MENTAL
HEALTH & TRAUMA CARE
(Understanding
the essentiality of good mental health and dealing with trauma or helping
people with trauma)
INTRODUCTION
Mental tension arises from
adverse circumstances or situations of life. Stress is a reaction to a stimulus
that disturbs our physical or mental equilibrium. When there is an imbalance in
our physical and mental equilibrium which could be stress, mental illness or
trauma; it triggers the “fight, flight or freeze” responses.
Not all people will
experience a mental illness, but everyone will struggle or have a challenge
with their mental well-being.
The three “E’s” of
trauma: An event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced
by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and
that has lasting adverse effects.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is a state
of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life,
realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their
community.
It is an integral
component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective
abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live
in.
Mental health is a basic
human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic
development.
COMMON MENTAL HEALTH
ILLNESSES
Some of the most common
mental health illnesses are follows.
·
Anxiety disorders- troubled by excessive
worrying that seems difficult to control.
·
Behavioural and emotional disorders in
children- extremely difficult and challenging behaviours that are outside the
norm for age.
·
Bipolar affective disorder- experiences
episodes of mania (elation) and depression.
·
Depression- mood disorder characterised by
lowering of mood, loss of interest and enjoyment, and reduced energy.
·
Dissociation and dissociative disorders- disconnects
from their thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity.
·
Eating disorders- behavioural conditions
characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviours and
associated distressing thoughts and emotions.
·
Obsessive compulsive disorder- recurrent
thoughts, images or impulses that are intrusive and unwanted.
·
Paranoia- irrational and persistent
feeling that people are ‘out to get you’.
·
Post-traumatic stress disorder- mental
health condition that can develop as a response to people who have experienced
any traumatic event.
·
Psychosis- experience delusions,
hallucinations and confused thinking.
·
Schizophrenia- complex psychotic disorder
characterised by disruptions to thinking and emotions, and a distorted
perception of reality.
FACTORS THAT CAUSE MENTAL
HEALTH ILLNESSES & TRAUMA
|
Internal
Factors |
External
Factors |
|
·
Low Self- Esteem ·
Lack of Dignity ·
Physical or Psychological problems. ·
Lack of Self- Identity ·
Unrealistic expectations ·
Any sudden Change of the pattern in life. ·
Inappropriate Attitudes and Perceptions. ·
Fear and Uncertainty |
·
Facing Discriminations. ·
Poor Management skills. ·
Drugs ·
Threatening Audio-Visuals ·
Separation from a beloved person. ·
Pressure in School/ College/ Workplace due to
Overload. ·
Imbalance in the responsibilities taken. ·
Insecure Environment- Physical and emotional abuse |
SYMPTOMS/ IMPACT OF
MENTAL HEALTH lLLNESSES OR TRAUMA
There are some of the
common symptoms of mental health illnesses or trauma which could be also
considered to be its impact.
|
Physical |
Emotional |
|
•
Aches and Poor appetite •
Concern for safety •
Extra Care/ No Care for the Body •
Extra Care/ No Care for the Belongings |
•
Inferior thinking/ Superior thinking •
Trouble in Relationships •
Fear and Anxiety •
Embarrassment |
|
Cognitive |
Behavioural |
|
•
Nightmares •
Lack of Trust
•
Absenteeism •
Low
performance •
Irrational
Beliefs and responses |
•
Outbursts •
Withdrawal & Isolation •
Risk of Addictions •
Excessive/ Limited attention to something specific |
IMPROPER HANDLING OF STRESS/
DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
Many times, we seek help and guidance from friends, or we follow some things by ourselves. Whatever it is, certain aspects are certainly unbeneficial in the way we handle challenging situations. The improper handling of stress or difficult situations is as follows.
• Avoiding
the problem.
• Taking
drugs or other self-entertaining things.
• Staying
idol without acting anything.
• Keep
worrying
GAINING/ MAINTAINING GOOD
MENTAL HEALTH AND AVOIDING TRAUMA
Some of the actions that
we could follow for gaining/ maintaining good mental head that helps to avoid
trauma are as follows.
• Being on the right track with the right values and beliefs.
• Moving
away from the situation.
• Spending
time with Good people (without any expectation of personal gain) and genuine
professionals.
• Accepting
the reality, Knowing the self, and Reframing the stressful situations.
• Managing
time well.
• Having
a healthier Lifestyle.
• Learning
new things.
• Not
comparing self with others, Being confident, Having good Self-Esteem and
Dignity. (Excelling- Giving the Best)
CONCLUSION
We shall always say the
following to ourselves to ensure who we are, irrespective of what others think,
say, and do to us.
“I
AM UNIQUE, SPECIAL AND WORTHIER THAN ANY MATERIAL THING IN THIS WORLD”
REFERENCES
Guarino, K. &
Chagnon, E. (2018). Trauma-sensitive schools training package. Washington, DC:
National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-causes-and-effects.htm ,
Availability as on 22/2/2017
https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/types-of-stressors-eustress-vs-distress/ ,
Availability as on 22/2/2017
For more resources on self-development, use the link- http://tinyurl.com/jtcselfdevelop
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