Being in good mental health has a positive impact on several aspects of one's life. This is also true when a person is unwell.
Good health contributes to a balanced life, but this doesn’t apply only to the physical aspect. Mental health is also part of the equation, yet we sometimes underestimate its importance. If you would like to learn more about mental health and some of the illnesses it encompasses, the following will likely be of interest to you.
Mental illness: a real issue
When all is well, we may sometimes underestimate the importance of good mental health. We often think “mental health issues only happen to other people!” Yet, no one is immune to mental illness.
Mental illness is common and affects one out of six Canadians, which in turn impacts the people around them. Because mental illness is frequently misunderstood, this often leads to prejudices. Several individuals hesitate to ask for help because they are afraid to be judged, misunderstood, or labelled. Mental illness has many faces. This generic term refers to various disorders which all have their specificities. Your health professionals can offer information on the subject.
In order to diagnose mental illness, a rigorous assessment must be completed by a competent healthcare professional, who has the skills to make such a diagnosis, such as a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist. Contact the CLSC nearest you to find out about the resources available in your area.
Mental health is everybody’s business!
When going through a difficult period, we must be careful not to cry wolf. We have all succumbed to stress, sadness, suffering, fatigue and even exhaustion at one time or another. Periods of imbalance are part of life and aren’t necessarily synonymous with mental illness! In most cases, we can say “after rain comes a rainbow”, but we must also recognize that mental health is not random.
To maintain our well-being, we must be aware that mental health is a complex state which is affected by a multitude of factors such as physical health, heredity, upbringing, values, lifestyle, sleep quality, level of physical activity, work and interpersonal relationships. When we feel that something is off, it’s important to ask ourselves the right questions and to find ways to restore balance. Taking the time to question ourselves and adopting new habits may contribute to restoring this balance and it may be beneficial to ask for help to reach our objective more quickly!
In the following articles, you will find additional information on mental health and some of the illnesses that may affect it:
- Demystifying mental illness
- How to help a loved one who is affected by mental illness
- Depression: how to detect it
- Anorexia nervosa and bulimia: diseases that should be taken seriously
- Autism and pervasive developmental disorders
- The benefits of physical activity on mental illness
- Advice on how to fight seasonal depression
- The benefits of light therapy
- Stress—its repercussions on health and the way to limit it
- Social phobia or the fear of others
- Agoraphobia or fear of open spaces or public places