It is no secret that this year has been very hard for most people due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This was not due to the Coronavirus but also the restrictions and subsequent loneliness of dealing with constant lockdowns.
The Importance Of Mental Health
As a result, due to these times and in the future, it has been increasingly important to pay attention to your mental health and well being.
In this post Clarity Clinic of Chicago will look at why mental health is so important. We will also look at a couple of very effective ways of improving your own mental health.
Mental Health Defined
To start, we will look at a definition of mental health. It is basically a person’s social, emotional and psychological well being. According to the WHO or World Health Organization, it is the current well being of a person, how they deal with their problems in life, their ability to work and realize their capabilities as well as their ability to contribute to society.
Mental Health Problems
In order to talk about mental health, it is important to discuss the external and internal factors that affect a person and their overall emotional well being.
Particular terms like mental health disorders or issues are basically about the particular things that impact an individual’s thoughts, mood and coping mechanisms.
There are many different types of mental health issues that can affect a person and they are very common. According to a study done in 2014 in the United Kingdom, it was determined that every one person out of six had a mental health issue on a weekly basis. It was also found that 18.1% of the United States population has anxiety disorders.
There are numerous mental health problems, however, a diagnosis can only be done by a mental health practitioner. Some of the main types of mental health issues are:
- Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder
- Eating disorders
- Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder
- Personality disorders
- Post traumatic stress disorders
In all of the categories listed above, there are many different conditions that exist. In most cases, doctors will usually use the DSM or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in order to classify them. They also use the ICD or International Classification for Diseases as well.
Why should you pay attention to mental health?
The question remains, why should you pay attention to and take care of your mental health? When you look at the definition above, you can see that this particular topic has many very serious implications.
When you take control of your mental health it will positively impact many areas of your life such as your emotional state, relationships, work etc.
Well being
There are lots of studies that clearly show that good mental health is linked to overall health and well being. Actually, these two are very closely related and should be dealt with at the same time.
The link between physical health and mental health is shown clearly in many ways. We will now look at how mental health and diet are related.
People who have mental disorders are at a much higher risk of getting diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer etc.
Those who have depression are also at a much higher risk of getting heart disease, becoming obese, diabetes and other cardiometabolic disorders. These ailments also increase depression.
People who suffer with gastrointestinal disorders typically have a much higher rate of mental problems such as anxiety and depression.
Those who have depression also usually have gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea etc.
Relationships
The people who are closest to use and are around us a lot have a lot to do with our mental health. According to studies, people who are quite social are typically a lot healthier, have longer life spans and are much happier in comparison to those with fewer social connections.