Am I Crazy To Seek Help For My Mental Health?
Mental Health affects everyone at some point in life as we invariably feel challenged and overwhelmed at times. Seeking Mental Health support when we feel challenged and unable to cope can build resilience in facing stressful and difficult life situations. Many people do not seek help for Mental Health conditions because they equate them with Illness which are commonly stigmatised.
What precisely constitutes mental health, and what makes it significant?
Mental health is a crucial aspect of your overall well-being, encompassing a person’s emotional, psychological, and social health. It plays a vital role in how you handle stress, interact with others, make decisions and function daily.
Disorders such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders can affect your mental health. However, having good mental health goes beyond the absence of disorders to positive traits such as resilience, self-esteem, and the ability to enjoy life which promotes your total well-being.
Mental health issues have been in-focus locally in recent years. The recent Ipsos’ Global Health Service Monitor survey found that 46 per cent of Singaporeans consider mental health to be the most pressing health issue facing their country today while the latest National Population Health Survey shows that the number of people with poor mental health has grown between 2020 and 2022.
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Signs That You Need Help
How do you know if you need help with your mental health? If you have been feeling depressed, anxious and finding it difficult to sleep or motivate yourself to do things for a brief period, some self-care activities may pull you out of the slum. These include exercise, social activities, adequate sleep, healthy eating, talking to someone you trust and relaxation techniques.
However, if the symptoms are not getting better despite self-care or you’re experiencing the following struggles, it is crucial to seek professional help:
- Encountering intense emotions that are difficult to manage such as sadness, anxiety or irritability for an extended period and you feel overwhelmed by your life and responsibilities.
- Struggling to perform daily tasks like getting out of bed, going to work or school or maintaining personal hygiene.
- Experiencing issues in your relationships with friends, family, romantic partners or isolating yourself from friends and family to avoid social interactions.
- Having trouble adapting to significant life changes such as a move, breakup or the loss of a loved one.
- Feeling trapped in your circumstances and having difficulty discovering direction in your life.
- Dealing with a traumatic situation such as physical or sexual assault, a natural disaster or a serious accident.
- Significant disruptions in your sleep, either insomnia or excessive sleeping.
- Thoughts of death or self-harm.
Professional help is available in the form of therapy, medication, or a combination of both. There are also many other resources available to help those struggling with mental health issues including counselling services, support groups and hotlines.
St. Luke’s Hospital offers a Care & Counselling mental wellness service designed to offer assistance and resources for individuals seeking to maintain their mental well-being amidst a health crisis or chronic health situation. This service is also open to caregivers of patients who may appreciate support to cope with the stresses of caregiving.
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Seeking Help Is A Sign of Strength
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. Remember that seeking assistance for mental health concerns is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength as it takes courage to admit that you need help and take steps towards bettering your mental health.
It’s also important to surround yourself with a support system of family and friends who can offer encouragement and understanding throughout your journey. You don’t have to struggle on your own and help is available. With the right treatment and support, it is possible to manage and overcome mental health challenges and live a fulfilling life.
By breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, we can create a more supportive and inclusive society, where people feel comfortable seeking the help they need. This can be done by educating ourselves and others about mental health, challenging negative stereotypes and promoting open and honest conversations about mental illness so that we can create a community where mental health is treated with the same level of compassion and care as physical health.
READ ALSO: "Mental Health for Seniors – Simple Ways To Stay Positive"
References:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/high-blood-pressure-obesity-physical-activity-salt-sugar-health-nutrition-survey-3798636
https://www.ipsos.com/en-sg/global-health-service-monitor-2023
