By Chisomo
I know this may seem like your cliché blog about mental health and mental problems, but I assure you it is not.
In as much as we tend to look at mental health in bits and pieces in the form of rumours of people who may be suffering or the vagrant that roam our very streets.
However, there has over the years been a rise in concern and this has brought about policies and Awareness seminars, tips and the like to lead people into striving to not only be healthy physically but mentally too. Before going into further detail, I will briefly explain what mental health is.
Mental health is basically about our emotional, psychological and social well-being. This is so because it affects how we think, feel, make decisions and behave. In 2017, an article for AmericanNewsToday by Christian Nordquist, he said, ‘it is the person’s ability to enjoy life. To attain balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.’
World Health Organization (WHO), further goes to say it is not just the absence of a mental disorder’.
Over 25% of people globally suffer from mental health problems in their lifetime. WHO even eludes to say most cases begin before age 14. In addition to this, in most countries less than 1% uses their health budgets towards mental health and this is common in Lower and Middle Income Countries mostly African countries like Malawi and Kenya. This may be due to their reliance on traditional healers and lack of knowledge about mental health. This in turn affects how we treat those that are mentally unhealthy as well as our failure to recognize when one is mentally unhealthy or how to stay mentally healthy.
In 2015, the first UN General Assembly where mental health and substance abuse was listed as a global priority in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was held.
Now this prioritizing involves getting people involved and raising knowledge of the existing mental health problems and how they can be treated and or prevented. Thus raising awareness about Mental Health.
Mental Health Awareness is important because it enhances productivity, as when one is psychologically stable they are able to function better than they would have if they were not. Furthermore, in a more personal point of view, being aware of your Mental Health helps you release your potential because you understand yourself and form better relationships with those around you.
At a more communal level, being educated in Mental Health, helps remove the stigma that people hold about mental disorders and problems.
In as much as itself it doesn’t kill, it can make you prone to other things as most illnesses and diseases are psychologically rooted.
In Malawi, according to ministry of health, there are 0.3% mental health facilities in Malawi and the health budget alone spends 1.01% towards mental health services. To further this notion, there are only a few mental health professionals and general health care workers having no competence for handling mental health condition and there is a high level of stigma.
This alone gives enough reason for there to be an increase in mental health awareness to help us take care of ourselves and stay healthy because there are no adequate resources to treat us all and one may be inspired to join the force but needs to be mentally aware beforehand.
There are many myths surrounding mental health like how you’re only unhealthy when you have a disorder when that is not the case. For example when one is stressed, they are mentally unhealthy but that that doesn’t mean they have a disorder. In Africa, not only do most believe that mental disorders and illnesses are Western champagne problems, but they also do not affect children. News flash! Three-quarters of people would have suffered from mental health problems by 24yrs of age. While others believe people with mental health problems are violent and unpredictable. Others still believe mental health problems are impossible to prevent.
That is not the case. Mental health problems can be treated and prevented too! And it doesn’t even require any form of medication!
If you ever want to check if you are mentally okay, always check on any sudden behavioural changes you may experience, any emotional changes whether abrupt or long lasting and also check on your behaviour around others and hear what others say about your behaviour.
If you want, feel free to take this test if you feel asking around will be too much to do. Follow this link.
If you feel you’re mentally healthy, congratulations!! You must however, maintain that mentally healthy state and you can achieve that through;
- GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP (SOUNDS CRAZY BUT IT WORKS)
- -GETTING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE. THIS HELPS YOU CLEAR
YOUR HEAD AND ENJOY THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE. - DEVELOPING POSITIVE COPING SKILLS WHEN OVERCOME
BY A PROBLEM. (REMEMBER, YOU ARE BIGGER THAN YUR
PROBLEMS!) - CONNECTING WITH OTHERS AND FORMING POSTIVE AND
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS. - FOR PARENTS WITH YOUNG OR ADOLESCENT CHILDREN,
OBSERVE YOUR CHILD’S BEHAVIOUR AT ALL TIMES AND
TAKE TIME TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM AND TALK TO THEM - AND WHENEVER YOU FEEL TOO MENTALLY UNWELL SEEK
PROFESSIONAL HELP BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
Remember, your health, is your wealth!
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