Mental/emotional health

Mental health is integral to living a healthy,  balanced life. It encompasses our psychological, emotional and social well-being. This means it impacts how we feel, think and behave each day. Our mental health also contribute to our decision making process, how we cope with stress and how we relate to others in our lives. 
    Bottling up things like stress, anger, sadness and worries is a vita instance of mental illness. Let some feelings like this go in favor of openness, forgiveness and love. 
         Mental imbalance comes in form of:
1. Depression
2. Anxiety 
3. Bipolar disorder 
4. OCD

What does Depression Feel Like?

• You don't want to live, but you don't want to die.
• You make plans to do everything, but are exhausted so end up doing nothing .
• You don't want to talk to anybody, but you feel lonely.
• You wake up in the morning and simply wait for night to come.

Depression is a very real illness that affects the entire mind and body. It seriously dampens everyday activities of humans:
such as their energy for activity, sex drive, sleep, appetite and ability to cope with life. They cannot seem to lift themselves out of their misery or ‘fight it themselves’. Superficial advice like ‘snap out of it’ is unhelpful, because the person has little or no control over it.

What is the cause?

The cause is somewhat mysterious, but it has been found that an important chemical is present in smaller amounts than usual in the nervous system. It is rather like a person low in iron becoming anaemic.

Depression can follow a severe loss, such as the death of a loved one, a marital separation or a financial loss. On the other hand it can develop for no apparent reason, although it may follow an illness such as glandular fever or influenza, an operation or childbirth. Depression can occur at any age but is seen more commonly in late adolescence, middle age (both men and women), retirement age and in the elderly.

How common is depression?

It is one of the most common illnesses in medicine and is often confused with other physical illnesses or fatigue.

What are the symptoms?

The patient can experience many symptoms, both physical and mental. On the other hand, the classical symptoms of being depressed (crying and not sleeping) may be absent and the depression may be masked. Usually, however, some of the following are present:

• lowered mood with a feeling of not being able to cope with life (e.g. hopelessness, helplessness)

• continual fatigue, loss of energy nearly every day

• sleeping problems (e.g. early or late waking)

• eating problems (e.g. diminished or increased appetite)

• loss of interest in things such as sex

• inability to enjoy normally enjoyable things

• tension and anxiety

• irritableness, anger or fearfulness

• feelings of guilt or worthlessness or being unwanted

• difficulty in

concentrating and making decisions

• headache, constipation or indigestion

• recurrent thoughts of death and suicide.

If 5 or more of these symptoms are present, for most of the time over a 2 week period, this may indicate a diagnosis of depression.

The symptoms may vary during the day, but are usually worse on waking in the morning. If they are severe, the depressed person may not feel like living at all.

What are the risks?

Suicide is a real risk. Almost 70% of suicides are due to depression in an otherwise healthy person. Another very serious and avoidable consequence is marital or relationship breakdown, mainly because depressed people can be unpleasant to live with, especially if their spouse or friends do not understand their suffering

What must be done?

Depressed people really need urgent medical help, which usually gives excellent results. The risk of suicide is real, and threats must be taken seriously—they are often carried out. Every conceivable effort must be made to get medical help, even if the patient is reluctant to see a doctor.

What is the treatment?

The essentials of treatment are:

• support and counselling therapy (the best therapy)

• antidepressant medication, which replaces the missing chemicals.

Antidepressants are not drugs of addiction and are generally very effective, but take about 2 weeks before an improvement is noticed. If the person is very seriously depressed and there is a risk of suicide, admission to hospital will most likely be advised. Other more effective treatments can be used if needed.

The depressed person needs a lot of understanding, support and therapy. Once treatment is started, the outlook is very good. Special counselling, such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), is very important. Simply talking about your feelings is most helpful.

IMPORTANT POINTS:

• Depression is an illness that is different from normal sadness.

• It is more common than is realised.

• It just happens; no one is to blame.

• It affects the basic functions of energy, sex, appetite and sleep.

• It can be lethal if untreated.

• It can destroy relationships.

• Talk it over with people who are good listeners.

• It responds well to treatment.

• Never give up—better times are ahead