Let's Talk About Mental Health 

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and act. It affects how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Good mental health helps us enjoy life and deal with problems. It is important at every stage of life, from childhood to adulthood.

Mental health problems can affect anyone. These problems can change our mood, thinking, and behavior. Examples include depression, anxiety, and stress. They can be caused by different factors, such as genetics, life experiences, or family history.

Taking care of mental health is important. This can include talking about feelings, staying active, eating well, and getting enough sleep. It can also involve seeking professional help when needed. Therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists can provide support and treatment.

Maintaining good mental health involves self-care and awareness. It's about recognizing when things are not right and seeking help. Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves and enjoy life. Mental health is just as important as physical health.

Mental health problems affect our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. They can make daily life hard. Common problems include depression, anxiety, and stress.

Mental health problems become mental illnesses when they significantly affect daily life and functioning over a longer period. Here are key points:

• Duration and Intensity: If feelings of sadness, anxiety, or stress last for weeks or months and are very intense, they may indicate a mental illness.

• Impact on Daily Life: When these problems make it hard to work, go to school, or maintain relationships, they might be considered a mental illness.

• Loss of Control: If you can't control your feelings or behavior despite trying, this could signal a mental illness.

• Physical Symptoms: Persistent physical symptoms, like unexplained aches or changes in sleep and appetite, can accompany mental illnesses.

• Need for Professional Help: If professional help is needed to manage symptoms, it suggests the problem has become a mental illness.

Mental illnesses include conditions like major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Early recognition and treatment are crucial for better outcomes.

In Adults & Elderly:

• Feeling low, sad, unmotivated, uninterested

• Loss of interest in rather enjoyable activities/ hobbies

• Confusion or reduced ability to concentrate

• Excessive fears or worries about small things

• Extreme feelings of guilt about minor issues

• Extreme mood changes: highs or lows

• Withdrawal from friends, family, relatives

• Significant tiredness or feeling low on energy

• Unable to sleep properly or soundly

• Issues with understanding the reality

• Hearing, Seeing or Feeling the presence of someone or something around

• Inability to cope up with daily problems

• Feeling stressed more than usual

• Changes in appetite: significantly Increased or Decreased

• Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people

• Problems with Substance Use (Alcohol, Tobacco, Cigarette Smoking, Cannabis, party drugs, etc.)

• Problems with Excessive Mobile Use ( Social Media, Gambling, Porn, etc.)

• Increase or Decrease in Sexual Drive (Libido)

• Having trouble with Erection or Ejaculation.

• Excessive anger, hostility or violence

• Breaking things (Television, Mobile Phone, Crockery)

• Threatening/ Expressing to kill someone or self

• Expressing Suicidal Ideas or Thoughts

• Overspending - out of one's budget

In Children:

• Delay/ Regression of  Developmental Milestones

• Persistent sadness, frequent crying, or irritability

• Extreme changes in behavior, such as intense outbursts, aggression, or withdrawal from activities and people 

• Trouble focusing on tasks, a drop in school performance, or a lack of interest in learning 

• Frequent headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints without a clear cause 

• Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or frequent nightmares 

• Eating too much or too little, significant weight loss or gain 

• No longer enjoying hobbies, games, or activities they once liked 

• Constant worry, fear, or anxiety that disrupts daily life 

• Avoiding friends, family, or social activities 

• Engaging in self-injurious behaviors like cutting or expressing a desire to harm themselves