Understanding Mental Health and its significance

What is Mental Health ?

In simple words, Mental Health means feeling good about who you are, having balance in your thinking, feelings and behaviour or actions.

Mental Health - According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which

a)      the individual realizes his or her own abilities,

b)      can cope with the normal stresses of life,

c)       can work productively and fruitfully, and

d)      is able to make a contribution to his or her community

It is a state of the individual at the emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. An individual is said to be in good mental health, when, one is able to

1.       adjust internally - has self-confident, able to resolve one’s conflicts without stress, has ability to adjust to changing or new environment, less inconsistencies

2.       The internal adjustment has to be done also in a social frame work which has its own value systems with both culture and tradition.

 

Why is good mental health important ?

Positive mental health enables individuals to

1.       Utilize full potential. This is the ultimate state that one aspires as per our Indian philosophy.

2.       Coping with stress. Environment keeps changing either for good or bad. We should be able to handle with ease or at least able to become resilient in our journey of growth.

Resilience - the ability of each of us to "bounce back stronger, wiser and more personally powerful." - Nan Henderson.

3.       Work productively. Each individual needs to have goal to keep one self-motivated. The goals should be high, so that the process of achieving the goal is the learning and development process in life. It is essential to keep stable mental health to prioritize and meet the goals.

4.       Meaningful contributions to society. Individuals and Society are inseparable entities. We can help others only when we have helped ourselves. Purpose of life is achieved by drawing satisfaction by contributing towards communities and needy.

 

Early Symptoms of unstable mental health

List is exhaustive. Some of the prominent symptoms are below:

1.       Eating or sleeping too much or too little

2.       Pulling away from people and usual activities. Social shyness.

3.       Having low or no energy. Feeling tired, no motivation, procrastinating, inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

4.       Having unexplained aches and pains. Psychosomatic diseases or

5.       Feeling helpless or hopeless. Unable to get into solution mode.

6.       Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual

7.       Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, irritated, angry, worried, or scared

8.       Yelling or fighting with family and friends

9.       Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships

10.   Thinking of harming yourself or others

11.   Hearing voices or believing things that are not true

 

Factors influencing mental health

Factors influencing or affecting mental health is right from the child birth, growing years of development, through adult hood, old age until death. Example: we do find people with good mental health through out do get into depression during their last stages of life.

Let us see some of the significant factors

1.       Life Style : Healthy life style is most important with good eating habits inclusive of balanced diet. Adequate sleep. Hygiene factors in keeping not only physical body but mental state with positive thinking and mindful thinking.

How do we sustain the healthy life style ?  The coping techniques focus attention to proper diet, exercise, sleep, prayer, avoiding use of abusive drugs, relaxing, break monotony, entertaining oneself, hobby etc. Build good support network by building healthy relation with family, friends and relatives for emotional support.

According to Parashar (2000) unmindful modernization is proving to be a curse for the health of Indian people. Almost half of the Indian population is suffering from some physical disease or mental disorder. Apart from hypertension, diabetes, Cancer on rise, the mental disorders of depression, anxiety, insomnia, schizophrenics are increasingly rising, Cases of personality disorder and adjustment problems are also on rise. One of the main factors responsible for this situation is the faulty life style we have chosen in the name of modernization.

2.       Nature and Nurture. Genetics – Some of the disorders are carried through genes from parents, their siblings and grandparents from both sides. The family environment (Nurture) significantly contributes on its own as well. If there is a single abusive parent, parent using substances, conflicts and aggressive environment at home will create impact during the development stages of a child. The symptoms or outburst of unstable mental health is shown during adolescent ages. Ex: Depression and anxiety are some of the prevailing disorders that are on high rise.

Sometimes, any trauma or abuse can significantly impact the mental health of an individual.

3.       Emotional Regulation: One must have the ability to recognize and modulate one’s own emotions. Ex: feeling sad overtly more than 1 month over an issue or even grieving a death of a closed one for more than 6 months such away that daily living is affected, diagnosed commonly as depression.

4.       Flexibility: Ability to revise a course of action in difficulties or obstacles or adverse events, change one's own ideas with new evidence, and adapt to changes in different life situations, is an important requirement to mental health maintenance.

 
How should we maintain or develop good Mental Health ?

1.      For a normal good mental health, following are most important to follow:

a.       Thoughts are what drive us. In Sanskrit, “ Yat Bhavena tat Bhavathi”, which means what happens is same as what you think. Think positive, behaviour and emotions follow the thoughts.

b.      Being self-aware of limitations, strengths and feelings.

c.       Work towards a goal, this keeps individuals motivated. Be clear on the needs

d.      Dwell and Act in the present, not to rake the past or think of future. Plan for future for fruitfully investing in life.

e.      Ability to let go things not under one’s control and give oneself to the fullest potential on things that are under control.

f.        Life skills such as problem-solving skills, Communication, maintaining adequate social relationship, empathy, humour etc are most important.

g.        Lastly, the elderly individuals need to demonstrate care and guidance for next generation. This phase does come in the age of 40+, where desire for one’s own achievement reduces but giving back to society increases.

h.      Positive mental health is not just being a joy to others but also experiencing well-being, facilitate self-care with positive contentment. Important positive emotions are love, hope, joy, forgiveness, compassion, faith, awe and gratitude.

Conclusion

Building resilience is primarily most important in the life cycle. Child development becomes responsibility of every parent in providing good environment, enabling child to get into healthy life style focusing on balanced development on physical (body), cognitive(intellect), sociological(relationship) and psychological(thoughts) aspects.

The Adolescents and Adults can do course corrections through observation of their role models in various facets. Elderly population can focus on their last stage of their cycle by giving back to society in whatever way they can. Purpose and connection to bigger things outside ourselves boosts our mental health. It gives us a good perspective and meaning to our lives.

Finally, one can always seek help and support from counsellors for getting back to normalcy. Effective treatments and interventions that are also cost-effective are now readily available. Maintaining good, positive and healthy mental health is the greatest contribution that we can give back to ourselves, our families and our society.

 

                                                About the Author

Smt Meera is a Computer Engineer, who held various senior positions in IT top companies. She chose to follow her passion in Counselling and Psychology. She has an MA in psychology and a certified counsellor at Prasanna Counselling Center. She is a NIMHANS certified Life Skills trainer. She volunteers at Youth for Seva in Life Skills workshops, Career Counselling, Adolescent counselling for college and high school students. She has conducted workshops for employees and managers as part of Organizational counselling.

She can be reached at meera.sathyamurthy@gmail.com