The Repetition of Mental Illness

Mental health is an important part of overall health and wellness. Mental illness can affect anyone, at any age, and in any income bracket. It’s important to take steps to avoid mental illness before it starts. Here are some tips to help you stay on top of your mental health:

1. Get enough sleep: Sleep is so important to emotional and physical health. Make sure to get enough rest each night. Take the time to relax and unwind before bed. Establishing a sleep routine can help.

2. Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins and other hormones that are beneficial for mental health. Make sure you get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. This can be anything from taking a walk around your neighborhood to doing a workout video at home. Set realistic goals so that you don’t get overwhelmed and discouraged.

3. Take breaks: Scheduling regular breaks throughout the day is important. Taking a break from the stress of everyday life can help to refresh your mind and body. It can also be a good opportunity to practice mindfulness or deep breathing exercises.

4. Eat healthy: Eating healthy helps maintain physical and mental health. A balanced diet includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Limit junk food and processed foods. Be sure to drink plenty of water too.

5. Avoid drugs and alcohol: Drugs and alcohol can have a negative effect on mental health. Alcohol can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and even suicide. Use drugs and alcohol sparingly, if at all.

6. Connect with people: Staying connected with others is important for mental health. Maintain supportive relationships with family and friends. Make time for activities that you enjoy, such as going for walks or reading a book.

7. Practice self-care: Take care of yourself by practising good self-care habits. Get enough sleep, exercise, eat right, and avoid drugs and alcohol. Also, focus on positive thinking and do activities that make you feel good.

By taking the time to look after your mental health, you can take steps towards avoiding mental illness. Everyone has ups and downs in life, but with the right support and awareness, you can make sure you’re in the best place possible – mentally and emotionally.

Mental illness is also referred to as mental health disorders. These are health conditions that affect your emotion, behavior, and mood. Some of the common mental illnesses are anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc.

Many people have mental illnesses but they are not aware. You need to always evaluate yourself to be sure that you are not struggling with any mental health problems, as this is important for your quality of life.

Here are some of the common signs of mental illness

Feeling moody

If you are always feeling sad or down, you might be struggling with a mental health problem. When you discover that you cannot always trace the root cause of your mood, then it might be a mental illness.

Low energy levels

For people who always feel weak to do even the simplest task, you might be battling a mental health problem.

Withdrawal from people

Another way to know that you have a mental illness is when you are comfortable not staying around people anymore. This is quite different from craving your space.

Most times, you don’t want to hear from people both physically and virtually because of reasons that you cannot explain. When you feel this urge most times, a mental health problem might be in play.

Alcohol or drug abuse

If you feel the need to always take drugs or alcohol so that you can achieve something, you might be facing a mental health problem.

Suicidal thoughts

Sometimes, you may feel like ending your life would be the solution to your problems. If this thought crosses your mind and you don’t want to share it with anyone, you might be struggling with a mental health problem.

One of the best ways to treat mental illness is to speak out and look for help. If you don’t get help, the problems might pile up to the point where it becomes quite difficult to treat or manage. You can always reach out to mental health counselors or therapists for help.

Paying more attention to your mental health comes with loads of benefits in the long run. This involves watching out for the habits and activities that can deteriorate your mental health. You might be surprised to see that some of these habits were “harmless.”

Lack of physical exercise

As surprising as it might sound, physical exercise is important for improving mental health. Several studies have shown that people who regularly engage in physical exercise are less likely to experience mental illness than their counterparts who don’t workout.

When you exercise, feel-good hormones like endorphins are released. Additionally, some chemicals that boost the potency of your immune system are ejected into your body.

Engaging in regular physical exercise also takes away worries and improves your confidence in the long run.

Excessive use of social media

One of the reasons why people develop anxiety and depression is because they overuse social media. For instance, you might see happy pictures of people and think that they are doing well. This might make you look down on yourself and start blaming your condition.

Social media gives you the false impression that some people have a perfect life. When you ingest everything social media brings your way, you might develop a mental illness.

