthy ” “I am so stupid”.
If you can’t make simple decisions anymore without getting frustrated and stressed about things, take note. Some people obsess about a particular incident and can’t stop thinking about it, then start to feel their life is out of control, and respond by shutting down.
If you’ve found yourself all alone , actually avoiding places and people and starting to think about strange things, and doing things normally not like you , then this is the time to take stock and make that call, click here for help. If you see a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, you can rapidly get yourself out that slump!