Being Mentally Healthy With The Support From Your Mental Health Community

Did you know that more than 200 million people all over the world have mental disorders, most of which suffer from depression? As people get more and more easily dissatisfied and more difficult to please, the need to care for people’s mental health through a mental health community becomes increasingly more important.

Mental or psychological health is an important aspect of an individual’s total well-being, as it affects and is affected by the physical and social dimensions of a person’s life. It has something to do with a person’s ability to contribute to something meaningful to one’s community and live a productive and fruitful life, and at the same time be able to cope with normal stresses of everyday life.

As people are exposed to different kinds of stress, and since accidents and traumas choose no specific individual, all kinds of people are vulnerable to mental illnesses and disorders, which can be caused by traumatic experiences, injuries or even old age. But no matter what kind of mental illness a person happens to have, there are always ways to help a person recover and go back to living his or her normal life.

Aside from going through psychological treatments under the care of psychiatrists or getting medication in the form of psychoactive drugs, joining a mental health community is also a good way of helping people achieve a mentally healthy life.

Such a community provides a better option for patients as it offers a more positive and caring environment compared to a mental hospital. In this community, the lives of people with mental disorders could be improved in a better way since they are exposed to their actual communities and in some way, family therapy expands to a bigger context. Not only will the caretakers be the ones informed about the situation, but the neighborhood and the whole community as well. There is hope of lessening or eliminating the stigma against mental illness and preventive intervention measures are made viable too.

In line with this, a mental health social network is an online community where people with mental illness could register and communicate to others with a similar condition as theirs in a safe environment. The participants of such a social network can make themselves anonymous so that there will be no threat of feeling embarrassed or taken advantage of about their situation. There is an exchange of information, experiences, knowledge and opinions about the participants’ lives and this network becomes a venue for them not only to express themselves but also establish new relationships that could give them a sense of belongingness.

Not only those with mental disorders could join a mental health social network; in fact some members include doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists and other health care professionals who offer their help and reach out to patients. Loving relatives, caregivers and volunteers may also be present in these networks and ensure that the participants get all the help they could get.

True enough, a positive and caring environment would help anyone live a happier and more fulfilling life. Mental problems and disorders can be treated, and they are best treated when people realize that they are not alone and there are real people who care.

How to Help Someone Going Through a Mental Health Crisis

You might think that you are unable to help a friend or family member who is experiencing a mental health crisis, but there are a number of things you can do to help somebody suffering from this problem. Below are a number of steps and strategies you can take to provide help to someone going through a mental health crisis.

The Action Plan

Mental Health First Aid teaches a five-step action plan, ALGEE,  for individuals to provide help to someone who may be in crisis.

- Assess for risk of suicide or harm
- Listen nonjudgmentally
- Give reassurance and information
- Encourage appropriate professional help
- Encourage self-help and other support strategies

Assess for Risk of Suicide or Harm:

When helping a person going through a mental health crisis, it is important look for signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors and/or non-suicidal self-injury.

Some Warning Signs of Suicide Include:
- Threatening to hurt or kill oneself
- Seeking access to means to hurt or kill oneself
- Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide
- Feeling Hopeless
- Acting Recklessly or engaging in risky activities
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Withdrawing from family, friends, or society
- Appearing agitated or angry
- Having a dramatic change in mood

Always seek emergency medical help if the person’s life is in immediate danger.  If you have reason to believe someone may be actively suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Listening Nonjudgmentally

It may seem simple, but the ability to listen and have a meaningful conversation with an individual requires skill and patience.  It is important to make an individual feel respected, accepted, and understood.   Mental Health First Aid teaches individuals to use a set of verbal and nonverbal skills to engage in appropriate conversation -such as open body posture, comfortable eye contact and other listening strategies.

Give Reassurance and Information

It is important for individuals to recognize that mental illnesses are real, treatable illnesses from which people can and do recover.  When having a conversation with someone whom you believe may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, it is important to approach the conversation with respect and dignity for that individual and to not blame the individual for his or her symptoms.

Mental Health First Aid teaches you helpful information and resources you can offer to someone to provide consistent emotional support and practical help.

