July 16, 2024

Understanding Mental Health - A Beginner's Guide

If you break a bone, you go to the doctor for a cast. If you have a headache, you take a pain reliever to help yourself feel better. If you have a cold, you nourish your body and rest until symptoms ease. Physical health issues can be obvious because their symptoms can be seen, but what happens when you don’t feel well because of issues you can’t see or detect as easily?

This is why learning to understand and pay close attention to your mental health is just as important as paying attention to your physical health. The human mind is a complex system, and just as you can feel physically unwell, you can also feel mentally unwell, too.

What causes mental health issues?

Mental health issues are often difficult to conceptualize and understand because they can be caused by multiple factors, such as…

Family history.

Some mental health issues and disorders can be inherited through family trees. For example, mental health issues such as schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder (to name just a few) have genetic components that contribute to their formations.

Past trauma or experiences.

People who experience trauma can develop mental health issues. For example, traumatized people can develop issues with depression and anxiety after going through a particularly traumatic experience (e.g., near death experience or the tragic loss of a loved one).

Brain chemistry.

If your brain chemistry is even slightly off, you may be predisposed to developing mental health issues. For example, if your brain doesn’t produce enough serotonin (a feel-good chemical), you may be more likely to develop problems with depression or anxiety. Note that drugs are not always an appropriate answer to restore brain chemistry. Forming and maintaining meaningful relationships are medicine for the mind and soul.

Social factors.

People experiencing isolation or loneliness can develop serious issues with their mental health. Humans are social creatures, and social interactions provide a sense of safety, security, and companionship needed to feel stable.

Medical conditions.

Some medical conditions can cause mental health issues, even if the conditions are physical. Chronic illnesses, brain injuries, or hormonal imbalances (such as thyroid problems) can affect your mental health.

Substance abuse habits.

People who abuse drugs, alcohol, and other harmful substances can develop imbalances in the brain, which can lead to mental health issues.

How can someone determine if they have a mental health problem?

Because mental health problems aren’t always obvious, it can be difficult to determine if you are struggling with a specific mental health issue. If you are ever feeling “off” or unlike your usual self, or if your mindset, thinking patterns, or emotions are getting in the way of your normal everyday life, you may have an issue with your mental health that needs to be addressed.

If you experience these symptoms, reach out to your doctor. Just like a physical health problem, it is crucial to have mental health problems diagnosed so you can follow the best course of treatment in order to begin feeling better. A doctor will be able to determine your issues and point you toward the best options for relief, whether that involves counseling, therapy, medications, or combinations of different treatment options.

The Stigma of Mental Health Issues

Unfortunately, because mental health issues aren’t always as obvious as physical health issues, they tend to have a negative stigma attached to them. Sometimes, people will insist that a person with mental health challenges just needs to “think more positively” or “get over it” in order to feel better. These assertions are harmful and not actually useful when trying to work through mental health issues. What is useful are people who can support individuals with mental health issues by engaging in sympathy, compassion and understanding.

Remember that this stigma is based in negative perceptions of mental illness and untrue. Just like physical health, mental health is important and deserves care and treatment like any other health concern.

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If you like this content check out my Substack Newsletter about Breaking The Stigma of mental health at: https://theunreliablemind.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/146698913/share-center