Understanding Mental Health To Better It

Understanding Mental Health To Better It

Mental health is our cognition - our emotional wellbeing. It is how we feel, think, and behave. Based on different studies in the USA, it is said that we have the highest rate of people diagnosed with mental health disorders/problems developed in the entire world. Why is this? Our society is affected by what we do and/or how do we spend most of our time.

Can stress play an important role in this? Perhaps, our society is compared with Europe, which has a low (25%) incidence of mental health problems in comparison to USA (35%). 

How does our mental health get affected? It is affected by many things and in many ways; for instance: lack of self love; lack of self acceptance; lack of self esteem; lack of self will; lack of self confidence; etc.

Why is this? Well, because when there is no self love, people do not know how to teach others to love them or respect them; when there is no self acceptance, people have a hard time accepting them as well; when there is no self esteem, people tend to use and abuse them easily and do with them what they want; when there is no self will, people will have no power to face others or any problems; when there is no self confidence, people read this and take advantage of them very easily.

The end result in all of this is a world full of victims and not knowing how to change it! We must learn to stop being so rigid with ourselves and with life itself. 

We must have fun, laugh more, enjoy ourselves more, Love ourselves more, be Kind with ourselves more, find Productive things that would help us feel that we have achieved certain level of success.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Silvia_Trana-Felipes

Mental Health Is As Important As Physical Health

Mental Health Is As Important As Physical Health

It is very difficult to conclude if a person suffers from a mental health issue or not, but there are certain signs and signals that suggest whether someone may be suffering from a particular issue and might be in need of help.

In many of us, depression, stress and anxiety seem to be the major obstacles to just feeling good. Psychological well-being is something that we all have a right to. Sometimes due to a variety of reasons to do with life experiences, physiology, up bringing, environment etc we often find ourselves with a mind-state other than what we desire.

Certain signs of mental health issues can be put into different categories like:

Thinking: Problems with thinking include memory, concentration, problem solving and the processing of information.

Feeling: Problems with feeling can affect appetite, sleep, decision-making and guilt. In serious mental health issues, feelings can include mood swings and irrational onset of feelings such anger or excitement.

Problems at home: The inability to carry out simple household chores or inability to coexist with others in the household or inabilities to cope with housework are some signs of problems at home.

Socializing problems: Social signs can include difficulty in relating to and getting on with others, awkwardness around others and verbal or physical aggression.

Poor Self care: Signs of poor self-care show themselves in appearance, with sufferers not conscious with care of cleanliness or appearance, not eating well or enough, not attending to day to day affairs such as bills or finances and paying little attention to physical health.

Mental health issues require proper diagnosis by a medical professional. Protecting our mental health is just as important as protecting our physical health, and can be cured or drastically reduced with the correct guidance and therapy.

Seeking the services of a mental health counselor can effectively improve your mental health who will work with you through your past and present issues. A good counselor can be a real lifesaver. She can help you by using writing techniques, reading aloud what you wrote, and by talking while helping you to identify the source of your anxiety. She can teach you to overcome them effectively. Counseling gives you valuable tools to handle daily problems and long-term relationships.

Upon some improvement psychological changes are felt with lightness, better sleep, smile, noticing beauty around you, singing, wanting to do something different, etc. When you are able to experience a general feeling of well being, your relationships blossom, people find you attractive and accessible again, even career paths may open and life seems to smile again!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Geriani

Shaping A Child Mental Health

Shaping A Child Mental Health

Its important for parents to realize they aren't alone in raising their children.

A child's emotional and physical development is shapes by genetic and environmental factors alike. Genetic factors can affect a child's ability to learn, play,manage emotions, and interact with people. But a child's environment also plays a pivotal role in early development

Think of all the people your child interacts with on a regular basis-such as siblings, relatives, and other caregivers like babysitters, teachers, and healthcare providers. They each play a key role in your child's development. Likewise, social and economics factors-such as proper nutrition, housing, healthcare, and experiences at school and within the community-are constantly at work to shape your child's development from a very early age. A child's physical health also plays an important role in his or her mental health. Here are the basics every child needs for good mental health.

Nutritious food, adequate clothing, and a healthy living environment.