Encourage Appropriate Professional Help

There are a variety of mental health and substance use professionals who can offer help when someone is in crisis or may be experiencing the signs of symptoms of a mental illness.

-Types of Professionals

Doctors (primary care physicians or psychiatrists)
Social workers, counselors, and other mental health
professionals
Certified peer specialists

-Types of Professional Help

“Talk” therapies
Medication
Other professional supports

Encourage Self-Help and Other Support Strategies

There are many ways individuals who may be experiencing symptoms of a mental illness can contribute to their own recovery and wellness.

These strategies may include:
-    Exercise
-    Relaxation and Meditation
-    Participating in peer support groups
-    Self-help books based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
-    Engaging with family, friends, faith, and other social networks

With this information and these strategies in mind, you will be well-equipped to help a friend or family member going through a mental health crisis. It is important to be patient and understanding, but most of all, it is important that you are there for this person in any way needed.

 

Alternatives In Mental Health

Some people believe that our brain becomes inactive when we sleep. If that were so then we should not have any dreams. Dreams are evidence that our mind remains active, even when we are asleep. This simply means that our mind is active 24 hours a day without any rest at all. Just imagine how our bodies would behave if we were to go through 24 hours of physical activity.

Although research may show that 30% of mental illness may occur without a trigger of stress, it also shows that a majority – 70% – of mental illnesses occur with stress. The research may have failed to look at the other 30%, mentally ill who may not be ‘acknowledging’ stress at a given moment. This gives us a pessimistic view of mental illnesses. We are made to believe that we can do nothing about them. We are also told that mental illnesses occur because of our genes, our upbringing, our personality, our temperament, our lifestyle and we can do nothing about them. Stress or no stress, we are told, if we have all these factors loaded in our personal history, we are prone to have a mental illness. Some psychiatrists adhere to this belief strongly. This belief is then put across authoritatively as the “gospel truth” of science. Naturally, this brings up a sense of low self-esteem and helplessness in the person who is suffering with the illness. We are then made to believe that medications are man-made answers to mental illness, which is a curse of nature.

Prayer, which was until recently considered unscientific, has now been shown to have beneficial effects on patients.1 Similarly, the current belief in psychiatry is that mental illnesses can be treated by medical professionals only and the person who is mentally ill has no control over their lives. The medical system works in a way in which the doctors themselves have limited choices other than prescribing drugs. The patient has no choices worth mentioning. From the legal perspective, a person who is mentally ill is considered not capable of taking any responsibility for their actions. This is one of the most unfortunate aspects of mental illnesses. People who are mentally ill also have a sense of responsibility in many areas of their lives.

The role of emotions in mental illnesses has been totally ignored by scientists. Yet researches do show that separation from mother,2 losses3 – including deaths,4 traumatic events, especially when they occur over the previous three months5 can trigger mental illnesses. What has been looked at is the history of such events in a person’s life. What is ignored is the emotional upheaval it causes in a person’s body and mind. Emotional expression ameliorates the effects of trauma.6 Repetitive upheavals in the body are simply not forgotten. Release of emotions by emotional expression explains the role of counselling and confession. We tend to believe, erroneously, that everything will settle with time. Things do settle with time – but not everything. It is these issues and their emotional effects, that cause mental illnesses and psychosomatic illnesses. It is obvious that whenever we undergo any emotional experience, our nervous and hormonal systems are shaken-up. The nervous system and the hormones together control the activities of various parts of the body. If the neurohormonal expression is allowed to go through completion, a physiological calmness occurs in the body. This has a scientific basis.7

For people who attend church regularly, a common experience is the sense of calmness on entering a church. Coupled with music, incense and sermons spoken in a low, soft tone, a sense of calmness dwells on the person. There is scientific evidence to suggest that going to church helps a person remain healthy.8 More interesting is the fact that there is little research to state that music or aromatherapy help to bring about mental health. Yet experience shows that they have a calming effect. Only recently have papers started to be published in scientific journals bridging the gap between spirituality and science.9 It has now been researched that people who are religious in orientation have a lower rate of strokes than those who are not religious.10

