Understanding Mental Health

Mental health is important part of your overall health. It controls how we act, think, and feel. It also influences how we handle stress, relationships, and ongoing daily life. 

Just like physical health, mental health can change over time. Everyone experiences up and downs, and its normal to have difficult days.

Understanding Mental Illness

Mental illnesses affect 19% of adult populations, 46% of teenagers and 13% of children each year. People struggling with mental health could be in your family, live next door, work right next to you or be in the same school/work as you.

Untreated, Mental illnesses can contribute to higher medical expenses, poorer performance at school/work and games/practices, fewer employment and opportunities.

Warning Signs

Some warning signs of mental illness are:

-Feeling sad or worried most of the time

-Losing interest in activities they usually enjoy

-Trouble sleeping or sleeping much more than usual

-Difficulty concentrating

-Changes in eating habits

-Withdrawing from friends or family

-Feeling overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities

These signs don't necessarily mean that someone is in a mental illness. But these warning signs can be sign to talk to a trusted adult or healthcare professional. 

Building Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover from challenges, setbacks, or difficult experiences.

You can build resilience by:

-Creating a daily routine

-Talk to people

-Help others

-Get rest

-Calm your mind

-Stay positive

Resilience doesn't mean struggling, it means learning healthy ways to move forward.

Supporting Friends and Family

You may notice that friends and family are going through a hard time.

You can support them by:

-Listening without judging

-Offering practical help

-Staying in regular contact

-Being patient and respectful

-Encourage professional care

You can be supportive, but just remember you are not responsible for solving someone else's problem by yourself. 

Reducing Mental Health Stigma

The stigma with mental health is far more worse than the illness itself. The stigma can be described as 

-Prejudice

-Discrimination

-Stereotypes