World Mental Health Day

Awareness
Hi beautiful people!

Today, 10th October, is World Mental Health Day, hosted by the World Federation for Mental Health. So, take a moment to think: how do you feel about mental health? Mental health (MH), by the way, does not only refer to MH disorders, but all aspects of MH - good and poor. But, as we live in a society where still there is a lot of stigma towards MH problems, I'm going to talk about that. I've talked about MH stigma previously too (it's a very important topic for me!), you can check that post out here and my poem on it.

Okay, now let me rephrase what I initially asked: how do you feel about poor mental health? When you think of someone suffering from a MH disorder, what thoughts come to mind? It is very likely that one of your loved ones or acquaintances is or has been suffering from a MH problem. MH problems are very common. And you know what? That's ok. It's ok to be going through MH issues. Some well-known MH disorders such as depression and anxiety are not unknown to most people, but other disorders such as schizophrenia result in a lot of speculation. Unfortunately the media tends to place a heavy bias on negative aspects of such disorders. News headlines seem to depict the 'worst' side of a mentally ill individual. This is not always the case. Yes, some people with severe MH problems can tend to behave in a dangerous way, but that can be said about 'normal' people too, right? For example, not all 'normal' people are criminals, yet 'normal' people do commit crimes. Similarly, not all mentally unwell people are criminals, but some do commit crimes and that's what the media likes to exaggerate. I'm mainly talking about schizophrenia here, which is a very misunderstood MH disorder.

As with any health problem, support is available. Physical health problems are rarely stigmatised against, at least not to the extent to MH problems. Society really needs to have a broader mind and be more receptive to such sensitive topics. Love and support people experiencing MH disorders. Be more understanding of what they are going through rather than becoming distant with them.

I have discussed MH problems in some of my previous blog posts which you can have a read if you wish: DEPRESSION, EATING DISORDERS, SCHIZOPHRENIA, ANXIETY. 

I have always been a promoter for MH awareness and volunteered a lot in the past for people experiencing poor mental health. I still aim to reduce MH stigma (or at least try) as I feel it is still a big concern. Luckily there are people out there who are also keen on providing support and are not judgemental towards friends/family members going through MH problems. Let's all share awareness for a positive MH outlook for everyone and provide support to those who need it. Thank you :)

Peace and love,
Ayesha xxx

Online mental health support

Anxiety
Hello!

I just wanted to share this with you guys:
If any of you (only under 18 for the time being) are experiencing emotional and mental distress, or just going through a hard time, you can speak to someone. You can talk about your issues and anything that is bothering you, whether it's your friends/family/school or anything else, to a trained mentor/counsellor/mental health professional. Everything you disclose is confidential, with the exception if someone is at harm (of course). Mindfull UK offer emotional and mental wellbeing support for 11-17 year olds, but are expanding to age 25 very soon. Here is the link:

https://www.mindfull.org/
Remember, no one should have to go through a hard time alone. There is always help out there. This is a free service of course, don't forget!

And if you want to get involved and want to volunteer for them - you can apply for that too! Apply to be a mentor is you are under 18, or a life mentor if you are over 18. All training is provided! Let's spread awareness for this wonderful web support :)


Stay happy and blessed,
Ayesha xxx

Poem on mental health stigma

Anorexia

Hello!

I have something special to share today. I wrote a poem on mental health stigma, a cause which I feel STRONGLY about. Here we are:
Mental Health Stigma

"He's hearing voices? What a freak", they say, judging a person when they have no right
"She's mad, stay away from her", they say, thinking she might violently pick up a fight
But schizophrenia is not something that should define who you are
The suffering and trouble you experience is already enough to scar


"Get a grip and be a man", they say, having no idea how suicidal you feel
"Other people have worse problems", they say, not knowing how you cope and deal
But depression isn't something to be taken so lightly
It's a time when it feels there is no light shining brightly


"Stop trying to lose weight, you're not fat", they say, without thinking that you don't perceive that to eat at ease
"I can see your ribs, that's disgusting", they say, having no clue that you don't see what they see
But anorexia isn't something that means you're selfish and vain
In fact, there's more to it, particularly a lot of pain


"Why are you so awkward and irritable at parties", they say, not understanding that social situations are tough
"Stop worrying so much and always being on edge", they say, failing to see that you’ve already had enough
But anxiety doesn't come with a manual on how to cope
Often you can't do much but sit around and mope


Because mental health problems cannot be paraded on your sleeve
They’re much more common than most of us believe
Discriminating against someone when you haven't walked in their shoes
Labelling them as 'weak' without knowing the cause for their blues


Do we think that's appropriate, would you like to be treated that way?
Each person is priceless, so let your negative thoughts go away
If our bodies can get sick, then why can't our mind?
Health is not only physical, it is social and mental combined


Stigma needs to be reduced, awareness needs to be spread
What if one day you suffer, have you thought that far ahead?
Support, love and care, may be all that they need
Be more accepting, that is all I plead


If they’re seeking treatment, shouldn't you be proud?
They have realised something is wrong, they just need help to be found
Mental health problems need to be further understood, isn't that true?
Learn to be more open-minded, that's the least you can do.