Poor sleeping habits

Sleep is essential to put your body and mind in great shape. When you sleep regularly, you are giving your body the chance to recover from the stress of the previous day.

Doing this would help reduce the chances of mental illnesses. However, if you don’t sleep regularly, you are likely to develop depression and anxiety.

Perfectionism

If you are a perfectionist, you might struggle with mental illness. Having a perfectionist mindset isn’t bad, but some limits shouldn’t be crossed. You need to remember that you might not be perfect at all times, so you should not go hard on yourself when you make a mistake.

When you discover that you are struggling with mental illness, you need to seek help from a therapist or mental health counselor.

People who have mental illness need all the help they can get. These people do not believe they have a problem and it is imperative for you to be able to convince them, before they will accept your offer of seeking help.

Mental illness has the capacity to affect just anyone. It is a state of health that creeps in subtly and before the individual realizes it, they are deep in their mental health problem with no hope of coming out.

The positive part about this is, there is ample help for mental illness, one of which is counseling.

The concept of counseling cuts across all aspects of our lives, particularly our health. A counselor is someone who is very knowledgeable having certain soft skills like empathy, critical decision making and a host of others.

Counseling for mental illness is referred to as psychotherapy, and it is a branch of counseling that helps in treating and providing the mental health needs of an individual.

Mental health counseling is a reality because there are mental health problems. Hence, it is vital to consult professionals who know much about this concept.

Mental health counseling does not only involve evaluation that is carried out on an individual. It encompasses the clinical measures that are involved to make the work of the counselor more superb.

There is no strict time frame for counseling for mental illness, it depends on the severity of the mental health problem. So, for instance, an individual who is in the early stage of depression would need few months of mental health counseling

For those whose mental health problems are grave, they would spend a lot of them with the mental health counselor before heading to the rehab.

The purpose of mental health counseling is to improve the quality of life. A mental health counselor assists you in handling your life in a better way than you used to. It is certain that during mental health counseling, you will be equipped to personally empower yourself.

Mental illness also means mental health comprising several mental health problems that negatively impacts your behavior, emotions, mood and thoughts. There are several people with mental health problems, but they do not know what it is precisely.

The common examples of mental illness are anxiety and depression. There are other forms like OCD, PTSD, schizophrenia and the likes. The development of mental illness indicates the absence of needed help. For instance, someone who develops depression most likely did not open up to another person.

Usually, when we are at our lows, we need people to lift our moods. But, the moment we begin to crave dying in silence and keeping to ourselves rather than opening up. Then, it implies that depression is beginning to set in.

It is very easy to spot early signs of depression. The individual would prefer to wallow in their problems and solve it all by themselves, instead of involving another person. When they are queried of being alone, they deny and fight off that reality.

The same applies to anxiety. When an individual begins to worry unnecessarily, it is vital to watch out for the person. He or she is being over-anxious, and it is not good for their well-being.

Mental illness does not affect the mental health of an individual alone, it also affects their physical health because they go hand-in-hand.

People who have mental illness are not the best version of themselves. Most times, they think they are okay, but in reality, they are far from it. And the farther they push people away from them, the more they plunge deeper into their problem.

It is crucial to help people who have mental illness to seek help. There are reputable rehabs that cater for the mental health of individuals, and even though some of them might want to shy away from it, it is essential to persuade them to opt for treatment.

People commit suicide due to anxiety and depression, and this is because they had no access to help.

Mental illness is defined as a broad range of mental health conditions or disorders which have an adverse effect on your behaviour, mood and thinking.

Common examples of mental illness are anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, addictive behaviours and eating disorders. A good number of people are bound to have some mental health problems on a periodic basis.

However, a mental health concern could transcend to being a mental illness when the continuing signs and symptoms induce regular stress and unpleasantly distress your functioning ability.

Having a mental illness could make someone miserable and can induce problems in your everyday life, which could be work, school, relationships amongst others.

