Eps 4: Never Suffer From MENAAL HEALTH Again
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Camila Arnold
Podcast Content
For those who have never experienced a mental illness, it may be difficult to realize that depression and other mental illnesses usually do not have a trigger at all. For others, a trigger in one circumstance may trigger a downward spiral leading to anxiety or depression.
Not every sign of mental health problems means that you have a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression. It is hard to get diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, OCD, and major depressive disorder. Even medications used to treat mental illnesses and sleeping disorders may make or contribute to depression for some people.
Treatment in a mental health setting may also help an individual to manage both the substance use disorders and the symptoms of depression that can go along with them. For serious mental illnesses, medications ease symptoms while psychotherapy helps individuals manage the disease.3 Just as there is no medicine that will instantly cure a mental illness, psychotherapy is not a one-time event. Many individuals are able to find a combination of treatments and coping skills that allows them to live a life in recovery.
Family-centered programs, many led by trained trainers who have had mental illness themselves, may be helpful for families in learning how to cope. Research has shown that family-based programs also can increase the wellbeing of many individuals living with severe mental illness. Participation in family programs, where you attend educational and treatment sessions with a loved one, may be helpful as well. Just as it is important to keep yourself healthy while caring for your loved one with a mental illness, it is important to keep relationships with other members of the household, including your spouse or partner.
It is important for a couple to remember that most individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness get better over time, and a partners attitudes and behaviors may be a major contributor to recovery. It helps to remember that people with serious mental illnesses are capable of living rich, fulfilling lives - you might too. Many people have even reached the point of feeling thankful for the things they learned while living with mental illness and recovering. By encouraging ourselves and others suffering from mental illness to talk about it, we can create a culture of recovery.
With appropriate treatment, individuals suffering from SMI can lead productive, pleasant lives. There are a number of effective treatments, including a number of things that can be done to help your mental health on your own. Many people assume that, if they really want to get help with their mental and emotional problems, the only available treatment options are medications or therapy . If you have made consistent efforts to improve your mental and emotional health, but still are not functioning optimally at home, at work, or in your relationships, it might be time to get professional help.
There are professionals that are trained in helping people with mental health issues, and sometimes as a friend, the best thing you can do is to stand aside so that your friend can begin getting help from one. Whether you are feeling more anxious, showing signs of depression, or considering self-harming, it is absolutely time for both yourself and your friend to seek help. Working with doctors and mental health professionals, developing coping strategies in your job and at school, and having the support of family and friends are all important steps for anyone living with depression, and for anyone who has risk factors of developing this condition over a lifetime.
Several studies and pilot programs have shown that depression and anxiety symptoms are improved when individuals living with mental illness are provided financial assistance. Not only does living in poverty put an individual at a higher risk of depression, but mental illness may also make it harder for an individual to escape the cycle of socioeconomic disadvantage if he or she is not able to work or has no access to supports and social services. Many adults suffering from psychiatric disorders had issues that began during childhood.44 Depression during adolescence can predict a more serious disorder later in life.27 Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, once thought to only affect children and adolescents, may continue through adulthood and can be associated with social, legal, and occupational issues.14 Mental illnesses may interfere with the capacity for schooling.
Adverse Childhood Experiences are known to increase an individuals lifelong risk for developing both mental and chronic physical illnesses, including depression. The exact causes are not known, but a variety of factors may increase a persons risk for mental illness, including family history, brain chemistry, and significant life events, such as experiencing trauma or a loved ones death. About 1 in 5 of us will experience a diagnosable mental illness this year alone. Several long-term studies have found that up to a third to one-half of those who have schizophrenia have improved markedly, and even recovered fully, from the disease.44 The causes of schizophrenia Like other mental illnesses discussed here, scientists are still working to identify what causes schizophrenia.
Once scientists are able to identify causes of mental illnesses,5 they may be able to use their findings to develop new treatments or to find cures. Determinations may also boost your immune system, ease pain, reduce stress, and motivate you to take the next steps toward improving mental and emotional health. Regular exercise or activities can make a big difference in your mental and emotional health problems, alleviate stress, enhance memory, and help you get a better nights sleep.
When you enhance your physical health, you will automatically experience greater mental and emotional wellbeing. Just like a person who is physically fit is more capable of recovering from an illness or an injury, someone who has a stronger mental health is more capable of recovering from hardship, trauma, and stress. Lifestyle changes, like making art, journaling, exercising more, and practicing yoga or mindfulness, may also ease depression and stress, which may increase it.