The whole area of mental illness is about losing a sense of freedom. When we find ourselves bound to emotional issues of our life, that we cannot rid ourselves of, we lose our freedom of thinking. This creates stress in our mind and our body bears the brunt of it. This loss of freedom brings up a sense of fear or a sense of helplessness. Both such feelings bring up a sense of insecurity. A person loses confidence in their own worth. Self-esteem becomes low. With lack of confidence and low self-esteem, comes poor decision-making. A person suffers with all these conditions when suffering with a mental illness. This changes the behaviour of the person. The behaviour is affected by the way the person feels and thinks. If the person feels fear for a long time, the chances of becoming phobic and paranoid increase. Withdrawal from social situations occurs. The family members observe the person to be unwell. Such a person is then asked to see a doctor. With the person’s self-esteem low, vulnerability increases. This does not mean however, that the person becomes totally irresponsible towards their own well-being. Many times the person wants to do ‘something’ to get better, but the health system has limited resources to offer much in terms of growth of the person, except medication. When a mentally ill person goes to seek help – confidence, self-esteem and sense of freedom are already lost. Instead of helping the person become independent, there is a tendency to make the person dependent on medication.

Medication plays its role in controlling the condition or state of illness. It does nothing to improve the quality of life permanently. To improve their quality of life, the person needs to take responsibility for their own well-being. This is encouraged in some of the organisations, which are being run by the sufferers themselves. GROW is an example of such an organisation. Are there any alternatives to medication in mental conditions? A doctor can only prescribe drugs to “control” the mental condition. The current trend in some other parts of the world is to encourage people suffering with mental illnesses to take responsibility for their own well-being, along with medication. Psychotherapy11 and self-help is encouraged. The usage of medication in such situations is minimised or eliminated.

In psychiatry, we know that the suicide rate among physicians is higher than in the general population and psychiatrists are at a greater risk among physicians, than other specialists.12 Research shows that psychotherapy is more economical than medication alone in treating mental illness.13 Conditions like schizophrenia are also being treated without medication in some parts of the world.14 It is also a known fact that the more positive the attitude we have, the more balanced are the chemicals in our body.15 This would be more acceptable for those who see the positive role of religion on mental health. Some authors have suggested that the medicine of the future is going to be “prayer and Prozac.”16 Mental health is a preventative activity. Do we need to suffer first before we take steps to deal with it? If we could only assume responsibility for our own mental health, we may not have to suffer. The best medicine in this case is certainly prevention.

We live in a free society. The freedom to suffer is also one kind of freedom. We also have the freedom to look for answers to minimise our suffering.

REFERENCES

ASTIN, J.A., (2000) Prayer, Other Forms of ‘Distant Healing’ seem to have Positive Effects. Medscape. Annals of Internal Medicine 132: P.903-910.

HARRIS T., BROWN G. W., BIFULCO A., (1986) Loss of Parent in Childhood and Adult Psychiatric Disorder: The Role of Lack of Adequate Parental Care. Psychological Medicine 16: P.641-659.

BROWN G. W., HARRIS T., (1978) Social Origins of Depression. Tavistock, London.

BIRTCHNELL J., (1970) Depression in Relation to Early and Recent Parent Death. British Journal of Psychiatry 116: P.299-306.

BROWN G. W., BIRLEY J. L. T., (1968) Crises and Life Changes and the onset of Schizophrenia. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 9: P.203-214.

KELLER, S.E., SHIFLETT, S.C., SCHLIEFER, S.J. & BARTLETT, J.A. (1994) Stress, Immunity and Health. Handbook of Human Stress & Immunity. San Diego: Academic. P.217-244.

CHADHA, P. K., (2000) Drugless Psychiatry – Physiological Basis of Clinical Experiences. Paper presented in 6th Conference – Innovations in Psychiatry, London, April 2000.

COMSTOCK, G.W., PARTIDGE, K.B., (1972) Church Attendance and Health. Journal of Chronic Diseases 225: P.665-72.

