“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” These words of wisdom of American author John Green seem perfectly applicable in the post-pandemic scenario, where every second person is dealing with mental illness. Mental well-being is as important as your physical health, states, Dr. Maliha Hasham Sable, Founder & Director at The Healthy Mind. Dr. Maliha is a celebrity mental health clinician, the UK accredited psychotherapist, Tedx Speaker, and also the recipient of the Indian Achievers Award in healthcare excellence. In a detailed conversation with TMM, the titleholder of the ‘Renowned Doctor of India 2021’, talks about mental health, its importance, signs, and why is it important to seek support at the right time.
How do you define mental health?
When an individual becomes aware of the stress in his or her life & is able to cope with it, is productive with his/her work, is socially, physically active, is functioning well, basically, psychological, social & emotional well-being is referred to as mental health. Mental Health is more than the absence of mental disorders.
What are the types of mental illness?
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5 which is the latest updated manual for mental disorders, reads the official count for the disorders to be 157. Moreover, the most common types of mental illnesses are Clinical Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Studies have shown that mental illnesses may begin with the 14 years of age, though symptoms can start early in childhood which eventually grows to be fully formed disorder. So, as a professional, I suggest to not fear but be aware of the common symptoms that may occur & if there is any change that you notice among yourself or your child or others, get yourself checked with the mental health professional at the earliest.
How can one improve his/her mental health?
When it comes to improving one’s mental health, there are various factors associated with it. The first step is to understand your mental health, the moment you feel that you are getting aggressive, frustrated, upset about small things or if you are overthinking, you should talk to your close ones about how you feel be it your parents, your siblings, your friends, or a therapist. It will help you vent out your negative thoughts make you feel relaxed. And the moment you realize that these symptoms are increasing and leading to suicidal thoughts must visit a mental health specialist.
What are the characteristics of good mental health?
When an individual looks at the life of others through the lens of positivity, or when he or she performs activities as per interests, and when there are no issues with sleep patterns involving the quality of sleep, all these are signs of good mental health. Also, when an individual shows interest in learning, loves being socially active by forming relationships with others, communicating with people, he or she is able to feel, manage & express emotions, all these also reflect that the mental health of the individual is good and healthy.
Where can one go for mental health support?
Due to the pandemic, I understand how the situations have changed, & how the need for mental health support has increased & for that, I have made it possible with my mental healthcare firm The Healthy Mind also known as thmdoctors, to bring mental health services to the people across the world including the places that have no mental health facilities available. I am treating people from their homes through video call checkups & consultations via various video conferencing platforms. Be it for assessment, diagnosis, treatment, corporate training programs, or mental health courses, one can easily call at +919822936590 for scheduling an appointment to seek the right support. ‘
During the lockdown, people faced a lot of mental health challenges. Were there any similar patterns?
Challenges of mental health were seen in kids, adults, and even the elderly. The most common patterns were the feeling of loneliness, higher level of aggression & frustration, sleeplessness, , poor adaption to sudden changes of daily functioning also increased the level of stress amongst the individuals from all the age groups reporting the greater risks of depression, anxiety, drug misuse, addictions as well as other mental disorders.
How does mental health affect life?
Mental health plays a vital role in a person’s life to stay completely fit as well as happy. When it comes to mental health, it is important to understand how poor mental health can negatively impact physical health as well interfere with the daily routines of a person. Mental health has a wider impact on a person’s physical health, so it’s important to consider mental health as a priority along with physical health. Overall fitness is essential even to show high performance & productivity during work, studies, in building & maintaining relationships with self & others, as mental health affects the emotions & behavior of the person in a different context of life. Taking utmost care of Mental Health is necessary for all age groups including kids, adults, elderly, with no gender discrimination, as it is important for the proper & positive development of a person as a whole.
Has there been an increase in suicide rates during the lockdown?
In the year 2020, WHO estimated 1.53 million people will die from suicide, which represents on average one death every 20 seconds, & one attempt every 1 – 2 seconds. By far, the suicidal rates across the world hasn’t been fully examined yet, a limited number of studies draw attention towards the lockdown and it has been found that there had been tremendous growth in mental disorders associated with the increased level of stress, loneliness, economic difficulties, the uncertainty of times, anxiety associated with the infection, so as to conclude, suicidal behavior has increased with the underlying mental health conditions amongst the individuals. It has also come into notice that the ways of attempting suicide have been changed from less outdoor to more indoor ways of suicide with the methods of hanging, poison, etc. Early signs of suicidal behavior shouldn’t be ignored, if any individual notices suicidal thoughts amongst themselves or others, they should reach out to a mental health professional to diagnose the risk factors & get the right help at the earliest.
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