Mental Wellness Matters!!

Mental Health starts with a lot of things. Things like depression, anxiety, eating disorders (like anorexia), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Psychotic Disorders (such as Schizophrenia), Bi-Polar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and so on. Psychotic disorders are severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. People with psychoses lose touch with reality. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs, such as thinking that someone is plotting against you or that the TV is sending you secret messages. Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as hearing, seeing, or feeling something that is not there. Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders. They involve severe problems with your thoughts about food and your eating behaviors. You may eat much less or much more than you need. Binge-eating, which is out-of-control eating. People with binge-eating disorder keep eating even after they are full. They often eat until they feel very uncomfortable. Afterward, they usually have feelings of guilt, shame, and distress. Eating too much too often can lead to weight gain and obesity Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S. Bulimia nervosa. People with bulimia nervosa also have periods of binge-eating. But afterwards, they purge, by making themselves throw up or using laxatives. They may also over-exercise or fast. People with bulimia nervosa may be slightly underweight, normal weight, or overweight. Anorexia nervosa. People with anorexia nervosa avoid food, severely restrict food, or eat very small quantities of only certain foods. They may see themselves as overweight, even when they are dangerously underweight. Anorexia nervosa is the least common of the three eating disorders, but it is often the most serious. It has the highest death rate of any mental disorder. Personality disorders are a group of mental disorders. They involve long-term patterns of thoughts and behaviors that are different from what is considered normal in your culture. The thoughts and behaviors are unhealthy and inflexible. They cause serious problems with relationships, work, and social activities. They can make it hard to deal with everyday stresses and problems. Paranoid personality disorder, in which a person has paranoia (an extreme fear and distrust of others). They may think that someone is trying to harm them. Schizoid personality disorder, in which a person prefers to be alone and is not interested in having relationships with others. Schizotypal personality disorder, in which a person has unusual thoughts and ways of behaving and speaking. They are uncomfortable having close relationships with others. Antisocial personality disorder, in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. Borderline personality disorder, in which a person has lots of trouble managing their emotions. This makes them impulsive and uncertain about how they see themselves. It can cause a lot of trouble in their relationships. Histrionic personality disorder, in which a person is dramatic, has strong emotions, and always wants attention from others. Narcissistic personality disorder, in which a person lacks empathy and wants to be admired by others. They think that they are better than others and that they deserve special treatment.  Avoidant personality disorder, in which a person is very shy and feels that they are not as good as others. They often avoid people because they fear rejection. Dependent personality disorder, in which a person depends too much on others and feels that they need to be taken care of. They may let others treat them badly because they are afraid of losing the relationship. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, in which a person needs control and order. They are perfectionists and can be inflexible. Although some of the symptoms are similar, this is not the same thing as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that some people develop after they experience or see a traumatic event. The traumatic event may be life-threatening, such as combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. But sometimes the event is not necessarily a dangerous one. For example, the sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can also cause PTSD. Depression is a serious medical illness. It’s more than just a feeling of being sad or “blue” for a few days. If you are one of the more than 19 million teens and adults in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life. Bipolar I disorder involves manic episodes that last at least 7 days or manic symptoms so severe that you need immediate hospital care. Depressive episodes are also common. Those often last at least two weeks. This type of bipolar disorder can also involve mixed episodes. Bipolar II disorder involves depressive episodes. But instead of full-blown manic episodes, there are episodes of hypomania. Hypomania is a less severe version of mania. Cyclothymic disorder, or cyclothymia, also involves hypomanic and depressive symptoms. But they are not as intense or as long-lasting as hypomanic or depressive episodes. The symptoms usually last for at least two years in adults and for one year in children and teenagers. People say that it’s bad to have mental health issues but it’s not. There is an extent to where it can become bad though; for example: if you were to self-harm, smoke, drink, or use something to harm you or others because of your mental health then it becomes bad and in need of help. People with Mental health issues intend to separate themselves from others. Some may want to talk but are too scared and some may want to be left alone. If you see that someone isn’t alright then don’t ask if they are. It is better to talk to them and make them feel better than to ask them something that looks rather obvious. For me I would prefer people not to ask me if I’m okay or tell me that things are going to get better. That doesn’t mean everyone is that way. It isn’t a bad thing if they ask what’s wrong and you don’t answer. Some people don’t like talking about their emotions while others just don’t want to talk about it at that moment. You can’t force someone to talk to you if they do not want to. Just make sure that you know they are safe and will be okay when you walk away. On the other hand some people might just like it if you sit with them. You don’t necessarily have to talk to them but if you feel they need it then do so. You have to be careful with those who have certain Mental Health issues because they may have things that trigger them. That doesn’t mean treat them like they are children or something to be careful around because that’s not quite what it means. When Mental Health takes over a person’s mind or sometimes even life then they will seem different than they usually are. People with depression tend to isolate themselves, not take showers or clean their room, some won’t even eat and some over eat. Believe it or not some even self-harm; as well as smoke or drink. Most people smoke and drink because of their Mental Health issues. Some do it to relieve stress or relax anxiety. Substances are used for multiple reasons. I, for one,use it to make me feel something other than depression or something worse that I’m not getting into. Mental health takes a lot of time and effort to control. Don’t push someone harder than they can go. Another reason why people do substances is because of peer pressure. Peer pressure can lead to mental health issues as well; such as; stress, anxiety, depression, and even trauma. Not all trauma has to be big it can be small as well. It can be as small as a heartbreak. If you don’t know what trauma is, trauma means a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. I have been through quite a bit of trauma (that I won’t be sharing) throughout my life. I have experienced what it is like to be mentally unstable and I am still going through it. I have been to 5 mental hospitals, one psych ward, and now I am currently in a shelter. I have and still use substances and I currently do S.H. I don’t like for people to ask me questions about my arms because it makes me uncomfortable and I’m sure some other self-harmers can relate to that. Self-harm could mean they don’t want to live but it could also be NSSI (Non-suicidal self-injury). It is better to help others with there mental health then to cause more problems; such as; bullying. Bullying causes a lot of mental issues as well. People say a lot of times that they are just joking but the person they are saying the things to might not like what is being said. You have to make sure to know what you say won’t hurt or disrespect the other person.