How Can We Be Aware?
- Being Observant
- Being Considerate
- Being Non-Judgemental
- Making Mental Health a Priority
- Developing Empathy – a process of feeling in other's shoes
When Do We Consult A Mental Health Professional?
Personal(lack of self care, difficulty in doing lifestyle chores)
Social(withdrawn from friends and family/over friendly)
Occupational(complains from workplace/school)
(facilitated by a Counselling Psychologist)
- Is a psychological intervention which aids in regulating emotional problems by using ‘talk’ as a medium of healing and it is called talk therapy.
- Is can be part of psychotherapy.
(facilitated by a Clinical Psychologist)
- An umbrella term.
- It is a type of treatment for major mental illness or psychological problems.
- Enables people to develop coping strategies, understand belief system, facilitate maladaptive response prevention, reduce harmful behaviour and many more. For example, treatment for depression is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy but for Anxiety disorders we might also use various Mindfulness based Relaxation therapies.
(facilitated by a Psychiatrist)
- Prescribed medicines are given by a Psychiatrist to help reducing mostly physiological symptoms of a Mental disorder. It would correct the chemical imbalance caused in the brain (if any) inside the brain.
- Mostly necessary for treatment of Psychotic disorders like Schizophrenia, Substance use disorders , Self Harming behaviour,etc.
- Depression isn't the sadness you experience in your daily life.
- It's a psychological disorder characterized by sad mood, lack of interest in activities that hamper one’s daily life.
- It affects one’s sleep, appetite, concentration, energy level and it might lead to having thoughts about suicide.
- This illness needs to be diagnosed by a Mental Health Professional.
- You aren't depressed if your mum didn't make you your favorite food today, you're just upset.
Panic Attacks Reality
- A sudden experience of excessive fear or discomfort often 'out of the blue's qualifies as a Panic Disorder.
- It will make your heart start thumping, you'll feel hot and sweaty, there will be shivers running down your body specially your hands and legs, your vision might get blurry, you'll have difficulty in breathing with feelings of ' things going out of control'.
- Severe panic attacks also bring along nausea, abdominal pain, headache, numbness and your mind' screaming voice that you're about to die.
- Anxiety attacks are out of one’s control. It isn’t an excuse to escape from situations, it comes with intense stream of restlessness and nervousness.
- It gives one a feeling of being “on-edge” with uncontrollable and increased heart rate and lots of trembling and sweating.
- Anxiety is not 'just fear' and anxiety attacks aren’t fake. During an anxiety attack the hormone adrenaline floods in your bloodstream, your breathing becomes fast and shallow and you start having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.
- Insomnia is more than just experiencing a sleepless night. It is a sleep disorder where a person has persistent problems in falling and maintaining sleep.
- It is a Psychological Disorder, to be diagnosed by a Mental Health professional.
- If you aren't feeling sleepy one night, that might be because you took a nap in the afternoon today. So relax!
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Reality
- OCD isn't a mere habit someone has. It isn't just about you wanting to keep your room clean.
- In reality people have recurring, unwanted and unreasonable ideas or urges that make them feel driven to do something repetitively.
- OC(D) as a mental illness would disable your social, personal and occupational life.
- You might just be a perfectionist, or might have any kind of 'Obsessive' or 'Compulsive' Trait but to qualify for a 'Disorder' you need to be diagnosed by a Mental Health Professional.