MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

 Written by Uche

DISCLAIMER

 This post is purely informational. Please contact your closest health professional for a qualified diagnosis and prescription on how to deal with your mental health.

 

“My Mental Health Matters.”

Mental health awareness occurs in the month of October but it is not restricted to just 31 days. Every single day, you could find a person who is facing a mental breakdown.

Mental Health Definition

Mental health is not just a nonexistence of mental illnesses. It incorporates the welfare of an individual and how said individual comprehends their capabilities. The mental health depends on how the individual deals with normal day to day shortcomings of life and how the individual is as part of their society.

To say you are healthy without considering the mental aspect of your well-being, would be doing yourself a huge disfavor. In other words, you are completely unhealthy if you have mental breakdowns even though you are physically fit.

Some types of Mental Health Issues include:

• Depression and Anxiety Disorders (which are the most common)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
• Substance abuse Disorders
• Bi-polar Disorders
• Personality Disorders
• Eating Disorders 

Mental health Awareness Month: October

This month in particular has got me thinking about mental health. How are we coping with everything that has been going on? Corona-virus, racial discrimination, protests and violence, not one country is spared (directly and indirectly). Just thinking about what we are going through or what a close one is going through is enough to bring the mood down.

World Mental Health Day is on the 10^th of October every year from the year 1992. However, October also has other important days:

• October 2^nd – International Day of Non Violence
• October 5^th or every first Monday of the month – World Habitat Day
• October 11^th – international Day of the Girl Child
  
• October 16^th – World food day

Apart from these, the whole month is also Breast Cancer Awareness month as well as Pregnancy and Infant loss month.

If you look at all these issues that fall in the month of October, you will realize that, there are a lot of things that can be a cause for stress.

Illnesses of any kind, not to mention Cancer and HIV/AIDs, can cause tension and constant worry in the individual diagnosed with it as well as the people around him or her.

Chronic diseases are those that last a very long time (a year or more) and these diseases need constant medical consideration. That is a long time to constantly be unhappy and worried. It can definitely take a toll on your mental health.

As a Physiotherapist, I come across patients who take time to recover simply because of the mental element of their condition. Being unwell makes one sad because they sort of lose (if not actually do lose) their sense of independence. All too sudden, you need help to move around and do things you could do by yourself before your sickness.

Low Back Pain is one of the common conditions I come across as a physiotherapist and to read more about how to tackle this and others, check these posts:

Low Back Pain

Foot Pain

The loss of anyone, including a child not yet born can be very traumatizing for the family especially. Loss is never taken easily, especially by those closest to the deceased. Some people never get over the grief and can go into a state of depression. They can blame themselves for the loss and this can make them have a bad view of themselves.

Beauty standards, global issues, and life itself can all affect our mental health. It makes it really hard to be ‘healthy’ when some of these issues are something we cannot immediately (or never) find a solution to.

Beauty Standards

Set beauty standards differ around the world and affect everyone but more specifically females. The ideal feminine beauty is what the society deems physically attractive and what women should aim to have as their most significant possession.

Such a notion puts a lot of pressure on our mind and can translate into our actions. We can act out and rebel against it or go with the wind and feel ‘not so like you’.

Many beauty companies use these outrageous beauty standards to sell their products as many of us aim to be ‘beautiful’ in the eyes of the world. Make-up, photo-shop, photo filters and model sizes are some of the ways beauty technologies and companies use to keep a constant demand for their beauty products.

Some beauty standards that we come face to face with include:

• Body size – Media tells you thinner is better
• Body height – You have to be a certain height to be considered attractive
• Skin colour – Media tells you a fairer complexion is far prettier
  
• Hair texture – Straighter hair is more gorgeous
• Eye shape – A wider eye shape is more appealing

It is so ridiculous and so not true. The way God made you is correct and beautiful. He made all things beautiful. Psalm 139 vs. 14 (NIV bible) says; “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Thankfully, more and more people are speaking out about Body Love and Body Confidence. More black women are so in love with their hair texture and more companies are catering to all types of body shapes, sizes and colours. Companies like Rihanna’s Fenty and Kim Kardashian West’s KKW Beauty are showcasing models with different body types and it pleases my mind.

Global Issues

For a month that has a non violence day, this year (2020) and month has seen a lot of violence especially in our beloved Africa. #EndSARS has been floating around social media for the past 2 – 3 weeks as many people chime in to support Nigerians as they protest for their rights.

#BlackLivesMatter had not even been solved when #EndSARS came into view. It is enough to make you fall down on your knees and cry to God. People are losing loved ones every day. The people commissioned to protect us are actually turning around to cause us harm.  We cannot go out for fear of being caught in the wrong.

Who do the people turn to in their countries?

Where can they be safe?

Life in general

Nothing is minor and anything that causes stress to you is something to be looked into, talked about and hopefully removed.  Anything from bad relationships or just relationships themselves to employment status, housing situations and worrying about what the future holds can be tackled. 

After graduation, I suddenly realized that I had to get a job, I had to make a CV, and I had to do all these adult things that never occurred to me before. It was both exciting and scary!

Check out my lists of things to do after graduation post right here:

What to do After Graduation

Take charge of your mental health

7 ways to improve your mental health

• Pray and Meditate: Praying is talking to God while Meditation is listening to God. You can talk to God about how you are feeling and listen for his response too.
  
• Therapy:

            Talk: Talking about your problems, they say, halves your issues. Talk to a close one or a professional like a Psychologist and together, you can come up with solution or a way to handle your problems.

            Physical: Exercise is a good way to relax the mind and sweat out toxins that weigh down on you. Some exercises include yoga and jogging. Play some feel good music (like worships songs) that remind you of the good in the world and go exercise!

• Holiday or Spa day: Maybe a relaxing spa day is just want you need to de-stress. A relaxing massage or foot rub could do your mental health some good.
  
• Keep Active: Not just exercise, but keeping busy can help take your mind off the problems of the world. Doing things you love like baking, knitting or playing ball with your dogs are some active ways to keep your mind busy.
• Eat and Drink well: Diet is connected to your mental health as much as it is connected to your physical health. This is because your brain also needs ‘brain food’ to keep healthy and serve you well. Some brain foods include:

1. Coffee
2. Fish (the fatty kind)
3. Turmeric
4. Chocolate (the dark kind)
   
5. Broccoli
6. Nuts
7. Pumpkin seeds too
   

• Acceptance: Accepting the things you cannot change for now, is another way to tackle some mental problems. Taking things one at a time will help you see that you are getting where you want to go to.

For example: If you want to move out of your parents’ house but you do not have money, first thing is to get a job or write out a CV, then get into the habit of saving so you can afford to rent at first before you can eventually buy your own house.

• Look after others: Helping others with their own problems can sometimes make you see that what you thought was too big to solve was actually small in comparison. It does not mean, your problems are nothing but you can feel blessed knowing you are privileged.
  

How else can you can de-stress and take care of your mental health? Let me know in the comment below.

Cheers XOXO

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