What is Mental Health?
Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects our ability to cope with life’s challenges, build and maintain healthy relationships.
A person’s mental health is unique to them, and is not simply the absence of a mental illness.
Are Mental Health and Mental Illness the Same?
No – even though these terms are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing!
As mentioned above Mental Health is a person’s state of well-being, while mental illness affects how a person feels, thinks and interacts with others .
Symptoms of Poor Mental Health
If you’re worried that you or someone you know may be dealing with poor mental health, look out for these symptoms:
- not eating enough or eating too much
- sleeping too much or struggling to sleep
- distancing yourself from other people and favourite activities
- consistent fatigue
- feeling numbness or lacking empathy
- unexplainable body pains or aches
- feeling hopeless, helpless or lost
- using drugs or alcohol more than usual
- constant irritability or anger
- feeling anxious or scared
- feeling confused and forgetful
- extreme mood swings
- constant intrusive flashbacks or thoughts
- thoughts of harming yourself or other people
- being unable to carry out day-to-day activities
When should you see a doctor?
If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, then it’s important that you consult with a doctor or mental health professional as quickly as possible.
Mental health can quickly deteriorate if left unchecked.
How to improve your mental health?
If you’ve noticed that you’re feeling down lately, and you want to take better care of your mental well-being, try the following:
- Connect with others: speaking with friends, family or other people going through a similar situation can help you find perspective
- Get active: becoming more physically active can help improve your self-esteem among other things
- Learn a new skill, or get creative: engaging in something creative can be a great way of processing emotions
- Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness): this can help you enjoy life and “the little things” more
- Take a moment for yourself: Taking the time to relax can help reduce stress and anxiety levels
Need to speak to someone? (Phone these numbers now!)
If you’re being seriously affected by mental health, phone the number that is most relevant to you:
Before listing the following numbers, remember this: phoning these numbers is not a waste of anyone’s time.
You simply want to talk to someone:
- Phone 116 123 to call The Samaritans
- Text “Shout” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line
- Under the age of 19? Call 0800 1111 to speak to Childline (the number will not appear on the phone bill)
- Phone 111 now, or use the NHS 111 Online Service to get help
Someone’s life is at risk, or you feel you cannot keep yourself or someone safe:
- Phone 999 immediately to get help right now – it is not a waste of time!
Treatment for Mental Health
Because the scope of mental health issues is so broad, being unique to the person experiencing them, there are also many different types of treatment available.
However, here we’ll focus on the two main methods of treatment:
- Talking treatments: having a safe space to express your emotions can drastically improve your mental health
- Medication: sometimes people may need a helping hand feeling better, and in conjunction with other forms of treatment, medication can be helpful
Already got a prescription? Get it delivered.
When it comes to taking medication for mental health issues, remembering to order your prescription and taking your pill on time is incredibly important.
If you’d like to order your prescription directly to your home, and set up pill reminders using an all-in-one app, then Healthera is here to help.
Simply click the button to get started.
