Understanding Mental Health

We all feel nervous or worried at times. This anxiety can be a helpful feeling when it motivates us or warns us of danger. An anxiety disorder, on the other hand, causes unexpected or unhelpful anxiety that seriously impacts our lives, including how we think, feel, and act.

While we may think of low mood or other challenges as adult problems, they can affect people at any age. Children and teens can experience mental illnesses like depression.

We all experience changes in our mood. Sometimes we feel energetic, full of ideas, or irritable, and other times we feel sad or down. But these moods usually don't last long, and we can go about our daily lives. Depression and bipolar disorder are two mental illnesses that change the way people feel and make it hard for them to go about their daily routine.

Every day, we are surrounded by different messages from different sources that impact the way we feel about the way we look. For some, poor body image is a sign of a serious problem: an eating disorder. Eating disorders are not just about food. They are often a way to cope with difficult problems or regain a sense of control. They are complicated illnesses that affect a person's sense of identity, worth, and self-esteem.

What do you think of when you hear that someone is experiencing a mental illness? Some people feel concern, fear, or confusion. Some even avoid those who experience mental illnesses. But mental illnesses are just like any other illness: everyone deserves care, help, and support.

Work is important to our well-being. In addition to the income it brings, it can be a big part of our identity, how we understand our skills, and a way to contribute to something bigger. However, a mental illness can have a big impact on the way we work.

Mental illnesses affect everyone in some way. We all likely know someone who has experienced a mental illness at some point. Yet there are still many hurtful attitudes around mental illnesses that fuel stigma and discrimination and make it harder to reach out for help.

Many of us have small habits that make us feel better, but we can also live without them. For example, we might think of something as lucky or have a routine that feels comforting. But for people who experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), these behaviors are much more intense and disruptive and are fueled by unwanted thoughts that don't go away. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not always easy to understand, but it's a real illness that causes difficulties in a person's life.

Everyone feels scared at times. But sometimes, fear can come up in a situation that isn't expected. This fear stops us from going about our usual routines or working towards our goals. Phobias and panic disorder are two examples of mental illnesses that can lead to these problems.

Frightening situations happen to everyone at some point. People can react in many different ways: they might feel nervous, have a hard time sleeping well, or go over the details of the situation in their mind. These thoughts or experiences are a normal reaction. They usually decrease over time and the people involved can go back to their daily lives. Post-traumatic stress disorder, on the other hand, lasts much longer and can seriously disrupt a person's life.

Bringing a new baby into the family can be challenging at the best of times, both physically and emotionally. It is natural for new parents to experience mood swings, feeling joyful one minute and depressed the next. These feelings are sometimes known as the “baby blues,” and often go away soon after birth. However, some parents may experience a deep and ongoing depression that lasts much longer. This is called postpartum depression.

Suicide. It's a difficult topic to bring up. However, when someone talks about suicide or brings up concern for a loved one, it's important to take action and seek help quickly.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness. One of the biggest myths around the illness is that it isn't treatable. With the right supports, people can work or volunteer, be active in their own care, and contribute to their communities.

People cope with difficult thoughts, feelings, or situations in different ways. Some people cope by injuring themselves on purpose and it may be the only way for them to feel better. Self-injury may seem frightening, but it's important to look beyond the injuries and see what's really going on.