Good mental health is as important as good physical health. You are probably aware of the consequences of not looking after your body – eating unhealthy foods all the time, never doing exercise, not washing properly and so on.
You can look after your mind in much the same way you look after your body.
Well, it’s much the same for your mind. Life can be a roller coaster of emotions, with pressures coming from school, work, friends, parents, boy/girl friends and from your own expectations of yourself. Sometimes these pressures can get on top of you, and you can feel pretty down or depressed.
Other times you will feel in control and on top of the world. Recognizing when situations are getting out of control is a good step towards positive mental health, as you can then do something about it.
Even better is having a routine that allows you time for yourself, to do things you enjoy – a sort of low fat gentle jog for the mind. In the same way you can catch a cold or break a leg, occasionally you may suffer from mental ill health too.
Good mental health
According to a leading UK mental health charity, one in four of us will experience mental ill health during any given year – but you can do something about it.
No-one feels happy all of the time and it’s only natural that we should feel low occasionally, but depression and other mood disorders are more than just a bad case of the blues. So how do we know when our worries are a bit more serious than the normal ups and downs of life?
If you feel that you really can’t cope with anything, you’re tearful, can’t sleep or feel distracted all the time, its time to talk to someone about it. When you bottle things up, even small problems can seem impossible to deal with on your own, so it makes sense to talk it through with someone. Your parents are often the best source of help; after all they’ve known you for a long time.
But if your problems are due to a situation at home or you feel that you just can’t confide in your parents, then there are other sources of help available.
Psychological Wellbeing – Talk to someone
You could have a chat with the school nurse, a teacher who you get on well with at school, Student Services if you are at college, your GP, the Samaritans (you don’t have to feel suicidal to speak to them), or perhaps your friend’s mum.
Whoever you decide to confide in, remember that a problem shared is a problem halved and sometimes just talking things through lightens the load and makes you feel better.
It is worth considering support to explore any ‘triggers’ or ‘reasons’ that may have caused the depression in the first place. This can be done with a counsellor, who will help you unpick situations and circumstances to get a better understanding of how you react and deal with things. Your GP can refer you to a counsellor on the NHS, although there may be a waiting list.
If you are over 16,
you can refer yourself – that is, contact the Counselling Service direct. If you do see your GP, and after looking at other options, they decide that a course of ‘anti-depressants’ would be useful, ask them to explain how they work, and how long before you should notice some improvements. There are some tried and tested anti-depressants that help you balance out the chemicals needed to make your brain function correctly – thus lifting the depression.
If you are going through tough times at home, due to a family break up, you may want to consider Relate’s Young People Counselling Service. Relate offer this service free to people aged 11 to 25.
It may be that there is somebody else in your home that has a mental health problem, and you are struggling to cope with their illness, or feel you have nobody to discuss your anxieties or niggles with. The Young Carers Project offers support and advice, and a chance to meet other young people who are in similar situations.
You won’t be expected to discuss your home life (unless you want to), but being around other people who know what you are experiencing (often without having to say a word!) can be a tremendous source of comfort and support.
Alcoholism and Mental Health
and other drug dependency may be or can be linked to mental illness, and can have a dramatic effect on family life. If you live with somebody who is an alcoholic or has an addiction to drugs, or if you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, you can get support from a number of sources.
Alateen are groups of young people who meet together for mutual support, and are or have been affected by problems of alcoholic drinking by parents, relatives or friends (however, given the nature of people’s need for support, the groups come and go as people join and leave). DASH – the Drug Advice Service and Helpline – can also offer support to friends and relatives of people who use drugs.
One of the best ways to stay healthy
is to take regular exercise. The benefits of exercise are;
Keeping your body in good shape – regardless of your build. You don’t need to look like a marathon runner to be healthy!
- Improves strength and stamina
- Quickens your metabolic rate, which in turn improves your immune system
- Relieves stress
- Releases endorphins “happy chemicals” into your blood stream which give you that feel good factor
EXERCISING WITH OTHERS IS A GOOD WAY OF BEING SOCIABLE.
We exercise much less these days and have more sedentary lifestyles than previous generations.
For example, in Britain we are walking 20% less than we did just 10 years ago. An active lifestyle is key to better health, but presently only 31% of adults are sufficiently active to feel health benefits.
There are lots of ways that you can increase your activity levels and keep fit, check out the activities section for ideas on what’s available around the Island and remember that you don’t need to join an expensive gym.
For general health benefits a 30 minute brisk walk 5 times a week could change you from a couch potato into a happier and healthier person. If this seems a lot, you can always break it down into several shorter bouts of activity of 10 minutes or more throughout the day.
Suicide and Mental health
Sometimes things get on top of you, and you can feel totally overwhelmed and unable to feel positive about the future. Many people at some point in their lives have hit an all time low and have had suicidal thoughts.
But no matter how bad things may seem, remember all problems will have a solution. The families of suicide victims often despair at the fact that they didn’t realise there was a problem… If only the family member had confided in someone, the problem could have been resolved. If you have suicidal thoughts it’s important that you tell someone how you feel.
If you don’t want to discuss your feelings with friends or family your GP will be able to help. You can also contact the Samaritans – there is always someone at the end of the phone 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
If a friend confides in you that they have thought about suicide always take them seriously. Let them talk about the problem; reassure them that you’re there to help them through this period, encourage them to seek professional advice. Even if it’s a false alarm you’ll have been a great mate by being there for them when they needed you.
Self Harm
This is self-inflicted injury, which often takes the form of cutting or burning wrists, arms or other parts of the body. It can become a habit-forming way of coping for some people.
If you wish to talk to someone about self-harm or any other problem, you can contact several national mental health organisations as well as local mental health counsellors.
The national mental health organisations are confidential and there is always someone on hand to help. If you would like to receive counselling support, your GP will be able to help you arrange this.
If you have a friend who you think is self harming, you can also find out some information to get a better understanding on why they may be doing it. This may help you to help them when the time is right. Try the following website for more information: www.nshn.co.uk
Source: https://jotmag.com/good-mental-health-is-as-important-as-good-physical-health/
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