As hard as it may be to believe, there is still a huge stigma around talking about mental health. There are a lot of people out there who are more than happy to listen to a friend or family member about how they are doing, who can offer friendly advice and be supportive when they say that there are considering going to therapy or trying medication. But even those people can find it very difficult to address mental health issues of their own.
So many people have been brought up with the idea that the best thing to do is to keep your head down and keep your problems to yourself. But the last couple of years have shown us that mental health issues are extremely common, and that there is nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about. Here are some of the most common mental health issues that people of all ages face today, and some tips for how you can manage them.
Depression
The statistics show that a huge proportion of people currently deal with depression or have done at some point in their lives. One of the problems is that the word “depressed” has entered the popular consciousness to such an extent, that it can almost be easy to downplay the impact that it has.
If you have been feeling low for a while, or if you are feeling like there is no hope for things to improve, then you may be clinically depressed.
However, there are other symptoms that may be signs of depression, including feeling guilty, feeling irritable, feeling like you have low self-esteem, or feeling anxious all the time. You may notice that you have lost your appetite, or that you are eating more than you normally would.
There may be aches and pains that you can’t pinpoint a cause for, and you may be struggling to get to sleep, or stay asleep.
There are many different reasons why you may be feeling depressed, but the important thing to remember is that there are options out there to help you get better. Talk to your doctor or think about talking to a therapist.
Anxiety
As with depression, anxiety is an incredibly common mental health condition. It seems like it is only in the last couple of years that we are starting to learn more about just how widespread it is. But anxiety is about much more than sudden panic attacks, which we will get to in just a moment.
If you feel like you are constantly on edge and find it hard to concentrate, or if you find it hard to stop general feelings of worry from snowballing into something uncontrollable, then you may be suffering from a generalized anxiety disorder. Talk to your doctor about ways that you can manage your anxiety.
Panic Disorders
Panic attacks are relatively commonplace for people who suffer from this condition. They generally include a raised heart rate and a shortness of breath. Someone who is having a panic attack may also experience blurred vision and chest pains. With a panic disorder, you may notice that your heart rate is raised consistently, which in turn will make it harder to relax and settle. You may also find that you are having panic attacks that do not have an obvious catalyst.
One example of high functioning anxiety symptoms is a nocturnal panic attack. These can seemingly happen for no reason at all and will wake you from your sleep in a state of severe panic.
While the attacks themselves may be relatively brief, it will of course be extremely difficult to relax and go back to sleep. It is not exactly clear what the precise cause of nocturnal panic attacks is, but there are several hypotheses.
One area that has been shown to be connected by studies is gut health, which has a bigger impact on our mental health than we may realize. For more information on your gut health and mental health are connected, check out the articles provided by Dr. Ruscio. He is an expert in gut health and provides his readers with their tools to improve their lives.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Much like depression, the true impact and extent of OCD difficulties has been diluted in general awareness due to it being used as a shorthand. The truth is that living with diagnosed or undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder can be extremely difficult.
It is not just about feeling the compulsion to do and re-do the same tasks or actions. It can also be worrying about things being unsafe or unclean, needing to have things in a specific order, or finding it hard to get rid of specific mental images.
Someone suffering from severe OCD may find it very difficult to move on from specific actions, to get rid of certain objects, or to stop worrying about something. If you feel like this may apply to you, then you should go to the nearest Lotus behavioral health and talk to your doctor.