How to handle mental health: in first person

How to handle mental health: in first person – When I think of words and concepts like aesthetic, streaming, -friendly, astrology or content, I realize that they all have something in common: they have gained real social influence, by leaps and bounds, during the last few years. Mental health is also part of that group.

The difference is that there is no day for pet-friendly spots, for now, but there is a World Mental Health Day and it is today! It is not a trend, nor a technological advance that will be put in our pockets until the next one in line appears. I want to keep the faith that it is a global awakening that happened to make us more human. It is a universal and long-standing conversation.

Just like a zodiac sign, we are all born with mental health. Just like dental, cardiac, bone or visual health, it changes over time and sometimes it is healthy and other times it makes us sick. This status though, is not tangible: you cannot put a plaster on it, you cannot scratch it or see how it improves with the rub. It is an everyday job.

Stress, anxiety, self-esteem, insomnia, mood, energy and overthinking depend proportionally on the clarity of your mind. How you understand your emotions will determine your motivation to live. So more than clear, and without meaning to sound funny: being mentally healthy is vital.

In the framework of this important day, I would like to contribute with this article. I want to skip clichés and clinical information, which I am not authorized to give, and instead tell you that I understand you and help you approach this side of your life, or someone else’s life, with more assertiveness.

For that I am authorized: my mental health has formed an important part of my biography and gives me a more accurate perspective on how to deal with these problems. I live them.

 

In this article I will talk about:

• Mental Health in Numbers
• Mental Health in Truths and Myths
• The best action protocol: patience

 

Mental health in numbers

 

I am more of letters, but I recognize that the vision that numbers give us speaks louder than thousands of words. Here is some information I got about mental health in Spain, on the website of the Confederation of Mental Health

• 6.7 of the population is affected by anxiety and depression
• 88% of support and care work comes from friends and family
• More than a million people suffer from a severe mental disorder and half do not receive adequate treatment, or none
• Between 11 and 27% of mental health problems are attributed to working conditions
• By 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that mental health problems will be the leading cause of disability in the world.
• Every day 10 people commit suicide in Spain

Mental Health in Truths and Myths

 

MYTH: People with mental health problems cannot live with others

TRUTH: We can lead social lives and be part of groups, have a job or a partner. In fact, many of us struggle with maintaining a stable appearance in front of friends and family, from whom we need more support during these times. Walking away makes it worse.

 

MYTH: People with mental health problems are violent

TRUTH: Aggression and abuse by others is what actually causes many mental health disorders.

 

MYTH: With medication or a couple of visits to therapy, mental health problems are solved

TRUTH: The accompaniment of a psychology or psychiatry professional is extremely valuable, but no one can guarantee that a mental health problem is cured. In most cases, it is possible to reduce the level of impact of certain triggers and have more and better response methods.

MYTH: Mental health problems are caused by a character flaw and being strong and having a positive attitude fixes it

TRUTH: Like any health disorder, no one can be held responsible for having it. Factors like genes, brain chemistry, and family history of mental health are the true indicators of risk.

 

MYTH: Mental illness cannot be prevented.

TRUTH: Knowing that mental health is as real as your heartbeat is key to building healthier minds. It is possible to reduce the chances of mental disorders by opening the conversation about it and normalizing it, in such a way that when someone faces an anxiety attack or a depressive disorder, they will know how to recognize it and act on it

 

MYTH: I can’t do anything for someone with a mental health problem.

TRUTH: As the figure I brought before says, each person’s loved ones are the most immediate and effective support platform when suffering from a mental illness.

and in that sense…

 

The best Action Protocol: Patience

Perhaps I have not made it completely clear, in that case I repeat: it is not possible to cure the mind like the rest of our parts. There is no vaccine, no syrup or CPR maneuver, the most immediate thing to cure it is, ironically, to be patient. I said at the beginning of this article that the discussion of mental issues is a phenomenon that will make us more human and that is because the cure lies within us.

I remember being hit so bad with anxiety one day that I couldn’t get out of bed. I was patient with myself and told myself “this is normal, this doesn’t define me and I can shake it”, I called my best friend and he was able to hear me say whatever he needed to get out of my mind. After that long call, I managed to get on my feet.

I have spent years making an effort and receiving help to understand what is happening to me and I have the joy of surrounding myself with people who know me and know how to listen to me. They have taught me to talk to others. Here are my

 

Recommendations for dealing with a loved one with a mental health problem:

 

1. Approach carefully: helping is not something that should be provoked, make sure they know they can count on you whenever they need (or are ready)
2. Focus on listening: he or she is overwhelmed with brain images that overwhelm them and that they need to download. Spend time with them and stay on topic of them and what is happening to them.
3. Practice stability: taking deep breaths, crying, drinking water and taking off your shoes will help you feel comfortable, less stressed and confident with everything.
4. Physical contact: putting your arm around them, hugging them and holding their hands are gestures with which you can effectively abstract them from the harmful stimuli in their minds and transmit company.
5. Seek help: Once you have been able to talk and find clarity, remind them that you are not a professional psychotherapist and recommend that they seek help from someone who is. Do not cut yourself and provide them with contact numbers, links or articles that can be useful to them (like this one!)

Happy Mental Health Day! I propose that, today more than ever, we take the time to make someone else feel that they are normal, accompanied, understood and full of hope.

The medmesafe Stress Test is a tool that may come in handy. Click here and take it too.