Your mental health is vital to your overall well-being – it contributes to your physical, mental, and spiritual state. However, the mind is not yet well understood and oftentimes, many mental health illnesses go untreated or even undiagnosed.
With several mental health illnesses out there and several variable triggers for them, it is important to keep your mental health in check and know the warning signs that something might be wrong.
An unstable mental state can lead to a variety of other things – such as physical sickness, self-harm, drug abuse and addiction, among other things.
By definition, mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their emotional and psychological well-being.
In the United States, anxiety is the most common mental illness – affecting 40 million Americans over the age of 18, which is around 18 percent of the population, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).
And, lack of treatment of these mental illnesses can lead to lost wages, expensive health bills, more chronic conditions, dropping out of school, and even sometimes death – most commonly as a result of suicide.
A few of the most common mental health disorders in America today are:
- Major Depression
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Bipolar Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Autism
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Eating Disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Substance Abuse
That is a pretty shocking list – and yes, substance abuse is a mental health disorder. With so many potential threats to your mental health, it is obvious that keeping it in check is vital. These mental health disorders could affect anyone – even you.
Keeping Your Mental Health Healthy
So, how do you keep your mental health healthy? Here are a few tips:
- Don’t be afraid to talk about your feelings. Talking about your feelings is a safe way to aid in the release of those feelings. It also offers you a chance to hear them aloud and re-consider your stance.
- Stay active. Mental health and physical health go hand in hand. In order to keep one healthy, you need to keep the other one healthy.
- Eat well. What you feed your body is also what you feed your brain. Ensure you are getting the proper nutrients and avoiding too much junk food.
- Take a break. Sometimes you just need to escape, even if it is just to go sit on the back porch for a little while and enjoy the quiet. Just always make time to breathe.