Overview of Mental Health
Here in this post, we are providing an ‘Overview of Mental Health ‘. You can discuss more your concerns about mental health in our community, and we will provide you with tips and solutions in a short time. Keep visiting Mental Health.
Overview of Mental Health
Mental health comprises psychological, spiritual, communal and endemic wellbeing. Our thinking patterns, cognition, behaviour, and actions are generally affected by mental health. It also helps us to ascertain techniques to control stress, associate with others, judgmental and decision-making skills and also helps us to improve abstract learning and thinking. It is equally important for every individual throughout the continuum of life from early childhood to late adulthood.
In our life we pass through different mental health problems like mood swings, changes in thinking patterns and this affects our cognition and behaviour. The constituents of mental health are :
- Genetical or biological factors. E.g., hormonal changes, brain chemistry, genetic influences.
- Life experiences and process of learning from such experiences as trauma or abuse.
- Family history with any physical or mental problem.
Mental health problems are commonly present in everyone. Some have the ability to overcome them while others do not. But these problems are easy to diagnose and are treatable. While getting treatment clients feels comfortable and recover from their problem.
Symptoms for Poor Mental Health
If you or anyone nears you have these problems, then he must consult the psychologist before the problem becomes a disorder and shows its severity.
- Lack of sleep or an increase in sleep without any valid reason.
- Eating too much or not eating at all.
- Lack of association with others.
- Lack of social activities.
- Feeling burdensome or worthless.
- Feeling of aches and pains without any injury, stress, cut or buries.
- Use or misuse of substances like alcohol, cigarette, nicotine, etc. more than usual.
- Feeling of Forgetfulness, lack of attention.
- Paranoid behaviour.
- Assertive behaviour
- Aggressive behaviour(especially physical violence)
- Severe mood changes that cause a deficit in social, occupational and routine life.
- Over compulsiveness and obsessions.
- Hearing voices that are not heard to anyone else at the same time sitting with you.
- Perceiving the presence of anyone while others are denying.
- Lack of energy without any work.
- Self-harming or destructive behaviour.
- The deficit in performing daily life task such as taking care of your parents, or kids, going to school, writing problems, or paying attention to your work.
- Fear of drowning, flying, fire and Hight
Symptoms for Good Mental Health
Your mental health is satisfactory if you are moving towards your destiny (self-actualization), you are able to control your stress, anger, mood, emotions, and worries. You are doing your work with great interest and does not feel frustrated, making a healthy contribution to society, and taking good care of your health and gives attention to family and friends.
Things required for good mental health
- Becoming social
- Thinking positive
- Getting a good diet.
- Involving in physical activities.
- Helping other
- Learning coping skills.
- Getting sleep according to your body’s need.
Seven components of mental health
- Physical wellbeing
- Intellectual level
- Environmental health
- Vocational and Social wellbeing
- Emotional Spiritual health.
Mental health in Pakistan
In Pakistan, about 50 million people are suffering from mental health disorders. One study reveals that in 2012, 13,000 committed suicide. In men, the ratio of suicide is 2/3 times greater than females and it is estimated that it will be the leading cause of death in 2030. Researches prove that 90% of people who have attempted suicide were suffering from mental disorders.
Other psychological problems which are very common in Pakistan are irritability, hostility, aggression, alcohol or drug abuse, changes in energy levels, anxiety, confusion or disassociation, erratic behaviour and mood swings, perceptual distortion or psychoses(such as hallucinations and delusions, persistent or abrupt mood changes that can cause deficit or interruption normal life, problem denial, and social withdrawal.)
Research conducted in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad demonstrates that 14% of teenage students are suffering from bipolar disorder. In Pakistan, around 6.7 million youngsters aged between 25 to 39 abused drugs.
There are a lot of myths and stereotypes about mental health problems that prohibit people to seek treatment for mental issues and as result, these problems lead to severe mental health disorders which takes time to be treated. People thought that mental problems are communal and people who have psychosis are violent.
Some other stereotypes are that the evil spirit in person is bothering him and so that shrines are the best places to treat such problems. And meanwhile, in such treatment people are physically harmed in the name of treatment. Media is also spreading negativity about mental health problems and by permuting spiritual healers stigmatize the mental health problems.
When Pakistan got freedom, at that time there were three asylums with 2000 beds in Hyderabad, Lahore, Peshawar. The condition of these asylums was despondent or very poor and they had no psychiatrists or psychologists. People called them “mad-houses or “Pagal-khanay” here patients were brought with chains.
After the 18th amendment, mental health got much importance in Pakistan because Mental Health Ordinance-2001 was passed. At the provincial level, the Sindh government passed this amendment in 2013 and Punjab in 2014. But after decades of independence, mental health hospitals are in miserable conditions and needs much work to be done o mental hospitals. Our mental health system is not adequate as compared to other countries. People of Pakistan prefer “baba”, “peer”, “Sufi”(spiritual healers) more than mental health care professionals.
It is the duty of the government to sensitize and acknowledge people that mental health problems are the same as physical ones and they need proper treatment. (A, Rafi., 2020)
Special Thanks
We are especially Thankful to NIMRA FAROOQ, who prepare this information and share it with us. All credit goes to Nimra Farooq.
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