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People who struggle with mental health no longer have to suffer in silence. There’s an entire day dedicated to raising awareness about critical mental health agendas to create change and erase the stigmas around the various diseases.
Today, October 10, is World Mental Health Day. It was established back in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health and offers an opportunity for governments, organizations and people to develop initiatives that focus on mental health care.
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There are more than 200 types of mental illnesses. Some of them include anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and substance use disorders.
Anxiety disorders can vary from specific phobias to social anxiety disorder to generalized anxiety disorder, but they are known to cause fear and dread within people. Some anxiety is healthy when faced with a dangerous situation, but it becomes a problem when your anxiety interferes with your everyday life.
Bipolar Disorder is on the extreme end of the spectrum of mood disorders. It can cause intense shifts in mood, energy levels and behavior. The main signs of the condition are manic and hypomanic episodes. Most people with bipolar disorder also have depressive episodes. Treatments for both anxiety disorders and bipolar disorder include medication and psychotherapy.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common mental health condition that can develop after a traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, anxiety, negative thoughts and beliefs. The main treatment for PTSD is psychotherapy.
Substance Use Disorder occurs when there’s a pattern of substance use that affects your health and well-being. Common substances that are abused include alcohol, opioids and marijuana. Substance use disorder can range from mild to a severe addiction. It’s treatable with withdrawal management, psychotherapy and medication.
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According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 1 in 5 adults and young people live with a mental health disorder. About half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14 and ¾ of them begin by age 24. Suicide is often associated with mental illness. It’s the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 34.
Monitoring your mental health is important because it can shape the way you think, feel, behave, and interact with the world. Your mental state can also affect how you cope with stress. While having poor mental health doesn’t always mean you have a behavioral health disorder, you can have a behavioral health disorder and still experience long periods of positive mental health.
This World Mental Health Day, there’s an emphasis being placed on the correlation between mental health and work. Unhealthy working conditions such as discrimination and harassment can pose risks to the mental health of employees.
Sixty percent of the global population works. It’s imperative that workplaces put protections in place to foster a healthy work environment that’s conducive to good mental health. Employers can do that by investing resources in evidence-based programs at work so employees can thrive and be healthy.
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The post World Mental Health Day: Types of Conditions That Exist & How to Remedy Them appeared first on Elev8.