Understanding Mental Health
Understanding Mental Health
Understanding your mental health, triggers, and the stigma of mental health in our society today.
You may have noticed that the topic of mental health has been trending for quite a while now. Why is it important? Why is everyone talking about it? And why is it crucial that we take a step back and give ourselves a mental health check? According to MentalHealth.gov, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.”
Your mental health can and will fluctuate throughout your life, depending on many different factors, including:
● Biological factors, like your genes and brain chemistry
● Life experience, such as trauma and abuse
● Family history of mental health problems.
You may have some days where you feel happy, positive, and full of hope. You may also have days where you feel sad, overwhelmed, or stressed. These feelings are all a part of your
mental health and exemplify how your mental health can change over time. How you are feeling mentally can impact how you function on a day-to-day basis, in school, at work, and in relationships.
Warning Signs
If you’re wondering if you or someone in your life is struggling with mental health problems, look
out for these warnings signs:
● Eating or sleeping too much or too little
● Detaching from people or activities
● Low or no energy
● Feeling hopeless
● Drug abuse
● Easy agitated
● Severe mood swings
● Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
● Thinking of harming yourself or others
● Inability to function normally
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms such as these, it’s important to seek help from a licensed professional.
Mental Health Triggers
The National Alliance on Mental Illness explains a trigger or sometimes referred to as a stressor, as, “an action or situation that can lead to an adverse emotional reaction. In the context of
mental illness, referring to triggers usually means something that has brought on or worsened symptoms.”
When on the topic of mental illness, the conversation most often focuses on what to do after you’ve been triggered, rather than how to be aware of and prevent triggers.
It’s important to understand that triggers are highly individualized experiences. Something that triggers you, may not affect the person next to you, and vice versa. Just as triggers are highly individual, so are the reactions that follow. For some, a trigger may cause an optional reaction such as sweating or crying. For someone else, it may cause an emotional or internal reaction and spiraling thoughts. Experiencing a trigger can leave anyone feeling overwhelmed, hurt, sad, frustrated, or a variety
of other feelings. Know that whatever it is that triggers you, and whatever reaction you have to that trigger, is a
normal part of being human.
Types of Triggers
Internal - An internal trigger comes from within the person. This can be a memory, an emotion, or a feeling. For example, your heart is racing as you run and you’re reminded of a stressful or scary event that caused your heart to race.
These triggers can include:
● Anger
● Anxiety
● Feeling overwhelmed
● Loneliness
● Muscle tension
● Traumatic memories
● Sadness
● Pain
External - External triggers come from the environment. They can be a person, place, or a specific situation.
Some things that can make a person feel triggered:
● The anniversary of a specific event
● Something on television that reminds them of a person or event
● Arguing with someone
● Certain smells or sounds that bring back old memories
Identifying your triggers
Learning to recognize your triggers starts with listening to your body. When you are experiencing a strong emotion, pay attention to what situation spurred this response. Aside from emotions, you may experience a physical response such as:
● Rapid heart rate
● Upset Stomach
● Dizziness
● Sweating
Take a Step Back
Once you’ve noticed you’ve been triggered, take a step back to evaluate what you’re feeling and why you’re feeling this way. Think back to the root of why you’re feeling the way you are. This is often easier said than done. The important thing is to not turn from what you’re feeling or bury your emotions, but assess how you’re feeling and why
Sometimes triggers can be avoided and sometimes they cannot. Learning to deal with your
triggers in the moment can help you better prepare and lessen the impact.
Coping Strategies
Different coping strategies will look different for different people. Healthy coping can look like:
● Deep breathing
● Meditating
● Calling a friend
● Going for a walk
● Journaling your feelings
● Learning to forgive
● Speaking to a therapist
How to improve your mental health
Improving your mental health takes intention. Here are a few tips for improving your mental
health and wellbeing.
Connect with others
Spending time with friends and loved ones helps to build a sense of belonging and strengthen
relationships.
Talk about your feelings
It’s important to talk about your feelings and emotions, both good and bad. Talking about your
feelings is a great way to process and allows others to offer help when needed.
Stay active
Regular exercise can improve your mental health and wellbeing!
Eat well
What you eat matters. Eating nourishing foods can improve both your physical and mental
health.
Get adequate sleep
Sleep is important for a variety of bodily functions, including mental and brain function.
Relax
Learn to take a step back, relax, and prioritize self-care.Get professional help
It’s important to recognize when your mental health is declining and when you feel out of control.
If this is happening, it may be time to seek professional help from a licensed therapist.
Therapy can greatly improve your mental health and offer specific coping skills and better
understanding of your own mental health.
Make time for the things you enjoy
Whether it’s spending time with your friends, playing sports, or enjoying a hobby, making time
for the things you enjoy is an important part of improving and maintaining your mental health!
The Stigma of Mental Illness
Mental health problems are normal. It’s okay to not be okay and it’s okay to talk to someone and
get help. So let’s talk about the stigma behind mental health – stigma and false beliefs about mental
health can cause major damage such as bullying, missing out on work, school, and social
opportunities. The May Clinic describes stigma as, “when someone views you in a negative way
because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that's thought to be, or actually
is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype).”
The stigma around mental health can have harmful effects, including reluctance to seek help or
the negative beliefs about yourself such as that you’ll never achieve your dreams. Stigma can
cause a lack of understanding from your friends, family, coworkers and others; resulting in
feelings of shame and loneliness.
How to overcome the stigma
Unfortunately, stigma surrounding mental health is still common and it’s time to overcome it. It’s
time to speak up and speak out. To break the stigma we must break the habits it has caused like
isolation and shame.
Talk about it
The first step in overcoming the stigma, is talking openly about mental health. That can look like
opening up about your own struggles, educating others on mental health, or creating a space
safe for others to share about their own mental health.
Educate yourself To break the stigma around mental health, it takes an understanding of what mental health is.
This can look like reading books, blogs, or simply asking questions. If someone in your life deals
with mental health struggles, ask them questions. Seek to understand what their going through
and actively find ways you can support them.
Remember, if your mental health is struggling, you’re not alone. Show yourself some love
and seek help from those around you.