Plenty of sleep

Regular physical activity, including time to play with other children

Ongoing and unconditional love, praise, and affection

Encouraging teachers and supportive caregivers who provide appropriate guidance and discipline

Self confidence and high self-esteem

When children are surrounded by positive relationships, they in turn learn the value themselves and happily accept who they are; they learn to embrace what makes them unique; they develop a positive outlook on life; and they know they're loved unconditionally. These are the building blocks of good self-esteem, which is important to develop early on in childhood because it's essential to good health throughout life.

Navigating through adolescence

The transition from childhood to adulthood doesn't happen overnight. First, a child must navigate the challenging stage of adolescence. For a teenager who has not yet gained the experience to cope with difficult situations and mounting expectations, adolescence can seem overwhelming at times. When stress and anxiety are not managed properly, they can build and manifest in ways that negatively impact on mental and physical health.

While it's not unusual fot teens to feel irritable, sluggish, and sad for brief periods of time, if you notice any of the following signs lasting for a period of at least two weeks, your teen could be experiencing a minor depression.

Feeling down.

Lack of interest in activities.

Sleeping problems.

Poor concentration.

A recent study by Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric institute reported that teenagers with minor depression have a higher risk of mental health issues later in life. Rates of anxiety, severe depression, and eating disorders were far more common in 20-to 30-year-olds who'd experienced minor depression in adolescence.

If you suspect your teen is going through a rough spell, don't ignore the issue. One in 10 parents thinks those with mental illness can just snap out of it if they want to. But that's not the case at all. And, while you can't force your teen to open up to you, there are some things you can do:

Monitor your teen's level of stress. Record and share how it's affecting his or her behaviour, thoughts, and feelings.

Watch for signs of stress overload.

Encourage your teen to talk-if not with you, then encourage him to open up to someone else he knows and trusts, or find a therapist he's comfortable talking to.

There are also preventative measures that can help your teen learn to manage stress before it gets out of hand:

Encourage your teen to get active in group sports and social activities.

As a family, stay physically active and eat nutritious meals.

Help your teen become more assertive and develop good time-management skills both of which come with practice.

Encourage family members to speak positively about themselves and each other, and discourage negative reinforcement.

Teach your teen to feel good about adequate work versus always striving for perfection.

Encourage your teen to build a network of reliable and supportive friends,

By: rodolphe cote

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How the Environment Can Affect Mental Health

How the Environment Can Affect Mental Health
By Elisabetta Reist

The environment has really a big role in our mental health. Very often we do not think about, we do not even consider it. But it is the truth.

In fact, sometimes it is the environment that does not allow us to sleep properly. The environment is a large term. It includes many aspects of your life. Just think of where you live. It is a noisy area? Is it, on the contrary, a tranquil area?

How is the air you breathe? Do you always feel calm? Is there any green grass around? Some trees? Or can you not see any green, any nature?

How is your home? Do you feel well in it? Are you happy? Environment means all sorts of things. It is the outside but it is also the inside of a home, of a workplace,

If your home is in a residential area with a lot of green around, you may feel much better than when you go to town. If your home is sober, you will not be affected by a day in town. After having been under the stressing factors, you know that you can go home and relax.

If your workplace is in a noisy area or if the people you work with, are nervous, you may be affected by them.

If you know that your health may be affected by your environment, you will pay close attention to all stressing factors. You will try to avoid them whenever this is possible.

If you work in an area with polluted air, you will try to go for a walk in a park, along a flowing water or along a lake. Walking in a park gives you the possibility to breathe fresh air, and therefore regenerate your breath and "cleanse" your lungs. If your lungs are cleansed, your mental health is also much better because your thinking capacity is enhanced. Your mood is better.

You will soon get aware that the environment not only affects mental health and anxiety but it also affects the body.

On the other hand, this means that our physical and our mental health go hand in hand They are strongly connected.

I think it is well worth to consider the various aspects of the environment and its influences on our Selves.

Try to sense the influence of the environment on your mental health. Try to understand why you do not feel well, why you have got a headache or you feel dizzy. If you get aware that the environment is "attacking" you, the best weapon against it is moving out at least for part of the day. If this is not possible, move out of dangerous environments at least in your free time.

On the other hand, if you feel that your environment is favorable to your mental health and to your calmness, be thankful and try to stay there as much as you can.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elisabetta_Reist