What really is mental health?/How important is mental health?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mental health is “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.” Mental health is an important topic to raise awareness to because there are often warning signs that a person may notice themselves or those close to them can pick up on. As with any disease, early detection is important, this means that if someone is experiencing any warning signs or negative feelings or behaviors it is important to receive help immediately.
How do these kinds of thoughts start?
Mental health concerns can be attributed to biological factors such as family history and/or chemical imbalances within a person’s brain. They can also be connected to one’s life experiences such as trauma, abuse, stress or loss.
About what age does mental health start to begin?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, “50% of people experiencing mental illness began experiencing symptoms at the age of 14, while 75% began symptoms at age 24. Early intervention is important because it can decrease the severity of symptoms which will decrease the interruptions in one’s quality of life and their ability to function.
What should you do when you feel very down?
When you are feeling “down” or you feel like you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition, the best thing to do is to reach out to an adult that you can trust. This could be someone in school or in your personal life. You may feel concerned about yourself or someone else once you start to see noticeable changes in a negative way. These warning signs or noticeable changes may include, feelings of hopelessness, becoming disengaged from friends, hobbies or activities that were once important or enjoyable to you, low or no energy, having intrusive thoughts that are difficult to get out of your head and engaging in risky behaviors. These are just a few of the many warning signs that would signal someone is struggling with their mental health.
The national helpline is a service that is available to anyone in English and Spanish, they are able to provide local referrals for mental health and substance abuse treatment. They are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year 1-800-662-HELP (4357). There is also a crisis and suicide hotline available by dialing 988.
