Mental health has always been as important as physical health, we humans are realizing that just now.
Mental health day is an opportunity for all of us to get acquainted with the concept of it.
From keeping a check on your loved ones to yourself, mental health is all about doing what’s best for you and keeping you and your loved ones healthy.
Therapy is a medium through which you can interact with a professional regarding all the emotional and mental domains of your life. It is as simple as having a mentor who gives you the tools to deal with certain situations and lends an ear when required.
Reasons to take therapy:
You want someone to listen to you wholeheartedly.
You think you may have some past trauma.
You want to explore life.
You feel that you need mental and emotional guidance.
You just feel like it.
There is no correct reason why you can go to therapy. Just like a regular physical checkup, therapy can be a mental check-up for you.
Just like your body gets sick, your brain can too. It’s completely normal and can be cured. Here are some of the common ones.
(Note: Do reach out to a professional or loved one when you’re not feeling like yourself. These symptoms differ with individuals. If some of these symptoms apply to you, you may or may not have the disease.)
Types of Mental Illnesses:
1. Anxiety:
Fear
Excessive Worry
Tensed Behavior
When Elsa hurt Anna accidentally with her powers in the movie Frozen, she became anxious about them. She was worried that she’d hurt her again and hence isolated herself. Her anxiety reduced greatly when she experienced trust and love from Anna which helped her believe in herself.
Just like Elsa, Piglet from Winnie the Pooh has anxiety too.
2. Depression:
Sad Mood
Feeling Nothing
Grief
Not Having the Energy to do anything
Procrastination
Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh is believed to have depression. Nevertheless, all his friends still invite him for activities together, and they try to have fun every day.
In Big Hero 6, Hiro lost his brother Tadashi. He spent days grieving and thus resulted in him getting depressed. As Baymax suggested, spending time with loved ones such as family and friends can help reduce depression. Talking about it to a professional can also help you immensely.
3. Autism:
Challenges interacting with peers
Challenges with social skills
Dr. Shawn Murphy in the series The Good Doctor is an autistic character.
Even the legendary Sherlock Holmes, when portrayed in series such as Sherlock and Elementary, is believed to have Asperger's Syndrome (a mild form of autism).
4. OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder):
Unwanted Thoughts
Unwanted Sensations
Indulging in repetitive patterns
Arranging Stationary
Cleaning
Touching Surfaces
Rabbit from the cartoon Winnie the Pooh has OCD.
Sheldon from Big Bang Theory also has OCD.
5. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder):
It is a common mental health disorder, which can be observed in the early stages of a child’s life. The human faces difficulty in concentrating/focusing at work or even at home.
Hyperactivity
Lack of Focus
An example of cartoon characters that possibly have this disorder is Tigger, from Winnie the Pooh, and Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes.
6. ED (eating disorder):
Eating more than usual (binging)
Eating less than what the body requires
Fictional character Aneesa from Never Have I Ever, has an eating disorder.
7. Imposter Syndrome:
There is a fine line between being humble and thinking you are not worthy of what you’ve accomplished. Imposter syndrome is an immensely common psychological pattern.
Not feeling like you deserve praise when you have done the job well
Not taking credit for your accomplishments
Feeling like you don’t deserve your accomplishments
Feeling inadequate, even though you have the skillsets
Loss of confidence
To relax the mind and take care of it, we all indulge in comfort activities. Let’s see what some of the popular ones are (as per my Instagram family)…
Binge-watching a series or a movie is one of the best ways to relax and enjoy the modern world. It's like exploring a different universe, and sometimes wishing you were a part of it.
Definitely my favorite one on the list. Whether it be an afternoon nap or a night snooze, sleeping is the most productive and relaxing thing you can do. Lucid dreams, comfy sheets, and burning calories? Hell yeah!
Even though COVID may not let us travel much, being in nature has a beautiful soothing effect on us.
Pro tip: If you can't find nice views, try searching in your kitchen. Hint: Your refrigerator.
Always works.
Being one with yourself and the universe. Just close your eyes and let time stop.
Yes! Show your phone who's the boss. That's right... you are! It feels immensely powerful to just switch off from the world once in a while. Detox... here we come!
Indulging in your hobbies like playing music, painting, reading, writing, exercise, sports, cooking and so many more, helps you fall in love with yourself again. You start feeling more like you.
Wishing you and your awesome brain a Happy Mental Health Day!
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