 Dr. Kanka Pandita
Commemorating World Mental Health Day on 10th October of every year provides an opportunity to create awareness on various aspects of our mental health issues, which is gaining tremendous importance under the prevailing stressful hard living competitive atmosphere irrespective of age and social status. It has virtually become common among our senior citizens especially after the age of 60 years that remains mostly unacceptable by them and even left untreated at the cost of its further detoriation. Now a days it is equally increasing among adolescents also because of trying to earn short cut success and self created worries about their future career. Excess use of mobile phones at the cost of concentration on much needed studies and lack of physical exercise resulting in to decreased control over mental emotions, ultimately leading to derangement of mental health does not even spare our kids.
The main warning signals of mental illness, which initially get unnoticed or even tend to remain unacceptable, primarily include : extremely high and low mood swings, reasonless change in eating and sleeping habits, unnecessarily long lasting sadness or unreasonable irritability, excessive fear, so called worry or unwanted anxiety, social withdrawals avoiding mixing up with known or unknown people and many such peculiar changes in ones habits’ and style of living, need to be identified for their correction. Stressful living situations such as financial problems, passing away of close loved one, divorce issues, ongoing chronic medical ailments, physical disabilities still remain some of the main causes of mental illness.
Additional risk factors that lead to increase mental health issues comprise family conflicts or negative family environment, constant mistreatment or continuous abuse, lack of social interactions due to time and financial constraints, avoidable increased tendency of taking stress, parental depression, neglect in family or among social circles, experiencing discrimination and stigma, severe or long term stress, chronic health issues or even bereavement add to different mental health issues of many individuals. The main tips to maintain sound and positive mental health commonly include meditation like yoga , regular physical exercise, went out and expressing one’s feeling, stay connected with your loved ones, maintain healthy life style including balanced diet and proper sleep, avoid smoking, hard drinks, drugs etc. mixing up among social circles, avoid negative atmosphere and try to lead stress free life are some of the basic and easly activities for developing healthy mental health. |
