The average person blinks between 16 and 20 times a minute. Despite blinking many times, we do not usually realize it, since the eyes are organs that we often take for granted. Also, many people are not aware of the care that the eyes require to have and maintain good visual health.
The Relation Between Mental and Physical Health
Table of Contents
History
Every March 2nd we celebrate World Teen Mental Wellness Day, a day in which we shine a light on the various mental health issues teens may face, and how they affect them and their families. According to The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in five teenagers suffers from any type of mental condition. Despite these alarming numbers, we still seem to give a much greater importance to physical health, instead of realizing that both mental and physical health play equally important roles in the life of a person. In this article, we will be discussing this topic, and explaining the close link between mental and physical health.
Common mental health conditions
First off, we must start by identifying common mental health conditions. The following are some of the most common, however, there is a wider variety:
- Depression: Depression is characterized by feelings of sadness, emptiness, and a lack of hope, with symptoms that may decrease your ability to function properly at home and at work.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Anxiety refers to an excessive fear or anxiety.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD comes as a consequence of experiencing traumatic experiences. People with PTSD face disturbing and intrusive thoughts related to their experience.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): People that suffer from OCD have unwanted thoughts that result in them feeling the need to do something repetitively, for example, cleaning, washing their hands, among others.
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): ADHD is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, and is one of the most common mental conditions, affecting children and adults.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: People face great anxiety and embarrassment during simple everyday interactions.
- Eating disorders (like bulimia and anorexia nervosa): Eating disorders are characterized by abnormal eating habits and associated distressing thoughts.
- Bipolar disorder: People with bipolar disorder face episodes of very strong emotions that change suddenly.
- Schizophrenia: Its various symptoms may include delusions, hallucinations, lack of motivation, etc.
Fighting social stigma
Most of the time, people that suffer the terrible effects and symptoms of mental disorders, also have to face the stigma and prejudice that surrounds them: people tend to think that people that suffer any kind of mental disorder are “crazy” or are “strange”, minimizing their experience, which actually is more common than most of us think: according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), there are approximately 52.9 million people living with a mental illness in the United States alone.
On the other hand, Some recommendations to fight the stigma of mental health by the National Alliance on Mental Illness are:
- Talk openly about mental health: By talking openly about them, we create a more acceptable environment for those who suffer from mental illnesses and make it easier for them to seek help regardless of age, gender, etc.
- Educate yourself and others: This way we can identify symptoms and signs and be able to help ourselves and the people around us.
- Be conscious of language: By using mental illnesses as adjectives, we are minimizing what some people actually live.
- Encourage equality between physical and mental illness: As stated previously, mental illnesses are as serious and as important as physical ones.
- Show compassion for those with mental illness:
- Choose empowerment over shame: We must encourage the idea that mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed of.
- Be honest about treatment.
- Let the media know when they’re being stigmatizing:
- Don’t harbor self-stigma: If you suffer from any mental condition, recognize that you should not be ashamed of this, and that you are a valuable member of society.
Getting to know at least a bit about the most common mental health conditions and empathizing with those who suffer from them is very important. Regardless of your mental stability, we can all contribute by being accepting towards people with mental conditions and to fight the stigma around these medical conditions, and this helps us understand the real importance of maintaining a stable mental health.
The relation between physical and mental health
Our mental health is important for us to maintain a good quality of life, since our mental health also has a huge impact on our physical health. Both of them have a bidirectional relation, which can be simply explained, however there is so much more to it: a poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical diseases, and suffering from any physical condition is very likely to result in mental illness, given that diseases may come with a lot of stress. For example, people with anxiety are two times more likely to smoke, which represents a big threat to someone’s health; people with depression tend to be physically inactive, further increasing their chances of being physically unhealthy. On the other hand, obesity may cause depression or eating disorders, while diabetes has been closely linked with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Unfortunately, many insurance coverages do not cover expenses related to mental wellness, but they can cover treatment for physical illnesses. If you are interested in being insured and feeling safe, #CallBlanca Now! and find the coverage that best suits your needs.