In many cases, these symptoms can be supervised when there is a combination of medications and psychotherapy which is also known as talk therapy.

The signs and symptoms which are associated with mental illness vary and they are dependent on the circumstances, disorder and a host of other factors. These symptoms negatively affect our thoughts, behaviours and emotions.

Such examples are as follows:
Sad and depressed feeling
Confused thoughts pattern and inability to concentrate
Extreme fears and worries, continuous feeling of guilt
Mood swings
Insomnia
Fantasies
Being unable to cope with stress
Inability to understand other people
Substance abuse
Huge changes in eating habits
Suicidal thoughts

Mental illnesses are caused by some factors which are as follows:
Inherited attributes: There is a higher rate of finding people who have mental illness in a family where the relatives also have the same issue. There are some genes which could increase the chances of coming down with mental illness, and coupled with life challenges, it could be aggravated.

Pre-natal exposure to the environment: When an unborn child is exposed to some negative environmental factors, drugs, alcohol and the likes, it could induce mental illness.

Brain chemistry: There are some neurotransmitters which occur naturally in the brain, and they are chemicals which convey signals to other segments of the body and brain. In cases when this function is impaired, the work function of the nerve receptors and nerve systems alter, and depression sets in.

In order to prevent mental illness, there is a need for you to do the following:
Heed warning signs
Go for constant medical care
Seek help when it is needed
Always watch out for yourself

Many people who have a mental illness do not want to talk about it. But mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of! It is a mental condition, just like heart disease or diabetes.
A mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, or mood. Such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis. They may be occasional or long-lasting (chronic).
There are many different types of mental disorders. Some common ones include
Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post- traumatic stress disorder, and phobias
Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders
Eating disorders
Personality disorders
Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia
A mental health condition isn’t the result of one event. Genetics, environment and lifestyle influence whether someone develops a mental health condition. A stressful job or home life makes some people more susceptible, as do traumatic life events like being the victim of a crime.
Approximately, one in 5 adults experiences a mental health condition every year. One in 17 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. In addition to a person’s directly experiencing a mental illness, family, friends and communities are also affected.
Half of mental health conditions begin by age14, and 75% of mental health conditions develop by age 24. Mental illness does not discriminate; it can affect anyone regardless of age. The normal personality and behavior changes of adolescence may mimic or mask symptoms of a mental health condition. Early engagement and support are crucial to improving outcomes and increasing the promise of recovery.
There is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to risk for mental illness, such as
Genes and family history
One’s life experiences, such as stress or a history of abuse, especially if they happen in childhood
Biological factors such as chemical imbalances in the brain
A traumatic brain injury
A mother’s exposure to viruses or toxic chemicals while pregnant
Use of drinks or recreational substances
Having a serious medical condition like cancer
Having few friends, and feeling lonely or isolated
Sometimes, many mistakenly believe that mental disorders are caused by character flaws. As a matter of fact, they have nothing to do with being lazy or weak.
However, the good news is that mental illness is treatable. The vast majority of individuals with mental illness continue to function in their daily lives. Treatment depends on which mental disorder the victim has and how serious it is.

Mental illness is a difficult thing to cope with, but receiving treatment is a highly recommended option. Treating a mental illness is not like treating a physical illness. Mental health levels cannot be measured in quantities like blood tests and cholesterol can be. Mental health issues are a matter of cognition; an invisible thing that informs our personal identities. When a person’s thought and behavioral patterns are unhealthy, they have a mental illness. Fortunately, for them, there are mental health experts available for hire who can guide them through the mental illness they are afflicted with and teach them to overcome it.

Mental health professionals who treat mental illness are typically psychologists or psychiatrists. Their services may be enlisted privately or they may serve hospitals or inpatient treatment centers where people with mental illnesses encounter them. Their job is to engage their client, ask them questions about themselves, listen carefully to their responses, assess their mental illness and create a mental health profile for them. Once their mental illness is properly diagnosed, treatment can begin for them.

