History of Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month was first celebrated in 1949. It was commemorated by the Mental Health America organization, which was then known as the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and then later as the National Mental Health Association before it got its current name. The association was founded by Clifford Whittingham Beers. Beers, who was born in 1876 in Connecticut, was one of five children in his family who all suffered from mental illness and psychological distress. All of them also went on to spend time at mental institutions and it was from his hospital admittance that he discovered that the mental health field had a notorious reputation for malpractice, maltreatment, and immense bias.

What is Mental Health?

Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It profoundly influences our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and how we handle stress, connect with others, and make choices. Let’s delve deeper into this vital aspect of our lives:

Mental health is a state of well-being that enables individuals to:

• Cope with life’s stresses effectively.

• Realize their abilities and potential.

• Learn well and perform optimally.

• Contribute positively to their community.

Key Points:

• Complex Continuum: Mental health exists on a complex continuum, experienced differently by each person. It spans varying degrees of difficulty, distress, and outcomes.

• More Than Absence of Disorders: Mental health goes beyond the absence of mental disorders. It includes other mental states associated with significant distress, impairment, or self-harm risk.

• Determinants: Our mental health is influenced by a complex interplay of individual, social, and structural factors. These determinants can either protect or undermine our mental well-being.

• Risk and Protective Factors: Exposure to adverse circumstances (e.g., poverty, violence) increases the risk of mental health conditions. Conversely, protective factors (e.g., social skills, positive interactions) strengthen resilience.

• Throughout Life: Mental health matters at every life stage, from childhood through adulthood.

Human Right and Urgency:

• Mental health is a basic human right and crucial for personal, community, and socio-economic development.

• The need for action is indisputable and urgent. Strategies exist to promote, protect, and restore mental well-being.

Our mental health profoundly affects our thoughts, feelings, and actions, as well as our physical health. Employment can be protective of our mental health, yet it may also have negative impacts. Mental health and well-being are dynamic experiences, not simply present or absent states. We may have periods of feeling resilient, strong, and optimistic, which can coexist with or transition to a range of different thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, or a lack of resilience and optimism in certain aspects of life. For approximately twenty-five percent of individuals, these changes can significantly influence various areas of life, including relationships, work experiences, peer group connections, self-worth, physical health, and motivation, potentially leading to mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, or substance misuse.

Mental health is a positive construct tied to the social and emotional well-being of individuals and communities. It encompasses life enjoyment, stress, and sadness management, goal achievement, potential fulfillment, and social connection. Mental health signifies wellness beyond the mere absence of mental health conditions. Unlike physical health, mental health is variable and spans a continuum from healthy functioning to severe mental health condition symptoms. A person's mental health fluctuates along this spectrum throughout their life in reaction to various stressors and situations. At the continuum's green end, individuals exhibit resilience and high well-being levels. Progressing to the yellow zone, people may begin to struggle with coping. In the orange zone, coping becomes more challenging, and symptoms may grow in intensity and frequency.

What is Mental Emotion?

How do we define an emotion?
  

The 3-Component Model

• Thoughts (what you say to yourself in your head)

• Physiology (what your body feels like)

• Behavior (what actions you take)

Anxiety

• Thought: “What if I fail my test“.. “What if“

• Physiology: “Pit in stomach, sweating, shallow breathing“

• Behavior: Pacing, twitching, nervous ticks, ect.

Why do we have Emotions?

What are the functions of your emotions?

Information about the environment.

• Safety (e.g., approach)

• Threat (e.g., avoid)

• What other people are experiencing

Information about our Internal Self.

• State of mind (e.g., mood)

• What we care about

• Where we should direct our attention

• What we may have done wrong

• How we relate to other people

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety refers to apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness, often related to an impending or anticipated illness. It can manifest in various ways, including physical symptoms like tension, sweating, and an increased pulse rate. There are three main aspects of anxiety:

1. General Anxiety: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about an uncertain outcome or imminent event.

2. Medical Anxiety: An abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear, often accompanied by physical signs.

3. Desire-Driven Anxiety: A strong desire mixed with doubt, fear, or uneasiness.

Thinking Patterns & Cognitive Effects

- Negative Thoughts: They can create a distorted view of reality, leading to overgeneralization, catastrophizing, and focusing on the worst-case scenarios. This type of thinking can hinder problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

- Positive Thoughts: Positive thinking tends to foster a more balanced and realistic view of situations. It enhances problem-solving skills, creativity, and decision-making by encouraging a focus on potential solutions and opportunities.

Grounding

Grounding is a set of simple strategies to detach from emotional pain (for example, anger, sadness, substance urges). Distraction works by focusing outward on the external world—rather than inward toward the self. You can also think of it as “distraction,”centering,” “a safe place,” “looking outward,” or “healthy detachment.

Grounding Techniques

Purposeful Breathing

• Breath in through the nose for four seconds

• Breath out through the mouth for six seconds

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• 5 things you can see

• 4 things you can touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell

• 1 thing you can taste

Use an object: Explore the object with all your senses – what do you observe?

Support Emotional Health

ABC PLEASE

• Accumulate positive experiences

• Build mastery

• Cope ahead

• Physical illness (treat it!)

• Eating balanced

• Alcohol/drugs (avoid or moderate!)

• Sleep well

• Exercise

What is PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It can develop after events such as natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape, or other violent personal assaults.

Symptoms

PTSD symptoms can be grouped into four types:

1. Intrusive memories: Recurring, distressing memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event.

2. Avoidance: Avoiding places, activities, or people that remind one of the traumatic events.

3. Negative changes in thinking and mood: Negative thoughts about oneself or others, feelings of hopelessness, memory problems, difficulty maintaining close relationships.

4. Changes in physical and emotional reactions: Being easily startled or frightened, always being on guard for danger, self-destructive behavior, trouble sleeping, and irritability or aggressive behavior.

Diagnosis

PTSD is diagnosed based on the presence of specific symptoms for at least one month following the traumatic event. Healthcare professionals use criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to make a diagnosis.

Treatment

- Psychotherapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), exposure therapy, and other trauma-focused therapies.

- Medications: Antidepressants (like SSRIs) can help control PTSD symptoms.

- Self-help and support: Support groups, stress management techniques, and self-care strategies.

Early intervention and treatment are crucial for managing PTSD effectively.

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Health Insurance and Mental Health Services

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Get Immediate Help

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