TYPES OF PROBLEMS WITH MENTAL HEALTH
ANGER
We all sometimes get angry – this is part of human nature. Anger is a normal, healthy emotion that we could feel if we believe we are::
- Attacked
- Tricked
- Disappointed
- Unfairly treated.
Anger is not necessary a “bad” emotion; actually, sometimes it could be useful. For example, when you get angry at something, you could:
- Help identify problems or things that hurt you.
- Motivate us to change in order to achieve our goals and keep ahead.
- Help us remain safe and defend ourselves in certain situations.
When does anger turn into a problem?
Anger turns into an issue only when it gets out of control and hurts you or the people around you. This could happen if:
- You regularly express your anger via fruitless or destructive behaviour.
- Your anger has negative impact on your comprehensive mental and physical health
- Anger turns into your basic emotion that block your ability to feel other emotions.
STRESS
Stress is the manner in which we react when we feel under pressure or threatened. Usually this happens when we are in a situation that we believe we cannot manage or control.
When stress is an issue?
Sometimes small quantity of stress could help us complete our tasks and feel more energetic. Yet stress could turn into problem if it continues for long or is very strong. In some cases, stress could impact our physical and mental health.
It is possible to hear from health professionals calling some types of stress “acute” or “chronic”.
Acute stress is manifested within couple of minutes to several hours after a particular event. It continues for short period of time, usually less than couple of weeks. It is very intensive, could happen after upsetting or unexpected event. For example, it could be sudden loss, attack or natural disaster.
Chronic stress continues long enough or keeps returning. You could feel it if most of the time you are exposed to great tension. You could feel chronic stress and if your daily life is difficult, for example if you are taking care after a child or live in poverty.
Chronic stress could result in “burnout” or the so called “professional burnout”. Some burnout symptoms are: great exhaustion, low self-esteem, lowered workability, detachment from activities, avoiding problems to be solved, poor attitude towards work etc.
anxiety
Anxiety is what we feel when we are worried, tensed or we fear something – especially about the things that are about to happen or that we believe could happen in the future.
Anxiety is a natural human reaction that we feel when we are endangered. It could be manifested through our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations.
It is quite usual to feel some anxiety when coping with stressful events or changes, especially if these could greatly impact your life.
When anxiety is a problem of mental health?
Anxiety could turn into issue for mental health if it impacts your ability to live in full value manner, way you want. For example, it could be an issue if:
Your sensation of anxiety is very strong or continues for long.
Your fears or worries are not proportional to the situation.
You avoid situations that could make you feel anxious.
Your worries are quite torturous or hard to control.
You regularly feel symptoms of anxiety that could include panic bouts.
DEPRESSION
Depression is a psychic problem that includes bad moods or loss of interest and satisfaction from things. It could bring about many other changes in the way you feel or behave. The symptoms that you feel could be different. They could differ in terms of intensity, duration and degree of impact on your daily life.
If depression is milder, you could suffer from bad moods, yet you would be able to keep your daily life.
Yet things may feel harder and less valuable. If you have severer depression, your daily life could be much harder. It is possible for you to have suicidal thoughts.
It starts like sorrow then one becomes introvert, feels less and less capable of coping with daily stuff.
EATING DISORDERS
The problem with eating is every attitude towards food that creates difficulties for you. Many people believe that one who has eating disorder has weight above or below the normal, as a rule. Yet this is not quite true.
Every person could have problems with eating. This could happen irrespective of age, sex, weight or origin.
Food plays essential role in our lives. Most of us spend time thinking what to eat. Sometimes it may happen that you feel hunger, eat more than usual or lose your appetite.
Such a change of your eating habits is normal from time to time. Yet if you have the feeling that food and eating rule your life, this may turn into a problem.
If you have problem with eating, it could impact in many ways how you feel or behave. The way you eat as well as how you think of food could be one of the most remarkable symptoms.
What is the difference between eating disorder and problem with eating?
Eating disorder is a medical diagnosis. This diagnosis is based on your dietary habits and includes medical examinations of weight, blood and body mass index. Eating disorder is every relation with food that you find difficult.
PANIC ATTACKS
The panic bouts are type of reaction to fear. They are exaggeration of your body’s normal reaction to danger, stress or excitement.
During panic attack the physical symptoms could accumulate very fast. They may include::
- Pounding or accelerated heartbeat.
- Sensation of lack of energy.
- Dizziness
- Sensation for warm or cold sweating, shaking or shivering
- Nausea (sensation of nausea)
- Chest or abdominal pain
- Difficulty breathing or sensation you are suffocating, feeling of your legs trembling or turning into jelly.
During a panic attack you could feel strong fear that: you lose control, would faint or get heart attack. Panic attacks occur at different times, for every person. Some people get one panic attack and then they do not get another, or we could say they get them regularly. One could notice that certain places, situations or activities cause panic attacks. For example, they could manifest before meeting related to stress.
Most panic attacks last from 5 to 20 minutes. They could happen very rapidly. Usually symptoms are worst within 10 minutes.
During the panic attack:
- Focus on your breathing. It could help you get focused on slow inhale and exhale while counting to five.
- Focus on your senses. For example, try candies or chewing gums with mint flavour, touch or caress something soft.
- Try earthing techniques. Earthing techniques could help you feel more in control. They are especially useful if you feel dissociation during panic bouts.
After panic attack:
Think of caring after yourselves. It is important to pay attention to what your body needs after you’ve been through a panic attack. For example, you may need to take a rest at some quiet place or eat or drink something.
Tell someone you could trust. If you feel capable of, it may help you tell someone you had a panic
attack.
Paranoia
Paranoia is a sensation you’ve been somehow threatened, even if there was no evidence or few. Paranoid thoughts could be described as delusions. There are many types of threats from which you could fear and worry.
Paranoid thoughts could be exaggerated suspicions. For example, someone once made a bad comment about you and you believe he is leading a hatred campaign against you.
Everyone experiences paranoia differently. Here are some examples of the frequent types of paranoid thoughts.
You may think that:
- People speak behind your back or observe you
- Other people are trying to ruin your reputation
- There is risk to be physically injured or killed
- People use hits and ambiguities to threaten you secretly or make you feel bad
- People are trying to take your money or items
PHOBIA
Phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. This is an extreme pattern of fear or anxiety caused by certain situation or an object. Situation that causes phobia. You may know it is safe to be at the balcony in a high block of flats yet feel terror to get outside. It is possible to even not be able to enjoy the view behind the windows inside the building.
Object that causes phobia. You may know spider is nor poisonous or it would not bite you yet this does not lower your anxiety.
It is possible to even feel this extreme anxiety when thinking or talking about the situation or the object. Many of us feel fears in certain situations or sites. This is completely normal.
Fear turns into phobia if:
- Fear is disproportionate to dangerIt lasts more than six months
- It has significant impact on the way you live your everyday life.
DO NOT FORGET THAT THE BEST WAY TO COPE WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS IS CONTACT A SPECIALIST!
Source: MIND