Ayesha Shahid

"Keep your head above the clouds, but your feet on the ground" - Photo taken in Tenerife


Thanks for reading. There's not much more that I want to say, other than that I hope I can help reduce stigma associated around these issues.

Take care lovely people!
Ayesha xxx 

Depression

Depression

Hello!

I will be discussing major depression and explaining briefly some causal theories. Depression is unfortunately much more common than we think and is increasing becoming a larger problem in the world, so I wanted to start off with this.

The DSM-IV-TR (the widely used diagnostic manual for mental disorders) defines an individual to have major depressive disorder if they present at least 5 of the following symptoms for at least 2 weeks (but not a result of a general medical condition):

-          Depressed mood
-          Loss of interest/pleasure
-          Significant weight loss/gain
-          Increase in or loss of appetite
-          Fatigue/loss of energy
-          Difficulty concentrating
-          Significant distress
-          Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
-          Physical agitation

Major depression is a mood disorder; the sufferer will generally feel low in all things related to them. They will not only feel negatively about themselves, but also have a pessimistic view on life and the future. They may be slow in their activities or speech, and spend a lot of time alone - social withdrawal is common. This social withdrawal can fuel their depression. They may spend a lot of time in bed as they don't want to face the world (including their loved ones). People who are depressed feel helpless and out of control of the situation, and in extreme cases can experience suicidal thoughts. Depressed people go through the ‘vicious circle’ which prevents them from coming out of their depression – I will explain this in detail in another post.

Depression in women is twice as likely compared to men. This may be because women are generally susceptible to being more emotionally unstable, and can think more negatively of themselves. Unfortunately in society, to some extent women have less ‘power’ than men which may lead them to develop depression. This varies across cultures, of course.

http://wallike.com/sad-puppy-face.html

Causes?
-          Biological explanation – serotonin
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (chemical in the brain) which when present in low levels, is associated with depression. It may be that there is not enough serotonin, or it may be that there is low activity of serotonin. Serotonin is thought to regulate other neurotransmitter systems, and low levels may affect the way these systems act. Depression arises when low levels of serotonin promote low levels of noradrenaline.

-          Cognitive explanation (1) – learned helplessness (Seligman)
Depression is caused by an individual thinking they have no control over the reinforcements (rewards and punishments) in their lives, and that they are responsible for any helpless state they find themselves in, therefore, feel helpless in situations that can be changed.

-          Cognitive explanation (2) – the cognitive triad (Beck)
Depression is due to patterns of negative thinking. The cognitive triad consists of three components: depressed people have a negative view of themselves (e.g. ‘I am a bad person’), they have a negative view of the future (e.g. ‘things will not improve’) and they have a negative view of the world (e.g. ‘my life is terrible’).
Depressed people are prone to distort and misinterpret information from the world and make overly negative self-defeating thoughts. Common misinterpretations include: selective thinking- where an individual ignores the positive aspects and concentrates on the negative points (e.g. to see a glass as half empty, rather than half full), overgeneralisation- making exceeding conclusions based on a single incident (e.g. ‘she didn’t answer my phone, therefore she must hate me’), personalising- blaming oneself for all negative events (e.g. ‘the car broke down, and it’s my fault’).
Depressed people are likely to have developed a negative self-schema. Our self-schema contains all information about ourselves (beliefs, feelings etc), and if this is negative, then so will our view of ourselves be when in new situations.

-          Psychodynamic explanation - Freud
Sigmund Freud proposed the idea that after the loss of a loved one in childhood, a person is unable to overcome their mourning period, leading them to ‘melancholia’. They blame themselves for the loss as they cannot blame the loved one. Depression, therefore, can be seen as ‘delayed mourning’. Emotions and anger which are not expressed at the time (in childhood) become repressed and become an unconscious negative emotion which is released in adulthood as depression.

-          Sociological explanation
In life, not everyone is as lucky as some people. Some of these factors may affect a person so much that they can become depressed. These can include poverty, low status in society, social isolation, environmental stress (e.g. at work, housing problems). Certain life events can also a large negative impact on us (e.g. bereavement, going through a bad marriage).

Okay that’s it for now! I hope you found this first post easy to read and not too technical! Hopefully, this would have helped you understand depression better and understand those who experience it too. If you think you or anyone you know is going through this, please seek help! Depression can be cured and the dark clouds WILL go away one day! Depression is treatable!

Keep smiling,
Ayesha xxx