SLOAN, R.P., BAGIELLA E., POWELL T., (1999) Religion, Spirituality and Medicine. Lancet 353: P.664-67.

KOENIG, H.G., (1997) Is Religion Good for your Health? Haworth Pastoral Press, N.Y.

POMERANTZ, J.M. (1999). Focused Psychotherapy as an Alternative to Long Term Medication. Drug Benefit Trends 11 (7) : P.2, 5.

KAPLAN, H.I., SADOCK., B.J., (1998) Synopsis of Psychiatry – 8th Edition – B.I. Waverly Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. P.865.

TALLEY P. F., STRUPP, H. H., BUTLER S. S., (1994) Psychotherapy Research and Practice, Harper Collins: London.

McKENZIE, C.D., & WRIGHT, L.S., (1996) Delayed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders from Infancy – The Two Trauma Mechanism. Harwood Academic.

MOON, A. M., (2000) Positive Psychology Halved Depression in Kids. Clinical Psychiatry News. 28 (5): P.29.

MATTHEWS, D.A., LARSON, D.B., (1997) Faith and Medicine: Reconciling the Twin Traditions of Healing. Mind/Body Medicine : 2: P.3-6.

How a Mental Health Counselor Can Change Your Life

You do not have to suffer mental stress and depression alone. Instead, you should seek professional help and learn how a mental health counselor can change your life. Mental health statistics show that twenty-eight percent of Americans can actually benefit from counseling, although only a third of them will actually look for one.

A mental health counselor can effectively improve your mental health by working through your past and present issues. Using writing techniques, reading aloud what you wrote, and by talking, you can identify the source of your anxiety and learn how to overcome them effectively. Counseling gives you valuable tools to handle daily problems and long-term relationships. A good counselor can be a real lifesaver.

Whatever you do for a living, everyone today experiences different levels of stress at work and at home. Some people deal with stressful situations by over eating, or abusing drugs and alcohol. However, counseling sessions can provide way healthier solutions to everyday troubles that cause you to feel depressed and anxious. A benefit of mental health counseling is that you are approaching your problems naturally through therapy, instead of using prescribed medications.

Sometimes, you need an outsider to listen and provide objective opinions on your issues. A mental health counselor is one such person who is trained to give you such valuable advice. It is their job to help you deal with the problems that are causing an upset in your life. Your counselor can also recommend other medical professionals to address all the physical problems that you may be experiencing. This is important as your physical well being significantly affects your mental health.

How a mental health counselor can change your life is by giving you the motivation and energy you need to lead your life in a more optimistic manner. No one can really understand how you feel unless you are willing to open up and share thoughts and feelings. Counseling therefore effectively helps reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorders such as irrational fear, heart palpitations, and difficulty in concentrating, speaking, and sleeping. Signs of depression include fatigue, hopelessness, constant crying, and loss of interest in normal activities, headaches, and thoughts of suicide.

Through counseling, one can gain new perspectives on managing issues that occur in our daily lives, as well as pick up social skills to better handle them mentally and emotionally.

A mental health counselor can help you understand your personal habits and behaviors, and find real contentment by analyzing if what you are doing it is best for you. Mental health counselors strive to stay up to date on the latest developments in mental health care. Their education and practice has exposed them to many theories and procedures on developing good mental health. So, their professional experience will definitely be useful in helping you recover from all your mental problems.

Suffering from mental disorders can be very stressful and tiring. It takes a strong person to admit his or her problems and actively seek treatment for them. Seeking out a counselor does not mean that you are less capable than others as you are simply getting help when you need some. As such, learning how a mental health counselor can change your life will enable you to better utilize their expertise to solve your problems efficiently.

Pro-Choice on Mental Health

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A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social Contexts, Theories, and Systems

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The 2nd edition of A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Contexts, Theories, and Systems provides a comprehensive review of the sociology of mental health, with chapters written by leading scholars and researchers. The volume presents an overview of historical, social, and institutional frameworks for understanding mental health and illness. Part I examines social factors that shape psychiatric diagnosis and the measurement of mental health and illness, the the… More >>

A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health: Social Contexts, Theories, and Systems