According to the American Psychiatric Association, mental illnesses are defined as “health conditions that involve changes in emotion, thinking, or behavior—or a combination of these”.
Mental illnesses can develop at any age but begin earlier in life. Mental illnesses can disrupt functioning in daily activities and the ongoing symptoms can cause an overload of stress.
It is important to understand and recognize warning signs of mental illness such as:-
. Social withdrawal
. Excessive fear, worry, or anxiety
. Extreme changes in sleeping and eating patterns
. Exhibiting irritability and sadness for a prolonged time
. Having very high and very low moods
. Showing significant tiredness or being low on energy.
It is especially a sign if someone is exhibiting more than 2-3 of these symptoms.
Providing emotional support for a person who is dealing with bad mental health is crucial as it contributes to improving psychological health, at times of stress it gives the person the strength to overcome obstacles, it builds resilience, and helps the individual be more protected from indulging in maladaptive behaviors.
Ways we can support someone with mental illness:-
. Listen without judgment and with patience.
. Encourage and support them to participate in everyday activities.
. Encourage them to seek professional help.
. Talk to the individual who is having a hard time, find out about what is troubling them and ask them what you can do to help.
. Motivating them to include more nutrition in their diet and supporting a healthy lifestyle.
. Encourage them to take care of themselves either through meditation, yoga, or daily self-care.
. Respond to their concerns with a positive outlook towards their situation.
. Show empathy and emit strength so they can instill hope.
Social support is a strong component for having strong psychological health and creating a strong foundation for relationships, it positively affects a person's well-being and health.
Some types of social support are:-
. Emotional support- is about providing love, acceptance, reassurance and encouragement. Being a shoulder to cry on and it is very important during times of stress , sadness and loneliness. Developing this foundation leads to greater wellness.
. Instrumental support- it involves physically doing things and providing to assist. It could either be driving them to their therapist or running some errands when the person isn't doing well.
. Informational support- It includes providing advice and useful information which may help with reducing their anxiety and stress because they received guidance and advice from a loved one.
Social and mental health support reduces the risk of chronic diseases related to stress, anxiety and substance abuse and it's never too late to cultivate a good relationship and contribute to someone’s well-being.
- Tanvi Kalsi