How to look after your mental health and that of your teen
If as a parent you suspect your teen is going through a hard time, the first thing you should do is let them know your concerns, but be very careful not to make them think they’re “crazy” or that it’s their fault. Offer them the possibility of taking them to a psychologist or psychiatrist, remind them that they can count on you and specialized people to deal with this type of situation. Likewise, seek support for yourself: mental illness does not only affect the person that has it.
Finally, encourage the following actions. In order to maintain a good mental health, therefore a good physical health, small actions go a long way:
- Do physical exercise: These activities help the production of hormones that will make you feel good.
- Talk about your feelings
- Have a balanced diet: This will help your brain function well
- Avoid alcohol and drugs.
- Seek help if you need it
Organizations and hotlines
We can’t say it enough: mental wellness matters, and there is no shame in having a mental illness, it is completely normal and you are not alone. There are many organizations, with specialists and trained workers ready to lend a hand, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, among others. Below you will find some of their phone numbers where you can reach out for help. Help is a phone call away.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline: 1-800-662-4357
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
NAMI: 1-800-950-6264
What steps are you taking towards making our communities more accepting towards people who suffer from mental illnesses? What do you think we could do better as a society? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below!
Resources:
- https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness#:~:text=Mental%20illnesses%20are%20common%20in,(52.9%20million%20in%202020).
- https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/is-it-depression-or-just-your-hormones/#:~:text=When%20hormone%20levels%20are%20balanced,psychiatric%20illnesses%2C%20such%20as%20depression.
Also you can read:
The average adult’s skin is 2 meters long, weighs 5 kg and has several functions:
It protects us against bacteria and viruses around us
It regulates our temperature
It keeps us hydrated.
It helps us to perceive the outside world.
Laughter is one of the most natural human reactions ever since we are babies, and we come to experience it dozens of times a day, and we may not even know all the benefits it has for people when it is used as a complementary therapy.
Did you know that the most popular Google search in the United States is related to dental health? American citizens care a lot about maintaining healthy teeth.
Have you ever wondered if you are an organized person, or have you noticed how you feel when your surroundings are disorganized? The chances of feeling restless when your work, study or rest areas are not tidy are very high, because being an organized person has a big impact on your mental health; it’s up
Read More
It’s a coverage whose main feature, unlike any other, is that it doesn’t require medical tests or questions about your health or immigration status to determine if you’re eligible.
Today, with the situation we are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the areas of health that is being affected the most is mental health, as there has been an increase in cases of anxiety and depression caused by the stress of quarantine confinement. Below, we will give you more information to know
Read More
Most of the time, people that suffer the terrible effects and symptoms of mental disorders, also have to face the stigma and prejudice that surrounds them: people tend to think that people that suffer any kind of mental disorder are “crazy” or are “strange”, minimizing their experience, which actually is more common than most of
Read More
Daylight Saving Time was first proposed in 1784, when the famous scientist Benjamin Franklin, who at the time was the U.S. ambassador in France, realized that many hours of daylight were lost in the morning, and that many candles had to be used in order to have light in the afternoon.
The self-employed health insurance deduction lowers your adjusted gross income (AGI), which determines how much of your income will be taxed on your Form 1040. As your taxable income lowers, you save money on taxes.
The great pandemics have represented important and shocking blows to society, generating repercussions at the global, economic and political levels. In this article we will take a brief look at the history of the pandemics, both their positive and negative impacts.
The emergence of new diseases generates the need to create vaccines to protect society. In this article we will learn about the history of vaccines and what you need to know about them to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Choosing your insurance policy can be quite a daunting task, especially if you’ve opted into a private insurance policy for one reason or another. This is made especially confusing if you approached the topic of primary and secondary health coverage.
Many Americans are missing one or multiple teeth. The CDC estimates that only about forty-eight percent of adults between the ages of 20 and 64 had a complete set of permanent teeth.
The mantra that “prevention is the best cure” is often used in healthcare. This motto is especially true when it comes to eyesight. A staggering 80% of blindness worldwide is preventable.
Audacious individuals aspire to work for themselves. Access to health insurance can greatly reduce the burden of an ailment.
You probably know someone who’s been diagnosed with a serious illness.
The good news? You’re more likely than ever to recover from a critical illness.
Licensed in: FL, GA, IL, IA, MD, NV, MI, NC, NE, NV, OH, SC, SD, TX, VA, WV