Top FAQ About Mental Health

Discovering that you may have mental health issues can be very challenging. It took me a while to understand my mental health issues. When I was in high school, I knew I felt anxiety but I was always in denial. I always searched up questions about mental health but I always justified my anxiety by attributing it to an exam quickly approaching. I can understand the many questions people may have when they become more aware of their mental health issues. I am here to provide you with answers to frequently asked questions about mental health all in the same place. Even if you do not have any mental health issues, sometimes it helps to learn about mental health so you can show your support to someone who does.

1.What is mental health?

Mental health is a mindset that includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we feel, think and act in different situations. When we have mental health issues, we may have low self-esteem which can affect how we handle situations. People with mental health issues can feel sad for long periods of time, they may have negative thoughts about themselves and all this can affect how they act. 

2. Are there cures for mental health problems?

Yes, of course there are cures. However, change starts when you change your mindset from pessimistic thoughts  ex, “I am never going to get better” to more optimistic ones ex, “I am going to get the help I need and I will get better as long as I am open to it”. This is a very important first step into getting help. There are many different treatments and if one does not work for you, there are always others. First and foremost, opening up to those closest to you is an important first step. Friends and family are the ones who love you and care about you so telling them can result in more support as no one should go through this alone. Then, I would get a psychotherapist who can help you process your feelings and thoughts and can provide different strategies to work on. There are also different medications that can help with your mood which can be very effective if combined with therapy. There are also other methods ranging from support groups to peer support, you just have to be open to finding them. 

3. What causes mental health problems?

There are a variety of different factors that can contribute to mental health problems. Factors include:

• Biological: it can be genetic and past on from parents. 
• Environmental: divorce, cultural expectations, death, changing schools, etc. 
• Psychological: emotional, physical or sexual abuse suffered as a child, neglect, etc.
• Others include brain damage, isolation, drug abuse

4. How do I know if I am unwell?

For starters, if you have to search this, this gives you a good reason that you are experiencing mental health issues. There are many signs and symptoms to watch out for but if you are always feeling down and you have low self-esteem are two good reasons to get help. Other symptoms include:

• “Feeling sad or down
• Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
• Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
• Extreme mood changes of highs and lows
• Withdrawal from friends and activities
• Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
• Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
• Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
• Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
• Problems with alcohol or drug use
• Major changes in eating habits
• Sex drive changes
• Excessive anger, hostility or violence
• Suicidal thinking”

5. What should I do if I’m worried about a friend?

First and foremost, you are not a mental health professional so do not expect that you need to give them a diagnosis or treatment advice. As a friend, it is important to show you care and that you support her decisions, whether it be her cancelling plans or seeking help. I get that it is frustrating when your friend refuses to seek help due to the stigma surrounding it because trust me, I have a friend like that. Unfortunately, you are not able to do anything but show your support and listen  to your friend. You can encourage her to seek help but it should never be forced onto someone. Definitely, it is important to check in on your friend often to make sure they are doing well. 

6. How can I manage thinking traps?

It takes a while to master thinking traps. For those who may not know what they are, thinking traps are a pattern of negative thoughts. Once you start having negative thoughts, if you do not catch yourself, you can end up going on a spiral of negative thoughts resulting in a thinking trap that negatively affects your mood and how we experience the world around us. It takes a lot of practice to stop thinking traps, but it is not impossible. There are a variety of strategies that can be used to help stop negative thoughts. First of all, you need to practice being more conscious of your thoughts as sometimes thoughts are subconscious, you don’t even realize you are doing them. Once you have mastered this, when you are about to think a negative thought, you have to distract yourself quickly. This is called thought blocking where you completely stop yourself from finishing the thought. I often block my thought by yelling stop in my head. After blocking it, it is important to end with a positive affirmation relating to the negative thought you were about to have.