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Tips to Recover From Your Mental Health

admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 07:00:25 +0000

Most of us suffer from mental health problems, though in varying degrees. Although mental ill-health affects so many people, there is still no proper definition as to what mental health problems are and what methods are needed to recover. It is reported that at least 1 in 10 young people and around 1 in 4 adults experience mental health problem at some time in their lives. Mental health can mean a wide range of symptoms and disorders – like depression, anxiety, self-harm, violent tendencies, schizophrenia and various types of mania. The mental health problems can develop at any time in one’s life and each person’s experience can be unique and can last from several weeks to even a lifetime.

People suffering from mental ill-health will think, feel or behave abnormally. This can be confusing not only for them but can affect their relationships, their work or education, and their social life. Having a mental health problem can create difficulties for all family members, friends, and the people they interact with. Mental health problems are usually caused by a variety of factors including breakdown in a relationship, death of a family member or a close friend, bullying, abuse, divorce, separation from parents or loved ones, stress born of a person’s current situation. Mental health can happen suddenly without prior indications or get built up over time.

When people first begin to experience mental health difficulties they may not be able to fathom what is happening. In several instances, people tend to deny that anything is wrong with them or even suppress information. Their reasons for doing this could be embarrassment, a sense of shame or fear of other people’s reactions. There is no denying the fact that mental health results in social stigma. Please remember that there is a lot of support available to help people recover from mental health problems – in terms of counseling, therapy, medication and treatment in hospital. Different treatments are recommended for different types of mental illnesses. With the right support, the majority of people with mental health problems will surely recover.

Mental health saps your energy, hope, ambition and drive, sometimes making it difficult to do even the normal day-to-day activities. Although overcoming depression may not be quick or easy, it certainly is not impossible. Feeling completely better may take time, but you can get there if you make positive choices for yourself each day and draw on the support of your loved ones. Recovering from depression calls for positive action but taking action when you’re depressed is hard. Some simple things you need to do are physical exercise, eating right food and rating regularly, sleeping at least for six hours, going out for walks in open areas, interacting with loved ones, avoiding loneliness, refusing to think negatively etc. . You probably already know that these things will help you overcome depression but following these rules are not easy when you are depressed. This is the Catch-22 situation of depression recovery. The symptoms of depression such as fatigue, despondency, incoherent thinking, and low self-esteem make it difficult to take the necessary steps to recovery. A realistic recovery plan therefore involves taking responsibility for the choices and changes you do have control over and avoiding the things you cannot control.

All forms of mental illnesses are treatable if the patient receives competent professional care. Psychologists are among the licensed and highly trained mental health providers with years of experience studying depression and helping patients recover from it. Unfortunately, there is some social stigma associated with seeking help for emotional and mental health problems as feelings of depression often are viewed as a sign of weakness rather than as a signal that something is out of balance. Persons suffering from mental health who do not seek help suffer needlessly. Unexpressed feelings and concerns accompanied by a sense of isolation can worsen mental health. The importance of obtaining timely professional health care is the need of the only answer for mental maladies.

The Impact of Physical Illness on Mental Health

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:24:53 +0000

While there have been many advances made in the mental health field over the last quarter century, with mental health professionals acknowledging more and more mental illnesses and how they develop, one aspect of mental health is still not widely discussed. This is the actual impact that physical illness has on one’s mental health.

In fact, few people who are not in the mental health field even consider the part that physical illness plays when it comes to mental health. For example, when you get a cold, you may be a little irritable, and most of us would attribute the fact that we don’t feel good to that irritability.

However, it goes a little deeper than that. When we don’t feel good – even if feeling bad comes from a simple cold – we also tend to feel a little ‘blue.’ Things that would not otherwise be a big deal in our lives become a little larger. We do not respond or react as we normally would.

Fortunately, the cold does not last long, and we get back to being ‘normal.’ But what if that cold turned into a long term illness, or even a fatal illness? How does that affect our mental health? It affects every area of your life, including personal relationships, social interactions, work, and even religious beliefs and spirituality. With such illnesses, it isn’t even so much a question of not feeling good, in the physical sense. It is a question of not feeling good in the mental sense.

Naturally, when confronted with long-term illnesses, no matter how mild or serious they are, we experience a range of emotions, such as anger, worry, and sadness. We feel that our bodies let us down. We feel that we have no control. We may feel lonely or feel that people don’t understand what we are going through.

The biggest concerns, from a mental health standpoint, when it comes to long-term illness, are depression and anxiety. It is not at all uncommon for someone who is suffering from a long-term physical ailment to experience either of these conditions. It is, however, often overlooked and left untreated. This, of course, can be very dangerous, and as research has shown, even have a negative impact on the physical recovery process.

These days, doctors are more aware of how physical ailments affect our mental health, and they are on the lookout for signs of anxiety or depression in their patients. However, for the most part, your doctor will not be aware that a problem exists if you are not open and honest with them about your feelings and what is going on in your life.

Overall, it is perfectly fine and perfectly normal to feel a little blue when you are under the weather. But when it comes to long term illnesses, you need to be able to recognize the signs of depression and anxiety. When you see those signs, let your doctor know immediately, and seek treatment. Don’t try to ‘go it alone’ and do not assume that ‘it will pass.’

Jennifer B. Baxt, LMFT, LMHC, PA

Complete Counseling Solutions

http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com

Mental Health – How to Read Mind?

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:20:39 +0000

Mental health problems can affect people at any time of life and in different ways. They can include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, self-harm and dementia. Mental health affects every part of our daily lives. How well we feel plays a major role in our health and how we get along with others or react to events. Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Even though many of us don’t suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, it is clear that some of us are mentally healthier than others. The study of the characteristics that make up mental health has been called “positive psychology.”

Positive mental health is about:

• feeling in control

• being able to make rational decisions

• being in touch with our feelings

• being able to form positive relationships

• feeling good about ourselves

• knowing how to look after ourselves

We all have our ups and downs, but if the downs start to take over it is a sign that we need to take some action.

Steps To Read Mind:

1. Get acquainted with the person whose mind you will later claim to be reading (the subject). Look for a wedding ring or infant toys sticking out of a purse. Ask questions about jobs and pets. Later, when you repeat this information, the person may have forgotten your earlier encounter.

2. Tell the subject that you are going to try to read his or her mind and ask him or her to help you. Claim that at times the thoughts you receive are hard to distinguish from background noise, and that you may need clarification. In this way, you can make a vague guess and the subject will provide specific information yet will still be amazed at your mind-reading ability.

3. Use props. While you’re trying to think of what to say, pretend to be concentrating on a thought-focusing crystal in your hand or hold a photo of a dead relative to your head, claiming that the person assists you from “the other side.” Take your time and be dramatic.

4. Perform a cold reading. Make a general statement and study how your subject reacts. If the subject does nothing, make another statement. Repeat this process, acting as if you’re zeroing in on a specific thought until you get a reaction. If you are able to do this smoothly, your subject will forget your incorrect guesses. It helps if you are familiar with current events so you can make accurate guesses.

5. Say something obvious, such as “You’re concerned that I might learn some secret about you.” If the subject protests that the statement is obvious, insist that it is nevertheless what the subject was thinking at that moment.

6. Try shot gunning. If you’re demonstrating your mind-reading ability in front of a group of people, make a statement and look around to see who reacts. Address that person directly, claiming to have heard his or her thoughts.

7. Listen. once your subject is convinced that you’ve heard his or her thoughts, he or she will often talk extensively about things related to those thoughts. You can later repeat these things, and the subject will think you learned them through mind reading.