Treatment for a mental illness involves intensive cognitive behavioral therapy that slowly but steadily alters the way a person thinks. Because the root of all action and decision making begins with thought patterns, mental health professionals delve deep into a person’s life, past experiences, tendencies and environmental factors to understand how they operate. They determine if medication is needed for the individual and acquire the person a prescription if it is required. They assign the person readings and exercises in order to become familiar with and practice their new coping abilities.

Everything that a mental health professional works with their client on will be put to the test when the mental health professional is not around. However, a person’s psychologist or psychiatrist tends to become a permanent fixture in their life, or at least for an extended period of time. They remain accessible to the person in times of need or crisis. Treating a mental illness is an extended process that lasts for at least a matter of months, if not years. It is important that people choose their mental health professional wisely because they will establish a close relationship with them.

Mental illness is an umbrella term for a range of mental and personality disorders. It refers more to a general classification than any single condition. The list of mental illnesses is extensive, and each is unique from the others. Some of the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses are as follows:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This mental illness is characterized by chronic disorganized overactivity, racing thoughts, impulsive decision making and, in many cases, an inability to control emotions. People with ADHD often suffer from depression and anger issues as well due to their inability to function like other people.
• Bipolar Disorder. When a person swings back and forth from dramatic highs to dramatic lows, they are afflicted with bipolar disorder. Periods of mania, when a person is overactive, energetic and unrealistically optimistic, can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, then cycle into periods of depression, when the person is lethargic, uninspired, unproductive and foggy.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety is characterized by immobilizing fear that can come on as a cautionary feeling or a severe attack. People with anxiety can be triggered by a variety of stimuli that they interpret as dangerous and threatening, even when the risk is entirely imagined.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Someone with OCD will fixate on things that are imperfect and obsess over them in an attempt to make them perfect. Typically, a person with OCD will fixate on biological factors, such as health, cleanliness and hygiene, but they can also become obsessed with how things are organized or executed. OCD can feel like a prison to a person who has it because they cannot control their impulse to perfect things.
• Depression. One of the world’s most common mental illnesses, depression affects nearly a third of North America’s population. It has different levels, all of which are characterized by a slowing down of functionality due to feelings of melancholy. Depression can range from mild and manageable to severe and suicidal.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This mental illness occurs when a person has been through a traumatic event or extended situation, such as a wild animal attack or serving in a war. When events are more traumatic than the mind can handle, the mind becomes stuck on the events and re-experiences them continuously.

Breaking the cycle of mental illness is not something that can be done over night. Mental illness is just as real as physical illness, and the path toward recovery is an uphill one. But a person with a mental illness has every reason to hope for recovery. Though no one can completely separate themselves from their mental illness, they can learn to manage its hardships. This is a journey that requires diligence and strength, but it can be accomplished.

When you make the decision to take control of your mental illness, the first step you should take is reaching out for help, if yo have not done this already. Every type of mental illness can have overwhelming, vengeful symptoms that can get on top of the person who carries the illness. If this is the first step you are taking to bring your mental illness under control, do not attempt to do it alone. Seek the assistance of a mental health professional who can provide counseling and medication, if required.

After you have worked with a mental health professional, you will have a far better understanding of how your mental illness works and will be equipped to navigate it more intelligently. You will need these skills when you begin to experience episodes again. Learning about how to manage your mental illness is very different from putting that knowledge into play, and it may take a few tries before you see success. Do not give up! Trust the science behind psychology to lead you toward good mental health.

You will have repeated opportunities to apply your new coping mechanisms to your own outbursts and episodes. Use the calming the exercises you were taught. Look at the situation objectively as someone who is aware of their mental health situation and aware of their brain chemistry operations. Understand the science behind why you are feeling emotional or out of control. Use the coping devices you learned through counseling or self help. If you keep at this diligently, you will notice a difference in the strength and regularity of your episodes. You will begin to feel more balanced and in control, and you will become a much more self sufficient person.