Sounds scary, right? Well, it shouldn't be.
Raise your hand if you've ever said or heard someone say "that person is mental!" or "because s/he's crazy." Well, you can act like a loon but it's pretty hard to be "mental". We need to start using our words a little bit more cautiously and with better intention.
Really, though, we need to do less talking and more acting on mental health issues because the concept of mental health encompasses a wide range of disorders, diseases, and conditions. According to the WHO (as in the World Health Organization, not the band) things like stress and anxiety can lead to mental illnesses if left untreated.
THAT is a scary thought.
So, what constitutes something under the "Mental Health" bucket? Well, it's a long laundry list and I'll do my best to include some you may have heard about and some you may not know about:
- anxiety
- depression
- bipolar disorder
- schizophrenia
- autism spectrum disorder
- sensory processing disorder
- ADD/ADHD
- dementia
- epilepsy
- migraine/headache disorders
- eating disorders
- mood disorders
- impulse control/addidction
- OCD
- PTSD
- tic disorders
- ...and SO many more!
I didn't experience anxiety until I got sick with dysautonomia. I was concerned about a lot of things: job loss, divorce, inability to take care of my kids, and death. Ok, "concerned" isn't really the right word. The idea that this disorder could make me feel worse than it did and result in any of the issues I mentioned created so much anxiety that it fed into my pre-existing depression. It didn't help that every doctor thought I had anxiety before diagnosing me with dysautonomia. There's no better way to make a calm patient anxious than to tell them it's all in their head.
Anxiety and depression are very common mental illnesses for people with chronic illnesses. Many times when we admit we're anxious or depressed to our doctors, we're put on more medication. Sometimes medication is 100% necessary to treat the symptoms of of the mental illness itself. But that's not always the case. I had to work through my issues without medication. And I'm still working through them. When life hands you rotten lemons, no one wants that lemonade.
So, what can you do? Finding help for mental illness doesn't need to be hard, even though it may feel like the hardest thing in the world. Talk to your doctor to help understand what your first step should be. You can also help others experiencing mental distress by talking to your loved ones and friends - that's really the first step. They may shut you out but keep trying. And a simple Google search will lead you understanding the symptoms of mental illness.
Have questions? Follow up with your doctor, a friend, or a mental health professional - they are your first line of defense in getting help.
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