Surviving Life
What does 'Mental Health' mean?
Recognise the signs
Looking after Your mental health
Seeking Help
Sources of Help
What does 'Mental Health' mean?
Just as we have 'physical health' which in itself can become unhealthy, we have 'mental health'.
Mental Health can be defined as being:
ow a person thinks, feels, and acts when faced with life's situations. Mental health is how people look at themselves, their lives, and the other people in their lives; evaluate their challenges and problems; and explore choices. This includes handling stress, relating to other people, and making decisions.
Mental health problems are very common and can affect people at any time of life and in different ways. They can include anxiety, depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, manic depression (bipolar disorder), schizophrenia, self-harm and dementia.
About 1 in 4 people in Britain has been diagnosed as having a mental health problem. Having mental ill-health is difficult, not only for the person concerned but also for their family and friends.
Recognise the signs
There are many signs that show us that we are 'not feeling right'. These early warning signs may include:
- More frequent aches and pains
- Headaches
- Muscular tension
- Palpitations and/or a higher pulse rate
- Increased breathing rate
- Shallow breathing
Soon after, people may then complain of:
Tiredness
Trouble sleeping
Change in appetite
Lack of concentration
Confusion
Moodiness & Irritablity
Increased alcohol intake and/or smoking
If these signs are ignored, you risk becoming more emotional, impulsive and irrational. Learn to recognise the triggers causing these signs that inevitably will send your mental health down hill.
Looking After Your Mental Health
There are many ways in which you can help yourself cope with your low mood and/or anxieties. Be aware of the warning signs that you are not coping so you can seek help, support and/or treatment in order to delay any possible worsening of your condition.
Look after yourself - the most important action should be to slow down and take time out to relax and assess the situation.
Increase your physical activity levels - The enemy of depression is physical activity. Although it may be difficult to find the motivation, being active can give you more energy and help you feel better about yourself.
Eat a healthy balanced diet - What you eat effects your mood due to the different amounts of sugar it may containg. 7-8 glasses of water per day will help your body stay hydrated and healthy and can make you feel less tired. By not getting enough nutrients, you risk prolonging feeling low.
Stop smoking - giving up smoking can be an empowering experience because you are taking control of the situation.
Set realistic goals - don't be too hard on yourself or preoccupy yourself with problems, difficulties and failures.
Try not to isolate yourself - you may want to shy away from company but having some social contact can be important. Idle chat can be a good distraction.
Seeking Help
Even though it may feel difficult, don't be afraind to ask for some help and support before things get too much for you. Everyone relies on others from time to time in order to manage their life and make changes.
If you recognise that your mental health is being affected, getting early support will reduce difficulty and minimise the problem. Who can help:
Family and friends
GP or practice nurse
Health and social services
Support/self help groups
Sources of help
Leaflets
Beating Postnatal Depression (leaflet download)
Leaflets are also available through the Health Promotion Library
Recommended helplines and websites include:
Cornwall Share (Free advice and councelling for young people) 0800 181033
Hear Our Voice (Young peoples mental health project) 01872 261 989
Nightlink (Listening service for people experiencing emotional distress) 0808 8000306
Samaritans (Provides confidential & emotional support) 08457 90 90 90
Relate (Information on relationships, family, love & life) 01726 74128
Saneline (Emotional support, crisis care & practical mental health advice) 0845 767 80 00
Mind (For those experiencing mental distress) 0845 7660163
Rethink (has an excellent site aimed at carers www.rethinkcarers.org
Mind (has factsheets on specific conditions) www.mind.org.uk
The Mental Health Foundation www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Depression Alliancewww.depressionalliance.org/
Eating Disorders Association www.edauk.com
Hearing Voices Network www.hearing-voices.org/ |
