The thread which I like to think runs through many of my blogs is one which recognizes stress and anxiety, especially in women.
Mental health disorders from mild agitation through to full blown depression are very much signs of our times and there are many theories as to the causes.
Dealing with these conditions is a different matter, as professional help, though available, is thin on the ground, and judging by current statistics, demand is rapidly outstripping supply.
Sadly, the professions who we should be turning too, are often victims themselves, overwhelmed by huge workloads and pressures. This may result in a prescription written in a hurry, when perhaps a chat for an hour would have helped assess the cause and established a way forward for a particular situation.
However, as I have often stated before, there are many things which we can do ourselves to help.
Sharing a problem is a good start, providing the person you are sharing with is a good listener and trustworthy. There is nothing worse than divulging personal information, only to find it being relayed to several other people afterwards.
Mental health issues can be short or long term.
Short term can be more easily identified as the cause is usually very obvious.
Losing employment, a family crisis, relationship break up, health or financial worries are often the most common.
These situations bring on feelings of anxiety as there may not appear to be any immediate answer to the problem. Feelings of being out of control, anger, worthlessness, and fearing the future are unpleasant and frightening, and constantly dominate the mind. This can affect sleep, appetite, confidence and self esteem.
Surprisingly, although extremely negative situations, they tend not to last indefinitely.
Usually the person will take some sort of action, or the dynamics of the problem will shift in some way, which move the goal posts even slightly, which allows a different perspective.
The situation may resolve itself, such as new employment being found, or a solution to a family crisis.
Following such outcomes, the negative feelings of anxiety and depression may disappear.
Overall, coping mechanisms are found, and depending how the person`s mindset is focused, either progress will be made or the situation may remain more static.
Longer term mental health problems may not be so easy to identify, and really need some professional intervention.
Sometimes mental health issues such as depression caused by a chemical imbalance, can run in families, or anxiety linked to an undiagnosed spectrum disorder. It could also be a more serious psychiatric illness requiring specialized input.
A long term situation such as bullying in the work place or an abusive relationship can be slow and insidious and cause long term damage.
I have mentioned mind and mindset. The mind has such a powerful influence on us, and scientists are constantly finding out more and more about it.
We can`t see, feel, smell, taste, touch or hear it, but it is involved in everything we do and influences all five senses. It is all linked in with the brain and how the brain is made up .
The brain has very specialized cells which at one time were thought not to grow after damage or a certain life stage, but it has now been discovered that these cells, or neurons, can regenerate, through the power of the mind, known as neuroplasticity.
If that can be done, then what else can the mind do?
If it can exert a negative response to a negative stimulus, and the result is a negative feeling, then we should also be able to create a positive response to a positive stimulus resulting in a positive outcome. It sounds difficult, and it isn`t easy, but it is perfectly possible.
In simple terms, we all know how quickly our mood can change. Either from positive to negative or vice versa. It can happen in an instant, such as receiving good or bad news.
In that instant, the thing that caused the reaction was the mind receiving and processing the news.
In previous blogs, I have often suggested that it is what is fed into the mind that becomes the mind set. It is too complicated to go into in depth here, but suffice to say, that for a "good" mindset, "good" information must be fed into it.
That includes what we think, what we do, how we react and what we surround ourselves with.It also gives us the opportunity to use our five senses.
How can these simple things help our mental health?
If we are fortunate enough to have all senses in working order, we will be able to appreciate what is around us. That may sound a small thing, but you may be surprised at what you observe and learn.
Our sight is a priceless gift. It enables us to see the world, our families and friends and the things that make up our daily lives.You may be surrounded by comfort and beauty, or there may be signs of poverty and neglect.
Hearing may highlight the sound of the workplace, children, traffic or sounds of nature. It can block out noise to help focus the mind.
Taste can be the difference between the pleasure of eating or comfort eating or drinking. Taking the time to actually savour food or feeling lucky to taste food at all.
We use touch all the time, sometimes we are unaware of it as in tasks of daily life, and other times very aware of it as in relationship interactions.
Smell is a precursor of other things. A good smell will be associated with pleasant things such as perfume of flowers, or cooking, whereas a bad smell will lead to something that is not good, such as rotting rubbish.
With these simple tools, it is possible to create a good mindset, by looking at, listening to, tasting, touching and smelling pleasing things. My usual advice of a walk in the woods, by the sea or somewhere uplifting, goes a long way to incorporating all the senses and creating a good mindset and sense of calm.
However, there are many other permutations.
Most people will have heard of Mindfulness, but are perhaps not very sure what it is.
It is a technique which is very useful as a coping mechanism and a tool to improve mindset.
It requires the person to remove themselves from thoughts in the mind, particularly negative thoughts, and concentrate on what is immediately around them.
To begin with it is quite difficult to do, as the mind keeps popping up thoughts. However, with the help of some deep breathing, bit by bit you will find that if you concentrate on your surroundings, the thoughts get less until they disappear.
This is where the 5 senses come in, as you can take in what you can see around you,(or you may prefer to close your eyes), hear what is going on, be aware of anything you can touch, smell or taste.
It is amazing that this exercise can have a such a profound effect on your mindset.
Whilst you were concentrating on the 5 senses, you were removing the thought processes from what you had been thinking about.
Each time you do this, it becomes easier, and more effective. It can be done anywhere, although to begin with, usually sitting or lying in a quiet place works best.
Mindfulness has proved to be very beneficial when dealing with stress, anxiety, insomnia, mild depression and for general mental well being.
It has been introduced into many work places and schools with good results.
It is not difficult to do, costs nothing and can have huge benefits,and is just one of the ways we can help our own mental health.
Disclaimer:
This blog refers to mental health conditions relating to stress, anxiety, depression and any other illness in general terms in line with many current publications and research.
It is advised that where possible, professional help should be sought, and self help such as Mindfulness authorized by a trained practitioner.
