Our view on Mental Health

When people have physical problems, most are likely to go to a doctor for a medical check-up. They get their blood pressure, temperature and weight measured. They also opt for a blood test to check for issues with cholesterol, blood sugars, thyroid, iron levels, electrolytes and other measures.

How many of you actually even consider the need to visit a Psychiatrist instead of just talking to your friends, family members and colleagues?

It’s the lack of awareness among people that they don’t know when to seek help for their mental health and they don’t even understand the difference between mental health and mental illness. Often, the two terms are incorrectly used interchangeably at most of the times.

  • 1.Mental Health and Mental Illness:

    One end of the spectrum – Mental health - represents feeling good and functioning well

    Other end - Mental illnesses – represents symptoms that affect people’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour.

    Not everyone will be diagnosed with a mental illness but everyone certainly has “mental health"

    Mental Health is something so crucial to our existence like “breathing” because it affects our thoughts, behaviours and emotions.

    Your mental health touches upon every single aspect of your life. From your life at home with your family to your life at work, your mental health plays a role in your perception of the world around you and how you respond to it.

  • 2.Mental Health and Physical health are interlinked:

    Our body is an entire system linked together by complex micro-systems that all work together. Neurotransmitters like Serotonin, Dopamine, Nor epinephrine, BDNF…. happen to be at the core of these systems, and they do not merely exist within the brain. These Neurotransmitters play a major role in developing mental illnesses. So Mental Health and Physical Health tie into one another, are very much related and affects one another.

    Like for example,

    When you worry, your body releases stress hormones that quicken your pulse and breathing, elevate your blood pressure, and boost your blood sugar levels. When left untreated, this can eventually lead to problems with your muscles, heart, blood vessels, and more. This way your anxiety can affect and increase your chance of having other physical health disorders.

    So, being in a good mental state can keep you healthy and help prevent serious health conditions. and, poor mental health leads to poor physical health and can lead to chronic disorders.

    Focusing just on your physical health most likely will not improve your mental health — and vice-versa. Instead, what needs to exist is balance.

 

View on Mentally II patients

Again due to lack of awareness and seriousness, people often stamp ones visiting a psychiatrist as “mentally ill” or “pagal”.

However, they are not “Mentally ill” but are “Mentally Interested”.

They are fighting a battle all by themselves when at times they themselves don’t understand what they are suffering from and even people around them don’t understand what they are going through and still feel why can’t they just can’t get over it?

The stigma is real and it hurts real people. Too many men and women go through mental illness alone, believing there is no hope for them and that they are unworthy of love.

Let us Try not to unfairly judge ones with mental illness but to show empathy, support and respect because it’s not their fault that they have it.

Join me to raise awareness about mental illness and bring an end to this stigma for once and for all.

If you suspect you or someone you know may have a mental illness, I highly recommend you consult a Psychiatrist for a clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Remember, mental illness is treatable and can be managed to improve the quality of life.