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Rethink Mental Illness
“Emotional pain is not something that should be hidden away and never spoken about. There is truth in your pain, there is growth in your pain, but only if it’s first brought out into the open.”
— Steven Aitchison
We celebrate International Mental Health Day, to bring awareness about mental health issues seen all over the world and take collective measures to support the same. It’s time we make mental health care a reality for people all over the world, especially for those who suffer in silence. It’s time we come forward and speak about our mental health issues as much as we do when it comes to our physical health.
Mental health holds an equivalent weightage or even quoting more may not be wrong in coalition with physical health, but it is often neglected or considered a taboo even today. Despite being in a century witnessing leaps of technological and medical advancement, where diagnosing and treating physical ailments even in the deadliest diseases like cancer is showing hope, mental health still remains an unspoken silent phenomenon.
While coming to terms with the post-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health has been one of the most addressed topics of concern at various forums and organisations, unveiling the intensity of impact it has had on people’s state of mind. You as a reader reading this article too must have had your own share of emotional feelings, which is equivalently true for me as a writer too.
As proposed by the WHO (World Health Organization), “Mental health is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health. Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. It is an integral and essential component of health”.
Mental health as stated is more and above just the absence of mental ailments. Holistic health comprises physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Being able to cope up with the daily stresses of life, having a sound state of understanding and reasoning, and contributing to society, reflects the mental health status of an individual. An array of factors can bring about a disturbance in this state of mind. Childhood trauma, stressful relationships, abuse- verbal and physical, domestic violence, social factors, work pressure, peer pressure, competition, performance stress, sexual abuse, health issues, environmental stress, lifestyle disorders are examples commonly found around us. Many-a-times people suffer in silence without expressing or letting anyone know, allowing it to form deep and long-lasting scars at the mental level which can give rise to an altered or compromised behavior or pattern. The person afflicted, may start living a compromised life with inner turmoil and disturbance without even being aware of it. This often can turn out to be an alarm or a trigger factor for a variety of health ailments (mental or physical) in the imminent years.
Homeopathy is an alternative system of medicine that approaches the individual in a holistic manner with the understanding that the mind and body being inter-connected have an influence on each other. We as homeopaths understand and address the issues both at the mental as well as the physical level of the individual, giving prime importance to the altered state and pattern at the deeper level which also can be a potential cause or trigger factor for varied disease conditions. Homeopathy helps heal at a deeper level, by providing you with holistic well-being. it helps improve your quality of life in the long term. The medicines prescribed are derived from natural substances and hence do not have any side effects or after-effects. Additionally, it is safe to be consumed by people of all ages.
Tips for mental wellbeing:
Express yourself- talk/share your feelings and emotions. Being heard is indeed a good feeling. It can help create an opportunity and encouragement for others to open up too
Keep yourself engaged or busy as it helps build a good feeling of being productive and boosts self-confidence
Make physical activity a part of your routine that you can enjoy daily. It helps decrease the stress hormones and makes you sleep better
Eat healthily- consuming healthy and balanced meals can help improve your mood and overall well-being
Changing surroundings or taking a break from routine can help refresh, rejuvenate and de-stress you mentally as well as physically. Try exploring new places, it will add up to your moments
Love doing something- go for it. Lose yourself to activities you love doing. It helps boost your personality and self-esteem. It acts as a stress buster too.
Self-acceptance- be aware of yourself and who you are. We all have flaws, no one is perfect, but as rightly quoted, “beauty lies in the imperfections”. Build and create yourself, learn new skills and activities. Be open to trying new things.
Have a purpose in life- we all have been created for a purpose, try finding it and fulfilling it. It will motivate you to get out of bed every morning even on those low days.
Uplift and motivate others- which will help keep you motivated in turn. Sharing positivity will bring about an abundance of it in your life too.
Do not hesitate to ask for help- we are humans who can get exhausted putting up a strong face all the time. It’s ok and fine to share and talk about your feelings or take professional help too if needed.
It’s time to wake up and take charge of your mental health today before it takes hold of you. Act now!
